high-end dolby decoder /soundcard? (with alsa drivers?)

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"darrell berry" <darrell@ku24.com> wrote in message
newse8012f7.0407260536.232bfbe9@posting.google.com
> I've been searching high and low, trying to find a studio-quality
> dolby digital decoder pc card (with or without actual digital or
> analogue outputs (see below)), so far with no luck.
>
> I'm looking for something that can take a dolby digital stream at
> input, and decode it into discrete channels that i can then feed to an
> equally high quality multichannel audio card with analogue out
> (current thinking digigram vx822). ANd preferably with alsa support on
> Linux.
>
> Any ideas? The only cards I can find that do decoding are the
> soundblasteraudigy series, and no offence to creative labs, but i want
> something closer to pro audio quality...

> Any suggestions?

Since cards with digital outputs are cheap, I'd consider using a good DD
hardware decoder like the Technics SHAC300 or SHAC 500, and just hook it up
to some card with a servicable DD output. These decoders have been out of
production for years, but have decent converters. You can probably still
pick one up on eBay for not a lot of money.