-=Updated=- Components necessary to hook up laptop for true 5.1 surround

No I didn't forget to update notebookreview on my sound project. You wanted the update so here it is. Well, I got my first part of my sound project ordered here today, with that one of a kind cable that shoots s/pdif out of the tv-out jack on the back of the Dell Inspiron e1505, and for all of you following the old thread, I loaded up some pictures here and will show you the future parts I need to complete this setup.


The black output jack is the digital coaxial cable, also known as s/pdif

Here is the site with the converter I must get, and at the bottom, under "what other users bought" is the optical and digital coax cables I must purchase to finish this setup: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/show...6&St3=76336791&DS_ID=3&Product_ID=16150&DID=7

The point of this whole project if you didn't see the original post is to make 5.1 come out of my laptop, and go into my sound system using the digital toslink or optical cable input jack.

 

Please make sure you check this thread for some compatibility issues.

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread154685.html

 

Thanks for the update M, and also mini for the info on the other thread.

Tried to see if Dell in Singapore could do this, running a Dell 710m laptop, the customer support did try it with something they had and then another thing they had and then lost my emails.

In the end I just bought the Creative External Sound card. A little bit more expensive (I think $50 in the US, S$80 over here) but does the job great, works on any media, nice sound, and allows for both optical and coax outputs (probably at the same time if you really wanted to test it!) Also, works very well when plugging in and out via USB 2.0, switches between the External Sound Card when it's plugged in and the internal speakers when it's not without a hitch (so far).

I could have tried this but then would have had to pay shipping blah blah and really, would have cost me more than half of what I paid for the external sound card with no guarantee of success.

 

Hey Micheal,

I have almost the same dongle except it has only the composite out instead of the components (since I'll be connecting via the the VGA out for video).

Anyways, what settings do you have adjust in windows to make sure you are outputting digitial signal and also, how would I go about disabling my laptop speakers.

I have connected it via the coaxial, however, the speakers on the e1505 are still functioning.

 

To disable the pc speakers but still have the sound going too, go to:
Start>All Programs>Accessories>Entertainment>Volume Control.
Once you are in Volume Control make sure "Advanced Controls" is checked under Options>Advanced Controls. Once it is a little button will pop up under volume control on the left called advance. Click on that, then check 2 SPDIF Interface, and check 1 PC Spk Mute. Once those are both checked then SPDIF will be working for windows. Although regular coaxial is not digital, unless you bought a digital coaxial. And you have to have an SPDIF out on your cable for the digital to be shot through, otherwise it will be analogue, which you can still connect to your "Aux ins" on the back of your speaker system, it will just be coming out two channels. And if you do have digital, then in whatever app you're running in Windows XP, you have to check "SPDIF Out" in the options of the specific program you're running. For instance, I'm using a codec called FFDShow, and I have to go configure the audio codec for FFDShow, and for AC3 and DTS, which is what DVD's use for surround, I have to select S/PDIF for each. It depends on the app you're using to play whatever it is you want to go through your surround. And you have to make sure your receiver can decode the music, because that's all S/PDIF is, is undecoded music. instead of decoding you're music in your computer, and then shooting only the two channels the computer decodes into your receiver, you shoot undecoded music via a digital medium, and the receiver decodes the music from there, so in theory, this should yield a better performance as well since the pc doesn't have to decode the sound.

 

So, the latest update, I bought all the parts for the rest of the system. You can expect a complete report on how the sound project worked out in a week after the parts arrive.

 

Yes, that is the same with all most all Dell notebooks.

Didn't the S-Video out to S/PDIF and Composite and S-Video Output cable come with the laptop itself?

Can't you just go to Volume Control via the control panel and system tray and then click properties - advanced and then click "Enable Digital/S/PDIF output"?? Isn't that difference in Audio Decoding marginal?

 

Yep, although not encoding the audio in the program could yield better performance when viewing the video. The rest of the parts should be here in about a week, so everything will be set and I can test the whole system. And I could only wish that the cable came with my laptop, I got a great deal on my notebook, and I love it. I already had s-video and composite cables, but not the 7-pin tvout with digital out and 3 other component cables, no that didn't come with the computer.
Expect an update in the future