HELLLLPPPP! Why am I only getting stereo out of my 5.1 spe..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

Alright, this is somewhat OT, but it relates to playing Half-Life 2. I just
purchased teh Creative Inspire GD580 speakers that comes with a digitial
decoder. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and want to use the
digital out for my 5.1 speakers. But I can only get stereo. What am I doing
wrong? How can I get 5.1. Thanks for any assistance!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"HockeyTownUSA" <magma@killspam.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:VsSdnXi4q-Zg2oLfRVn-pQ@comcast.com...
> Alright, this is somewhat OT, but it relates to playing Half-Life 2. I
> just purchased teh Creative Inspire GD580 speakers that comes with a
> digitial decoder. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and want to use
> the digital out for my 5.1 speakers. But I can only get stereo. What am I
> doing wrong? How can I get 5.1. Thanks for any assistance!
>
>

Do you mean you only get stereo all the time, or in the game, or what? You
won't be able to get 5.1 sound from every source you listen too, only from
real 5.1 coded music or games. If it's in HL2, you may want to read the
latest Steam Update news; it lists something about enabling 5.1 sound in the
game. It
may only be for NForce2 users. Go here:
http://www.steampowered.com/?area=news

If you have a true 5.1 source that's being output as stereo, you have an
issue with your sound card setup, either hardware or software related. You
don't provide enough information for a "Here's how to fix it." reply. I'm
sure other posters using the Audigy 2 would like to help you out.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

Make sure 5.1 is selected in the control panel / sounds and audio
devices....
Then check to make sure its setup under your Creative Speaker Settings.
Thats the problem I had.....
Thought just having it set up in the contral panel was enough.
But needs to be in both.

GL
Erik
"HockeyTownUSA" <magma@killspam.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:VsSdnXi4q-Zg2oLfRVn-pQ@comcast.com...
> Alright, this is somewhat OT, but it relates to playing Half-Life 2. I
> just purchased teh Creative Inspire GD580 speakers that comes with a
> digitial decoder. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and want to use
> the digital out for my 5.1 speakers. But I can only get stereo. What am I
> doing wrong? How can I get 5.1. Thanks for any assistance!
>
>
>

 

[shawk]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

HockeyTownUSA wrote:
> Alright, this is somewhat OT, but it relates to playing Half-Life 2. I just
> purchased teh Creative Inspire GD580 speakers that comes with a digitial
> decoder. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and want to use the
> digital out for my 5.1 speakers. But I can only get stereo. What am I doing
> wrong? How can I get 5.1. Thanks for any assistance!
>
>
>

See here - is this your problem?

http://macworld.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/product_id=1563780/id_type=M

Also

http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=4697&query.id=115736#M4697

or (if that wraps)

http://tinyurl.com/6oc72

Have only glanced at those but got the impression the Audigy 2 doesn't
do spdif digital properly? Be interested to hear how you get on.



--
"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our weapon is
surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are
fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our three weapons are
fear, and surprise, and the ruthless efficiency...and an almost
fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Amongst our weapons...are fear,
surprise, ruth... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear...
I'll come in again"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Shawk" <shawk@clara.co.uk.3guesses> wrote in message
news:1109367522.27253.0@echo.uk.clara.net...
> HockeyTownUSA wrote:
>> Alright, this is somewhat OT, but it relates to playing Half-Life 2. I
>> just purchased teh Creative Inspire GD580 speakers that comes with a
>> digitial decoder. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and want to
>> use the digital out for my 5.1 speakers. But I can only get stereo. What
>> am I doing wrong? How can I get 5.1. Thanks for any assistance!
>>
>>
>>
>
> See here - is this your problem?
>
> http://macworld.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/product_id=1563780/id_type=M
>
> Also
>
> http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=4697&query.id=115736#M4697
>
> or (if that wraps)
>
> http://tinyurl.com/6oc72
>
> Have only glanced at those but got the impression the Audigy 2 doesn't do
> spdif digital properly? Be interested to hear how you get on.
>
>
>


Thanks guys (and/or gals). After further investigation, I find that only AC3
encoded data or stereo audio can be transmitted through digital coax or
optical. The XBOX and PS2 and DVD players transmit in AC3 encoded format,
that is why you can get Dolby Digital audio through coax or a toslink
optical cable. But I am wondering why the PC doesn't do the same? I am
assuming that the consoles have an integrated chip that encodes the sound
data on the fly. Buy why can't the PC do the same with an add-on card or
even with software if it isn't a huge CPU overhead. Either way, I found a
decoder that will allow attachment of PC 5.1 (three analog 1/8" plugs) along
with coax and digital optical. I have two PC's and an XBOX to connect to the
same speakers, so $150 more than I wanted to spend later, it should take
care of my setup.

One thing that I didn't think about is ALL THE WIRES that you have to run.
What a chore, and what a mess, even when trying to keep everything
organized. Especially difficult trying to route everthing behind my desk
that is only a few inches off the wall, and is not moveable (solid oak desk
and hutch weighs a ton).

If there's one thing I've learned from this (and every other new PC project
I delve into) is to expect to spend twice as much as you intend initially.

