5.1 channel optical output card needed!!!

sticklebrick · 09-13-2007, 04:49 AM

Hi ppl - I hope you can help me out here....

For ages, I've been after a new soundcard to connect to my existing surround sound system(which has built in 5.1 decoder) via optical cable.

I recently bought a Trust sc5250 5.1 surround sound card with digital optical output, only to find I've wasted my money, as the spdif optical output on that card is only 2 channels - so its just glammed up stereo!!!

Needless to say, I'm gutted, and now I'm looking for a new card to replace the trust one(send that back - refund!!!).

Only problem is - every card I look at on the internet, the details all say the same thing as the trust one did - all they say is that they have digital optical output - I need to know - so I dont waste my money again, if the optical output is 5.1 channels!!!

So I'm asking you guys - which would be the best soundcard for me - I'm not looking for major gaming performance, so the lowest priced card with 5.1 channel optical output would do for me - so if you have a surround sound card that you know for sure has dolby digital(5.1 channels) optical output - please tell me what it is - or if any of you can suggest one - that would be great!!

One final thing - Im on windows vista, so the card will need to be compatible, or have vista drivers for it available for download.......

dai · 09-13-2007, 11:26 AM

http://reviews.pricegrabber.com/sound-cards/m/2460648/

sticklebrick · 09-13-2007, 12:21 PM

ok that card seems like it will fit the bill for me - does it have vista drivers or is there somewhere i can download vista drivers for it???

dai · 09-13-2007, 12:23 PM

you will probably find vista already has the driver for it

**tosh9i** · 09-13-2007, 12:24 PM

I don't know exactly what "digital optical output" is, but I do know that Vista doesn't have "surround sound" capabilities, at least not yet, except when it comes to Creative Labs Xtreme.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/0,...9287112,00.htm

dai · 09-13-2007, 12:35 PM

that i don't know as i have no interest in the area
but the link is from last january before vista was released and creative drivers for vista were not completely available until well after vista was released
there is some on it here bear in mind this is 6 months old
http://www.driverheaven.net/general-...-surround.html

**tosh9i** · 09-13-2007, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dai

that i don't know as i have no interest in the area
but the link is from last january before vista was released and creative drivers for vista were not completely available until well after vista was released
there is some on it here bear in mind this is 6 months old
http://www.driverheaven.net/general-...-surround.html

That's true, but rumor has it that Vista will have surround sound capability when Service Pack 1 is released, as in sometime next year (2008).

dai · 09-13-2007, 12:45 PM

eax is creative not microsoft
check what the driver supports with the card at their site

sticklebrick · 09-13-2007, 07:00 PM

well i would be more than happy to go back to xp pro if the only drivers for these cards are for xp - as xp is less resource intensive, but for one problem - I dunno if any of u who use xp have had this problem yet, but I took vista off my computer last week and installed xp pro with sp2 - and it was fine - until windows updates.....

it seems that one of the latest updates - which one i'm not sure of - has a bug - the updates install, and when it does the obligatory re-start, it freezes on windows startup - only way to solve it is a re-install - and I know it's one of the updates causing this because several ppl i know who got xp have had the same problem - each one of us had to re-install after the updates.

anyone know which update is causing this? that way i can happily go back to xp and just not install the problem update.....

**tosh9i** · 09-13-2007, 08:01 PM

I think you might be referring to the "Microsoft Update" one. There's Windows Update (updates for Windows only) and then there's Microsoft Update (updates for Windows, Office, etc.).

When I installed the Microsoft Update, it caused my computer to freeze up for about 5 minutes on startup.

All you have to do is disable it. You go to IE > Tools > Windows Update > Change Settings > scroll down to the bottom of the page and disable it

solman · 09-15-2007, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tosh9i

I don't know exactly what "digital optical output" is, but I do know that Vista doesn't have "surround sound" capabilities, at least not yet, except when it comes to Creative Labs Xtreme.

Digital optical output would be output in digital form rather than analog. Meaning the card outputs digitally, depending on the surround sound processor (Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 6.1 or Dolby Digital 7.1) rather than analog which would be composite right and left audio.

ecc83 · 09-16-2007, 07:59 AM

I find it very suprising that the Trust 5250 did not output 5.1, it is after all THE prefered connection to AV amplifiers.

