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    M17x r3 S/PDIF port

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by Hoopoop, Jun 22, 2011.

  1. Hoopoop

    Hoopoop Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hello all, new to the site, my problem is that I've been trying to get the s/pdif port to work on my laptop, i have a optical cable that Ive been using for years and still works.

    Just found out today that I should have received an optical cable adapter or something? Still not sure what I was supposed to receive, and its been over a month since purchase of the laptop.

    I bought a walmart optical cable for 17 bucks because it came with the little adapter on the end, but The only time i could play sound is when i tested it in the volume control in the bottom right corner. When i tried to go to youtube wouldn't play music at all and it seemed like it was causing the internet browser to get extremely laggy, not responding and such.

    Im not sure if im even using the right sound settings.

    Can anyone please help me with this, I have been frustrated with it for over a week, thank you
     
    Hoopoop, Jun 22, 2011
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  2. fjc2

    fjc2 Notebook Consultant

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    Look in your box again, and pull out that "tray" that had the power adapter, hat, mousepad, etc - see if the adapter is under there.

    It's just tossed loose into that box and the first one I got, it had found it's way under that tray.
     
    fjc2, Jun 22, 2011
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  3. Hoopoop

    Hoopoop Notebook Enthusiast

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    Nope, looked in Both the larger and smaller one and still cant find =/, is that was the piece is, the little plastic adapter that goes on to the end of the optical cable?
     
    Hoopoop, Jun 22, 2011
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  4. livid

    livid Notebook Consultant

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    The connector should have an TOSLINK opening at one end and a 2.5mm stereo jack at the other end. If you don't have that, call up Dell and request it. It is part of the Alienware system.
     
    livid, Jun 22, 2011
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  5. GandalfTW

    GandalfTW Notebook Geek

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    Did I read it correctly that you can play test sounds on S/PDIF port when you play the test sound?

    If this is correct then it looks like your hookup works. If you can't get other applications to use it, it probably means the sound output is going somewhere else for the app in question. The way to fix this is you have to go to the sounds configuration pannel and set it to default device.
    Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Sound -> Right Click S/PDIF and set as default device.

    Some apps need it to to be set as the default before you launch the application. So you may have to do that in order to get it to work.

    Hope it helps.
     
    GandalfTW, Jun 22, 2011
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  6. fjc2

    fjc2 Notebook Consultant

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    fjc2, Jun 22, 2011
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  7. Hoopoop

    Hoopoop Notebook Enthusiast

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    Wow thank you for the quick responses, I'm not currently around my pc but as soon as i can get to it i will try setting it to default, And I will definitely call dell and get another adapter, hopefully they should still send one, its only been a month.

    I will update when I try again, thank you
     
    Hoopoop, Jun 23, 2011
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