SPDIF output problems

[z_dori]

hi,
i have an AUDIGY 4 PRO. i play with it all games with 5.1 but in analog mode coz i cannot get it to get out SPDIF 5.1 (digital mode).
the sound is amazing but i thing that if my amplyfier can decode the 5.1 channels, it will be allot easier on my pc to handle.
(this cars is so tuff... i don't feel the deference from playing stereo or 5.1 & with my 140X6 theater sound system.... any game comes to life! [evern 5 blocks from here!])

(don't mention listening to Infected Mushroom on full volume... i can't hear my self screem!)

so if anyone have a creative card & know how to config it to output SPDIF it will be gr8.
all my atempts faild so far. my amplyfier didn't change from 2.1 to 5.1 mode.

thanks

 

[astrallite]

SPDIF only accepts PCM signals.

PCM signals are stereo by nature. The only way to get surround via PCM are are compressed PCM signals--ZIPed if you will. The most common are Dolby Digital and DTS.

Roughly speaking, either the game you are playing needs to have compressed sound formats available like DD or DTS, or you need to buy a sound card that can compress discrete analog channels into DD or DTS signals in real time.

 

[DJ_Jumbles]

Good response. The only real way to do it is with conversion software/hardware. I've never heard of anyone trying to covert to dolby or dts in real-time. Anyone know if this can be done without lag?

 

[z_dori]

guys....
before the XFI SPU this baby was the best sound card by Creative...

1. i have a decoder in my audigy 4 pro.
2. in gothic 3, the last sound option is dolby digital 5.1. & still... if i choose in my sound card- external decoder over SPDIF, it doesn't change in the amplyfier.
3. even when i put Video DVD's, the same... the sound card shows an DD icon on the buttom of the screen when i enable the Dolby Digial External Decoder Option.

i'm too lazy to go to tech support of cretive coz they want the serial of the card= & i need to disconnect it for that.

whan i had the audigy 2 nx the tech support showed me how to do this ( & the amplyfier changed to DD mode even on FAR CRY! but that card was sucks... he couldn't take the load of 5.1 output like the audigy 4 pro.

 

[DJ_Jumbles]

Here I'm in the dark.... I have no idea how to ENCODE your sound into dolby or whatever to send it out over the SPDIF line. I usually work in reverse, with my external DVD going into my Audigy Drive to decode and play over my computer speakers.
I'd like to know how to do this, too. Help, anyone???

 

[rquinn19]

Here I'm in the dark.... I have no idea how to ENCODE your sound into dolby or whatever to send it out over the SPDIF line. I usually work in reverse, with my external DVD going into my Audigy Drive to decode and play over my computer speakers.
I'd like to know how to do this, too. Help, anyone???

A couple sound cards by auzentech and one by turtle beach and the barracuda all can take stereo or whatever kind of signal and send it out the spdif as digital sound. they do real time encoding. im trying to figure out which one to get at the moment so ive been researching this for a couple weeks. theres probably other cards but the 2 auzentechs and turtle beach are all in the 60 - 80 range on newegg

 

[z_dori]

hi,
after reading the post i thgout of some simptopm when loading the external decoder settings...
now i have a 3.5 yearold PC with a little upgrades & over clock.. workig very nice- MW on max details on 1280 is the test for me.
but when using the external decoder settings the PC runs very slow, very very slow.
so i can guess that while the card have internal decoder, it is not storong enagh or using a lot of CPU power to to the encoding.

if anyone have a Dual core CPU with audigy 4 pro it wil be nice to know how it (spdif) runs on his pc.

to enble the external decoder- go to the creative console & choose external decoder. i think the AC3 decoder of MEDIA PLAYER or any player needs to be enabled to.
i use VLC, if has an SPDIF output. still... the icon of dolby digital but the pc runs very slowly. 5fps when playing DVD.

however- when i use internal decoer & output analog signal to the amplyfier- even FRIENDS on STEREO goes AC3... the CPU load is higher the stereo, but runs smoth..... & very nice...
better is lost S3 on AC3.....

 

[DJ_Jumbles]

This is kind of what I was thinking. I thought that the encoding would be a CPU drain, but I don't know what audio card you are using. That, and with some more up-to-date components, I'd expect there to be less load.
Although, I'd still like to know if the Audigy chips can encode on their own and bypass the CPU or not... Thanks

 

[z_dori]

audigy 4 pro, this is my card, & he CAN encode, it has internal decoder, very powerfull.
if you look up in the topic- you'll c that i wrote- it speeded up my games very much. before i played in stereo, now in 5.1 all the time and faster!
i hade the audigy 2 nx, it's a toy comparing to this card.....