The Trust site shows the SC-7600 available "soon". This, from my reading of Trusts' blurb really must I think send 7.1 and other surround formats via optical.

It is also Vista ready, but is clucking Blista!?

Also check out Marian.de

Dave.

09-13-2007, 04:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
sticklebrick Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Vista	Help!!! Hi ppl - I hope you can help me out here.... For ages, I've been after a new soundcard to connect to my existing surround sound system(which has built in 5.1 decoder) via optical cable. I recently bought a Trust sc5250 5.1 surround sound card with digital optical output, only to find I've wasted my money, as the spdif optical output on that card is only 2 channels - so its just glammed up stereo!!! Needless to say, I'm gutted, and now I'm looking for a new card to replace the trust one(send that back - refund!!!). Only problem is - every card I look at on the internet, the details all say the same thing as the trust one did - all they say is that they have digital optical output - I need to know - so I dont waste my money again, if the optical output is 5.1 channels!!! So I'm asking you guys - which would be the best soundcard for me - I'm not looking for major gaming performance, so the lowest priced card with 5.1 channel optical output would do for me - so if you have a surround sound card that you know for sure has dolby digital(5.1 channels) optical output - please tell me what it is - or if any of you can suggest one - that would be great!! One final thing - Im on windows vista, so the card will need to be compatible, or have vista drivers for it available for download....... Last edited by sticklebrick; 09-13-2007 at 05:00 AM. Reason: new title to attract more views....

09-13-2007, 11:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,702 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! http://reviews.pricegrabber.com/sound-cards/m/2460648/ __________________

09-13-2007, 12:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
sticklebrick Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Vista	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! ok that card seems like it will fit the bill for me - does it have vista drivers or is there somewhere i can download vista drivers for it???

09-13-2007, 12:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,702 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! you will probably find vista already has the driver for it __________________

09-13-2007, 12:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
tosh9i TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,836 OS: Windows XP	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! I don't know exactly what "digital optical output" is, but I do know that Vista doesn't have "surround sound" capabilities, at least not yet, except when it comes to Creative Labs Xtreme. http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/0,...9287112,00.htm

09-13-2007, 12:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,702 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! that i don't know as i have no interest in the area but the link is from last january before vista was released and creative drivers for vista were not completely available until well after vista was released there is some on it here bear in mind this is 6 months old http://www.driverheaven.net/general-...-surround.html __________________

09-13-2007, 12:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,702 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! eax is creative not microsoft check what the driver supports with the card at their site __________________

09-13-2007, 07:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
sticklebrick Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Vista	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! well i would be more than happy to go back to xp pro if the only drivers for these cards are for xp - as xp is less resource intensive, but for one problem - I dunno if any of u who use xp have had this problem yet, but I took vista off my computer last week and installed xp pro with sp2 - and it was fine - until windows updates..... it seems that one of the latest updates - which one i'm not sure of - has a bug - the updates install, and when it does the obligatory re-start, it freezes on windows startup - only way to solve it is a re-install - and I know it's one of the updates causing this because several ppl i know who got xp have had the same problem - each one of us had to re-install after the updates. anyone know which update is causing this? that way i can happily go back to xp and just not install the problem update.....

09-13-2007, 08:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
tosh9i TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,836 OS: Windows XP	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! I think you might be referring to the "Microsoft Update" one. There's Windows Update (updates for Windows only) and then there's Microsoft Update (updates for Windows, Office, etc.). When I installed the Microsoft Update, it caused my computer to freeze up for about 5 minutes on startup. All you have to do is disable it. You go to IE > Tools > Windows Update > Change Settings > scroll down to the bottom of the page and disable it Last edited by tosh9i; 09-13-2007 at 08:02 PM.

09-16-2007, 07:59 AM	#12 (permalink)
ecc83 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 295 OS: XP	Re: 5.1 channel optical output card needed!!! I find it very suprising that the Trust 5250 did not output 5.1, it is after all THE prefered connection to AV amplifiers. The Trust site shows the SC-7600 available "soon". This, from my reading of Trusts' blurb really must I think send 7.1 and other surround formats via optical. It is also Vista ready, but is clucking Blista!? Also check out Marian.de Dave.