 

[shawk]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

HockeyTownUSA wrote:
>
> Thanks guys (and/or gals). After further investigation, I find that only AC3
> encoded data or stereo audio can be transmitted through digital coax or
> optical. The XBOX and PS2 and DVD players transmit in AC3 encoded format,
> that is why you can get Dolby Digital audio through coax or a toslink
> optical cable. But I am wondering why the PC doesn't do the same? I am
> assuming that the consoles have an integrated chip that encodes the sound
> data on the fly. Buy why can't the PC do the same with an add-on card or
> even with software if it isn't a huge CPU overhead. Either way, I found a
> decoder that will allow attachment of PC 5.1 (three analog 1/8" plugs) along
> with coax and digital optical. I have two PC's and an XBOX to connect to the
> same speakers, so $150 more than I wanted to spend later, it should take
> care of my setup.
>
> One thing that I didn't think about is ALL THE WIRES that you have to run.
> What a chore, and what a mess, even when trying to keep everything
> organized. Especially difficult trying to route everthing behind my desk
> that is only a few inches off the wall, and is not moveable (solid oak desk
> and hutch weighs a ton).
>
> If there's one thing I've learned from this (and every other new PC project
> I delve into) is to expect to spend twice as much as you intend initially.
>
>

I'm in the UK so dont know if there is anything similar where you are
but my daughter wanted a cheap 5:1 setup in her room for her PC, stereo
and DVD player. She bought:

http://www.aria.co.uk/productsList.asp?Category=37&Submit=submit (see
the EKE 5.1 speakers for £36 plus VAT) and

http://www.aria.co.uk/productsList.asp?Category=36&Submit=submit (see
the 24-bit
Hollywood 7.1 for £22.79 plus VAT)

(Hope those links work OK)

I told her for that price she was probably buying rubbish but she set it
up (with optical cable between soundcard and speaker decoder) and its
great. Better than my Audigy and Creative 5.1 setup cos that's only
analogue. She then ran co-ax between DVD and speaker decoder and now
Troy is booming through the damn ceiling. For the price I'm impressed.
I wont waste my money on Creative next time.



--
"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our weapon is
surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are
fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our three weapons are
fear, and surprise, and the ruthless efficiency...and an almost
fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Amongst our weapons...are fear,
surprise, ruth... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear...
I'll come in again"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Shawk" <shawk@clara.co.uk.3guesses> wrote in message
news:1109375442.13796.0@nnrp-t71-03.news.uk.clara.net...
> HockeyTownUSA wrote:
>>
>> Thanks guys (and/or gals). After further investigation, I find that only
>> AC3 encoded data or stereo audio can be transmitted through digital coax
>> or optical. The XBOX and PS2 and DVD players transmit in AC3 encoded
>> format, that is why you can get Dolby Digital audio through coax or a
>> toslink optical cable. But I am wondering why the PC doesn't do the same?
>> I am assuming that the consoles have an integrated chip that encodes the
>> sound data on the fly. Buy why can't the PC do the same with an add-on
>> card or even with software if it isn't a huge CPU overhead. Either way, I
>> found a decoder that will allow attachment of PC 5.1 (three analog 1/8"
>> plugs) along with coax and digital optical. I have two PC's and an XBOX
>> to connect to the same speakers, so $150 more than I wanted to spend
>> later, it should take care of my setup.
>>
>> One thing that I didn't think about is ALL THE WIRES that you have to
>> run. What a chore, and what a mess, even when trying to keep everything
>> organized. Especially difficult trying to route everthing behind my desk
>> that is only a few inches off the wall, and is not moveable (solid oak
>> desk and hutch weighs a ton).
>>
>> If there's one thing I've learned from this (and every other new PC
>> project I delve into) is to expect to spend twice as much as you intend
>> initially.
>>
>>
>
> I'm in the UK so dont know if there is anything similar where you are but
> my daughter wanted a cheap 5:1 setup in her room for her PC, stereo and
> DVD player. She bought:
>
> http://www.aria.co.uk/productsList.asp?Category=37&Submit=submit (see the
> EKE 5.1 speakers for £36 plus VAT) and
>
> http://www.aria.co.uk/productsList.asp?Category=36&Submit=submit (see the
> 24-bit
> Hollywood 7.1 for £22.79 plus VAT)
>
> (Hope those links work OK)
>
> I told her for that price she was probably buying rubbish but she set it
> up (with optical cable between soundcard and speaker decoder) and its
> great. Better than my Audigy and Creative 5.1 setup cos that's only
> analogue. She then ran co-ax between DVD and speaker decoder and now Troy
> is booming through the damn ceiling. For the price I'm impressed. I wont
> waste my money on Creative next time.
>

Thanks, but chances are it is only stereo sound coming out of those speakers
from the PC. DVD movies and console games will be true 5.1, but it won't
with PC, unless I'm missing something as much as I've researched this after
buying this setup... my own fault for not investigating sooner.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

HockeyTownUSA wrote:

> If there's one thing I've learned from this (and every other new PC project
> I delve into) is to expect to spend twice as much as you intend initially.

Yup, I think we've all been there! :-/


--
Ben Cottrell AKA Bench

All these modern celebrities are endorsing supermarket products now...
I got a pack of sausages from Tesco the other day and there was this
picture of Anthony Worral Thompson on the front. Below, it read 'prick
with a fork'.