M1330 5.1 S/pdif output or not?

I have read one review linked from this site to say it has a mic port or 5.1 output but had other people say it hasn't got s/pdif output and am now confused. I will only get one if i can hook it up to my av amp. Can anyone help

Ta

 

1330 has 5.1 out via ALL front audio jacks, but I seriously doubt that there's a SPDIF out built in. When you connect something to the mic in, it gives u 3 option how to treat what's connected: Line In, Mike or Rear Speakers, no SPDIF.

 

Thanks for that

 

You need to enable the sound device to output 5.1 as well: Control Panel -> Sound -> Select Speakers / Headphones (not double click) -> Configure Button -> 5.1 Surround

 

I think the fact that this bummer doesn't come with a optical output really blows. Thank god it has the HDMI-port.

 

Works in mine by Dell default, the Sigmatel automatically detects when I hook something up to the mike out, and allows to configure it as rear speakers in 5.1 setup. I never had to sound setting to configure it.

 

So does it allow 5.1 optical out then bit confused now?

 

no, it's for 5.1 analog, via the audio jack in front

 

The question I don't seem to have seen answered yet, or at least not clearly, is HDMI audio treated by the system as a regular SPDIF port? I see conflicting information as to whether you can actually get AC3 or DTS out of this.

 

HDMI audio is treated as HDMI audio. AC3 or DTS has nothing to do with this.

 

Actually it does, although it more has to do with the system's capabilities. A full HDMI implementation will be able to carry (at least) AC3, DTS, PCM (stereo) and L-PCM (up to 7.1 channel PCM). However how exactly has Dell implemented digital audio on the m1330?

I've seen several reports of people who can get STEREO audio through HDMI, ie Windows sounds, MP3 playback, etc., however were unable to get anything while playing back a DVD*. And since a full HDMI implementation is only "required" by HD-DVD and Blu-ray - which is not an option on the m1330 - it brings into question exactly how Dell has implemented audio.

First, let's not forget that almost all notebooks out there with HDMI ports (and no HD-DVD or BD drive) do NOT carry any audio, which means there is no digital audio implementation on those systems. So, the fact that Dell has any sort of HDMI sound is a plus in the first place. But since this capability is NOT the norm, did Dell do a full digital implementation, meaning that software can access it "like" a SPDIF port and transmit whatever it likes - formats noted above - or did Dell do some sort of half-way "business" solution where they have a secondary circuit that merely converts analog stereo to PCM stereo?

Someone needs to confirm that they've hooked the m1330 up to a HDMI A/V receiver and have managed to get AC3/DTS playback through it. Until then I worry that the HDMI audio implementation is a "half way" effort to provide some level of audio capabilities for "business expectations".


* I should note that this problem could also be taken the opposite way, and prove that it DOES have AC3 output. If a user has hooked the m1330 directly up to a HDMI display that cannot process AC3, and the system was configured to output AC3 over HDMI, you would get no audio playback. Which is why someone needs to hook this up to a HDMI A/V receiver to confirm either way.

 

Well, in HDMI audio properties, it allows to switch to Dolby Digital (AC3?), DTS or WMA Pro Audio format. Still, I don't see what it has to do with SPDIF 'cause, u know, SPDIF is for the sound only, and HDMI is a totally different beast .