Optical SPDIF cable

[SugarJ]

Anyone got a cheap source for an Optical SPDIF cable? I want to try using one to hook up my PC to my older Sony 5.1 receiver which only has RCA plugs and 1 Optical SPDIF in.

If this works, I'm going to try hooking up to my 46" Aquos via HDMI and using this receiver for some killer CoD:WaW action. I plan to get dizzy and annoy the neighbors one night real soon.

Thanks,
Sugar

[cadaveca]

buy the cheapest you can that wqill reach...PC stores are best for this...like $5 for a short one.

[SugarJ]

Thanks cadaveca, I couldn't find anything on NCIX under $40. A little much for an experiment, for me anyway. I'll be able to put the pc right beside the stand, so 3' should do it. I'll try Walnut Grove computers tomorrow, 2 minutes from my work.

[enaberif]

London Drugs.

Buy the cheapest RCA cable you can find :P

[SugarJ]

Nope, optical SPDIF, not Coaxial. I have tons of component RCA cables, but I need the Fiberoptic SPDIF cable. Uses a toslink connector. I think I found a Rocketfish one at Bestbuy.ca for $23.

That or I figure out how to pass sound through my ATI 4870 and a DVI - HDMI cable. I looked at my board, couldn't see any sound in connectors.

[enaberif]

Oh sorry... well any optic cable will work from what I've read or seen.

[sswilson]

Originally Posted by SugarJ

Nope, optical SPDIF, not Coaxial. I have tons of component RCA cables, but I need the Fiberoptic SPDIF cable. Uses a toslink connector. I think I found a Rocketfish one at Bestbuy.ca for $23.

That or I figure out how to pass sound through my ATI 4870 and a DVI - HDMI cable. I looked at my board, couldn't see any sound in connectors.

Assuming your card came with a HDMI adapter, unless something has changed, you shouldn't need anything to pass audio through HDMI from your vid card. Unlike Nvidia's method of passing through audio, there should be built-in 5.1 audio on the card.

[SugarJ]

Originally Posted by sswilson

Assuming your card came with a HDMI adapter, unless something has changed, you shouldn't need anything to pass audio through HDMI from your vid card. Unlike Nvidia's method of passing through audio, there should be built-in 5.1 audio on the card.

Well, I couldn't find anything about that in Diamond's oh-so-inclusive 6 page booklet. And my card came with a DVI-HDMI Dongle, but I'm using an Ion DVI-HDMI cable. So does this mean there's actually a sound chip on the card, or does it pass-through from your onboard or discrete sound sound? Any further information you could pass to me would be much appreciated.

[cadaveca]

audio is built-in, but it sucks, no eax or the like, so you are better off to use soundcard and HDMI just for video. I do exactly this, and have headhones for when someone is using the TV.

I use one of these:

Startech Thin Toslink to Miniplug Digital Audio Cable, 3ft. at Memory Express Computers

but also a regular RCA cable too, sometimes.


I really do not like teh ATI onboard audio, as well, using just HDMI would require your TV has an optical pass-through for the audio, and not all TVs have this(mine does, but doesn't work right).

[SugarJ]

Thanks again Dave, for the explanation and also that cable is exactly what I need. My TV does have a pass-through, but I'd rather bypass it and plug directly to the receiver. Cheers. I don't mind spending $10 to try this out.

I just clued in that the High Definition Audio device I see in Device Manager would be the onboard audio on the ATI card.