Crappy sound from a Dxr2 (1 Viewer)

[Andy Glantz]

Hi all!
I'm new to this forum, so I hope I'll not make a fool out of myself.
I have a Creative Encore 5x, with the Dxr2 card. The picture is wonderful, however the sound leaves a lot to be wished for. The sound comes from the DVD player to the Dxr2 to the soundcard (SB PCI128) and from there to a 2ch amp. I don't use the DD output on the Dxr card at all.
The sound is real low, I have to turn up the volume on the amp horrendously and then it naturally hums way too much.
Anyone have an idea what may cause it? Any similar experiences?
Thanks in advance!
/Andy.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

From the DVD FAQ, which is linked at the top of the Software section of this very forum:

Many people complain that the audio level from DVD players is too low. In truth the audio level is too high on everything else. Movie soundtracks are extremely dynamic, ranging from near silence to intense explosions. In order to support an increased dynamic range and hit peaks (near the 2V RMS limit) without distortion, the average sound volume must be lower. This is why the line level from DVD players is lower than from almost all other sources. So far, unlike on CDs and LDs, the level is much more consistent between discs. If the change in volume when switching between DVD and other audio sources is annoying, you can adjust the output signal level on some players, or the input signal level on some receivers, but other than that, there's not much you can do.

 

[Patrick Sun]

If possible, use the digial coax output from the Dxr2 card because you won't get that nasty hum from the analog audio output from the PC soundcard.

I used to use my PC to watch DVDs on the TV with a Dxr2 PC-DVD setup, and this is how I avoided the hum from the soundcard. The hum was worse than any low volume problem I had with the setup.

 

[Andy Glantz]

Thank you both for your replies.
What bugs me is that I have to turn it up so much. If I turn the volume up 25% while listening to music, it's LOUD. If I wanna watch a movie, I can turn it to 50% and it's still not very loud.
Y'all still think it's just the crappy 2ch sound from the soundcard? Anyways, I'll soon move to the states so I'll have to sell the whole thing regardless. I'm looking forward to your low prices and region 1 DVD's!
/Andy.