Computer Sound Card to Receiver Question (1 Viewer)

[Ben Harrsch]

Hi, Gang, I need your help on a newbie question.

I've slowly purchased various pieces to my Home Theater over the years. It's may seem like a Frankenstein Monster of a home theater system at this point, but it's what I've been able to piece together on a limited budget.

VIDEO
Sony Vaio PCV-RX730 PC transmitting an 1024 X 768 video signal to a Sharp Notevision XR-11XC Projector. I'm actually sending a 1280 X 1024 resolution picture to the projector. The Sharp Notevision XR-11XC Projector performs some kind of "Intelligent Compression" to present an SXGA image. (I don't know "technologically accurate" this SXGA image is, but to my eyes it looks nice.)

AUDIO (Current Configuration: THE PROBLEM)
Sony Vaio PCV-RX730 PC Computer (The same one as above) currently transmitting a weak signal through one of those tiny Line Out head phone pins with an attached RCA Adapter/Splitter to a Sony STR-K750P Receiver. Current configuration allows Sony Pro Logic II. (Well, according to my Receiver's illuminated indicator. Personally, I have my doubts...)

AUDIO (Desired Configuration: Hopefully, The Solution)
Sony Vaio PCV-RX730 transmitting a DTS signal via some kine of new sound card (Maybe a Sound Blaster Audigy 4? I'm shopping.) to the Sony STR-K750P Receiver. If I can get the DTS signal there the Sony Receiver's built in DTS decoder should take care of the rest. Well, in theory...

THE BIG QUESTIONS
The Sony STR-K750P Receiver only has RCA Jacks (The Red & White ones). I notice that practically all of the sound cards I've looked at have single outputs. The Sound Blaster Audigy 4 that I've been pondering seems to only have one of what is called an SPDI/F Out connection. (BTW, what exactly is that? It looks vaguely RCA. And of course the folks at Circuit City are well...clueless on the issue.)

HOW or even CAN I get a DTS signal from the computer's single SPDIF connection (whatever that is... It looks RCA to me) to the Sony Receiver's Stereo RCA jacks and get accurate sound via the Receiver built in DTS Decoder. I'm concerned about the 1 line to 2 jack issue.

As it seems EVERYONE at the office has told me I could just buy a new cheap DVD player with DTS out and be done with it. Well, I'm not ready to give up that nice picture in favor of better sound, just yet!

Anyone got any ideas? Or am I just talking gibberish?

 

[John Titan]

The S/PDIF is what they call coaxial audio. It's looks similar to rca but it's completely different. It transmits digital audio as apposed to rca's which transmit analog audio.

If the red and white are the only audio connections you have on the back of the reciver then you will not be able to decode Doldly Digital or DTS (these both require a digital connection). What the receiver is doing is taking the 2-channel audio (red+white) and decoding it in Dolby Pro Logic which is not true Dolby Digital.

Look again at your receiver I bet it has a digital coax connection or what they call optical (toslink)that is every bit similar to the coax connection. Make sure your new sound card take the same kind of input as the receiver has.

BTW- For future reference S/PDIF will have orange on the inside of the jack ( it probably looked red to you)
Good luck

 

[Joe Mann]

Your reciever does have both types of S/PDIF connections, coaxial (looks like an RCA connection) and optical (hard to describe, there would be a cap on it that would pull off). Using one of these inputs would let you send DTS or whatever surround sound format you want. If your sound card doesn't support either connection, I'd suggest a new sound card, the MAudio Revolution is a solid card, there Audiophile looks interesting as well.