DV7-1170US: optical out?

i only have experience hooking up an amp to my computers via USB but have learned recently that optical is the way to go. i don't see it anywhere in the specs but can anyone verifiy if there is or isn't one on this unit? s/pdif as well.

 

No, it WAS the way to go - HDMI is now the preferred HD audio and video transmission method used on virtually all new multimedia devices.

You don't have an optical port - HP nor anyone else as far as I know has gotten around to putting them on their systems because they're not needed; most are using HDMI ports for HD Audio and Visual. Optical ports at one time were a lot more prevalent, but mostly on external DVD systems, Cable units, and Theater components for high quality audio. That's since been replaced by HDMI, which has taken center stage because it's used on most newer computers, and they want them to be able to interface with HDTV's and external Amps, Theater systems, etc. Optical was also only used for audio transmission, which is another reason HDMI has taken a bigger stage - you can send both High Definition Audio & Video over HDMI, and not just audio. Optical, at least for the present, can't transmit the HD A/V signals that HDMI cables can.

The specific ports for your system are:

* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards,
MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
* 4 Universal Serial Bus USB 2.0
* 4th port shared with eSATA
* 1 VGA (15-pin)
* 1 HDMI
* 1 RJ-11 (modem)
* eSATA + USB 2.0
* 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
* 2 headphone-out
* 1 microphone-in
* 1 notebook expansion port 3
* 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin)
* 1 Consumer IR

The HDMI Port is your primary HD Audio/Video output port, and most newer Amps and Theater units have HDMI inputs and outputs. The "Headphone Out" port are actually just S/PDIF jacks. You switch output from your internal speakers to external audio from the Sound options in your Control Panel. Select "Digital Output Device" (it'll say HDMI or SPDIF) and then click on the Set Default button to send audio over an HDMI or SPDIF cable.

Product Specifications Dv7-1170us

 

thanks cv. also not to cross-topic here but considering you also responded to my defrag thread, i did get diskeeper per your suggestion. i just wanted to know if there are any key options i should have set or anything of the like or if i should go ahead and just run the "automatic" mode and be set.