spdif output cable?

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albert123

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If there is another thread asking this i apologise, I couldnt find one with a proper answer...

So most laptops have the option of enabling spdif on their soudn cards. this switches on a little red light inside the 3.5mm plug where u would normally plug ur audio cable in. Now obviously you would need to plug an optical cable in here, and then it should have a rca or some plug on the other side to provide ur surround system with coaxial-in. can anyone give me a link to such a cable? All computer, audio, hifi or any other electronics shop looks at me like i'm from another planet for thinking I can get surround soudn from a laptop. There has to be some way. My laptop have hdmi also however those cables go for R200+ and I really cant see how a Coaxial audio cable that plug into the normal soudncard audio out slot can cost more than like R30?

any opinions on this would be welcome.
 
Coaxial SPDIF and Optical (toslink) SPDIF are two different things. So if your laptop only has optical you cannot connect it to a sound system with only coaxial spdif.

You will also need a mini-toslink adaptor to convert a normal toslink (optical) cable to fit the laptop plug. This adaptor looks something like this: http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/vancollerd/21N59NFJ2WL.jpg
Normal Toslink optical:
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/vancollerd/21HC1CQXQHL.jpg

You will also only be able to get surround sound through this optical cable if you are playing a DVD with dolby digital or DTS encoded sound. Normal surround sound such as games won't be surround over the optical cable, only stereo.
 
gifs said:
Coaxial SPDIF and Optical (toslink) SPDIF are two different things. So if your laptop only has optical you cannot connect it to a sound system with only coaxial spdif.

You will also need a mini-toslink adaptor to convert a normal toslink (optical) cable to fit the laptop plug. This adaptor looks something like this: http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/vancollerd/21N59NFJ2WL.jpg
Normal Toslink optical:
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/vancollerd/21HC1CQXQHL.jpg

You will also only be able to get surround sound through this optical cable if you are playing a DVD with dolby digital or DTS encoded sound. Normal surround sound such as games won't be surround over the optical cable, only stereo.
Click to expand...

so basically i should just stop moaning and get a hdmi cable?
 
albert123 said:
so basically i should just stop moaning and get a hdmi cable?
Click to expand...

Yes. But surround sound over HDMI is also not neccessarily possible.

What sound system do you have? Not all systems can accept sound over HDMI.
 
gifs said:
Yes. But surround sound over HDMI is also not neccessarily possible.

What sound system do you have? Not all systems can accept sound over HDMI.
Click to expand...

Sony 6.2 surround. has 2 hdmi in which both support audio and video so should work fine i reckon.
 
gifs said:
Yes. But surround sound over HDMI is also not neccessarily possible.

What sound system do you have? Not all systems can accept sound over HDMI.
Click to expand...

+1

I have HDMI pass through my amp (sony 6.2) but it only passes stereo channels on the HDMI, so I use the optic input on the amp for surround.
 
IRG said:
+1

I have HDMI pass through my amp (sony 6.2) but it only passes stereo channels on the HDMI, so I use the optic input on the amp for surround.
Click to expand...

mine does surroudn on the dvd hdmi input, and stereo through the Sat hdmi input.
 
albert123 said:
mine does surroudn on the dvd hdmi input, and stereo through the Sat hdmi input.
Click to expand...

But still your laptop might only output stereo or dolby digital from DVDs and not surround for gaming. But you can find cheap HDMI cables at Game and the like for less than R200.
 
albert123 said:
mine does surroudn on the dvd hdmi input, and stereo through the Sat hdmi input.
Click to expand...

you will have to check the device you are sourcing from if it outputs surround via the HDMI or not. I have the mVix PVR that only outputs stereo via HDMI, so I have to use the optical out from it to the amp for the surround in conjunction with the HDMI.
 
ja i also had the 6.2 sony system and it could not decode surround sound from an hdmi source. had to run hdmi + optical from the ps3 and pc
 
Hi gifs

I see in your first post you mentioned the mini-toslink adaptor, do you by any chance know where I could get something like that?

Cheers
 
Erk.

I thought these Sony systems could do everything? A few friends with them rave and tell me I was overcharged on my Marantz ... but I've never encountered non-decoding/only stero over HDMI ...
 
I suppose it depends on your model ? My amp (DDW1600) specifically notes that you need the digital coax or optic for the surround. Esle it will only output stereo via the HDMI. Just looked at why in the manual. Seems that the HDMI passes the sound directly through to the TV - which is stereo.
 
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What would the point of HDMI be then ... ?
Carrying the 1080 signal?
Can component do this?
 
WesleyR said:
Hi gifs

I see in your first post you mentioned the mini-toslink adaptor, do you by any chance know where I could get something like that?

Cheers
Click to expand...

It was a struggle to find one, but I eventually did.

I bought it at an audio shop in Cresta (I think it is called Sounds Great).
 
Dolby said:
Erk.

I thought these Sony systems could do everything? A few friends with them rave and tell me I was overcharged on my Marantz ... but I've never encountered non-decoding/only stero over HDMI ...
Click to expand...

The ES range of Sonys can do everything. These other entry-level amps usually come as part of a HTIB setup. They normally are quite limited.

Your friends are just jealous. Those Marantz amps are well worth the money.
 
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