Components necessary to hook up a laptop to 5.1 system?

Hey,
I have an e1505 or 6400 made by Dell, and was wondering what I exactly need to hook it up to a 5.1 system. It sure stumped the guys over at radioshack, bestbuy, and gamestop. I read the Dell user manual, and for true 5.1 to be shot to the receiver, I cannot just hook something into the audio output, because that would only result with a stereo configuaration. I need to have it go out in S/PDIF, where the sound is still encoded, and then go to the 5.1 receiver where it would decode the digital music into 5.1. The problem is, the "component video adapter" which dell recommends, which you plug into the "tv-out", which contains a s/pdif output, a video, and two audio outputs, is nowhere to be found. So I cannot even get past step one, then the harder part would be to find what cable could send 5.1 and hook into the spdif out on the adapter, and then find an adapter between that unknown cable, and an optical link, or toslink cable, which would plug directly into the digital in optical link input on the back of the 5.1 sound system. If anyone has done this, successfully shot encoded sound from the laptop, and then into the surround system to have true 5.1 sound, could you help me out, or if you know where to get this "component video adapter" that would help a lot too. Thanks for everything, and if you read the whole message, a special thanks to you

- M1CH43L

 

Yes, I read the whole message, but I don't know if I understood everything!!

I use this for my e1505
http://www.soundblaster.com/products...&product=10702
It plugs into the USB port and you need 5.1 speakers to go with it. I get 5.1 sound when watching movies, and can do some interesting stuff when listening to regular audio.

It costs $50.

 

OK...I got you...

For true 5.1 / 6.1 / 7.1 sound you need to connect your laptop to your HT receiver through a Digital Link: call it coax or optical (which is what you call S/PDIF)...you obviously need a source with 5.1 encoded sound (say...a DVD).

Now, your laptop has no digital outputs for sound (S/PDIF)...so you need an external sound card to do the conversion for you. I've seen cards that do this and connect to the laptop through PCMCIA ports (old stuff) and others that do it through USB ports...

PCMCIA for around $99: http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=10769&nav=0

USB for around $250 (bulkier): http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=11226

Those let you connect digitally (S/PDIF) from your lappy to your HT receiver...and this was just a quick search...I'm sure there's more stuff out there...

Good Luck!

 

But the E1505 doesn't have a PCMIA slot, its and expresscard slot, so your pretty much stuck with the USB ones, but they are better anyways because you can use them with any computer.

 

Well somehow Dell has a hookup that is neither usb or pcmia, it is a composite video adapter, check out page 56 and 57 for the info. I'm just trying to find the composite video adapter. Here is the page http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins6400/en/om/MD402AO3.pdf

 

Michael,

I checked the manual for you laptop...somehow it shows a cable (the component video adapter) that connects to the S-video output on your computer and converts that signal to a component video output (feasible) and a S/PDIF output...

That last part is the tricky one...AFAIK, S-video is a VIDEO ONLY connection and doesn't carry any sound signal, just video...

The only multi-connection I know of is HDMI, which carries audio (digital) and video (digital too) using the same connection, a flat USB-like-but-wider jack...but Dell is not talking about HDMI there, just a plain S-Video slot.

I'm ...unless their S-video jacks carry sound (somehow), but this is a first for me...Sad thing is that they don't provide a part number or anything of the like...

Good Luck is all I can say...

 

That was my reaction, I was shocked they had sound coming out of the s-video. Although I know it is a different connector, 7 pin s-video compared to 4 pin, but still, explaining to the radioshack guys that spdif comes out of a 7 pin connector was quite hard. I don't know how they do it either, so I was hoping some crazy surround sound guru on here could help me out. Thanks though for looking throught the manual and everything.

 

Michael...

I checked my computer and it has a 7pin S-video conection too...bad news is that I never heard of the sound signal through it...

HOWEVER, I'm pleased to tell you that I found this:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=310-8272

It's the Component Video Adapter from Dell:
Manufacturer Part# : PG383
Dell Part# : 310-8272
It's only $24, which is more amazing...try it and let us know (please do) if it really works.

 

dell does have an extended svideo port that outputs sound as well. but i belive that it only outputs digital sound for dvd's and not games or anything else. go with a usb sound card. if your on a budget get the turtle beach micro. its like 30 bucks at best buy. it is esentially a small box at the end of your headphones (it even makes them sound better) or with a toslink cable it can give you full surround sound.

 

Awesome! That is the adapter I was looking for. And for something to come out with 5.1, it has to have a 5.1 source, like DVD's, but there are also very few, and rare games that actually have this, such a game like this is Half Life 2! It is a shame BF2 doesn't have it.

 

Michael, PLEASE let us know how it worked for you ok?
Good Luck!

 

That appears to be the exact setup that I have for my Gen1 XPS. The breakout dongle has S-Video, Composite and S/PDIF jacks. An S-video could be directly connected to the same port on the back of the laptop (since that port is just s-video with an additional 2-3 pins for the composite video and digital audio). I actually thought it was a pretty slick concept.

Some systems can also output digital audio thru the headphone jack, but I think that's optical (TOSLINK) output and not 'S/PDIF'.

 

I definitely will let you all know, I'm just going to contact Dell about that $35 coupon they owe me

 

<UPDATE>
Well, I just got back with dell and my coupon should be processed within 7-10 business days, and once it is, I will order the cable, and begin telling everyone my results, and how it works/ connects. I still will have to get another cable, but that will be easier to get since it isn't a speciality item like the adapter, and I'll just make a run to radio shack or something. Check back in a week.

 

Hey, here is the updated website: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=83389
Enjoy!