Dolby encoding

D3lirious · 20 Dec 2006 at 00:38

Do any of the latest motherboard chipsets support dolby encoding?

I have my Videologic Digitheatre DTS hooked up to my PC via an analogue cable and optical cable and use the optical setting on the decoder for AC3 pass through with PowerDVD and the analogue setting for anything else. Since soundstorm became obsolete years ago, I've never been able to use more than 2 channels in games/etc. Is this still the case?

If got the impression that the latest motherboards did support this now but just read for example that the new EVGA 680i doesn't, so I'm stumped as to what system to go for. There just doesn't seem to be any info on this kind of thing anywhere on the web, can anyone clarify?

D3lirious · 20 Dec 2006 at 12:05

OK thanks, I'll go check out that links.

So, no dolby encoding with new chipsets then? I assumed that all these 7.1 'high definition' quotes in the latest mobo specs might suggest it... Though I would wonder what gaming audio formats were included when encoding, EAX and EAX2 or similar?

Does anyone know what effect buying the new soundblaster X-fi cards would have, do you think you could run one of these and then have an encoder convert the result?

D3lirious · 20 Dec 2006 at 12:26

OK I've found out some more.

That card looks ideal, so I might go for that or I've also just found this:

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=16&product=14191

Looks like I might be in luck then as this is perfect (my speaker system doesn't support discrete analogue channels, only the digital connection.

D3lirious · 20 Dec 2006 at 12:48

That's a good point, the connections for the speakers are built into the back of the sub unit on the floor so i might have more luck with that.

Two other plus sides to that one:

1) It encodes to DTS which should give better quality of sound.

2) It acts as a 'go between' between normal PC audio and the sound system therefore negating the need to install a card into my PC (and the potential driver conflicts/Vista problems that might come with it).

I'm also looking at the Intel 975X chipset which Intel's site suggests has the ability to digitally hook up to an AV aswell. It looks like have all my options open then - I'm thinking nforce 680i with the DTS encoding box for my new system just after xmas. Thanks for your help. :cool:

D3lirious · 20 Dec 2006 at 17:55

Those sound like the exact kind of issues I would want to avoid so I'm definitely leaning towards the separate DTS 610 device. I can either stick with dolby encoding from the onboard sound, or maybe even get an x-fi card aswell so I would presumably get the benefits of the x-fi features first before being passed onto the encoder...

Phil99 said:
Has your receiver not got multi-channel analogue inputs?

No, only option is a single analogue connection for stereo, or the two types of digital connection, Coax and optical. My current set-up is connected from a simple onboard stereo out to the speakers so for music/games/etc I just have stereo. but it is also connected via optical from a connection on the motherboard which passes through an AC3 stream when I'm playing a DVD (dolby or DTS).

D3lirious · 3 Jan 2007 at 21:18

OK I got the DTS-610 delivered today. Plugged it all in and seems OK cos now when I play something in media player or winamp it comes through all 5.1 channels.

Before I go off to test some games, does anyone know how I can set mp3s to play to fronts, rears, and sub only? i.e. turn off centre. The centre kinda ruins songs.