Soundblaster Z + SPDIF

teppic

teppic

teppic

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I've just got some new 5.1 speakers (Logitech 906) and they support digital input. Will using SPDIF result in losing out on the soundcard's features?

I notice that in the Creative app, the test will only go via the analogue cables, not SPDIF. I can play regular audio and video with Dolby/DTS sound ok.
 
I get the test running through SPDIF in the creative panel. I have the Encoder setting to output to Dolby Digial Live. Having no encoder selected gives me no sound through SPDIF. I have no analog cables attached so can't comment on that side of things.
 
Don't know. I have a gaming HTPC in my living room. I have noticed that things like music and films that are only 2 channel play in 2 channel but games and movies in 5.1 all play in 5.1. I don't know the tech side of the card other than it works and sounds good playing through my Kefs. This is with the encoder set to DDL. Same if set to output DTS as well.
 
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I don't know whether just to use the supplied analogue cables (though they're cheap and nasty) since I know that the soundcard has a good digital to analogue converter.
 
If I enable Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect I get correct sound from the Creative test, but it says that SPDIF is used exclusively for that - and sure enough no games or apps seem to be able to output anything over SPDIF, so I'm not sure what the point is.

It seems that as things stand, films can output digital audio direct to the speaker receiver, while games are sending stereo. It looks like SPDIF is just a waste of time for me...
 
DVDs have DD or DTS 5.1 tracks which are passed on to the external decoder. As games do not use DD/DTS, that is where DDL and DTSC come in, to encode the audio so it can be decoded on the other end. Games will output whatever is selected in the in-game options. This will be direct sound though, so still needs to be encoded; however, it should not make a difference if the game is set to stereo or 5.1 or anything in between. DDL or DTSC, whichever is being used should encode whatever audio the sound card is receiving.

Without DDL/DTSC then the game audio will be stereo over SPDIF, then is upmixed to 5.1 by the receiver/decoder.

If it were me, I'd just use direct 5.1. SPDIF is fine for speaker systems that don't have 5.1 analogue input. You could always replace the cables with slightly better quality ones, but unless interference is an issue, the bundled cables should work fine.
 
Thanks, think I've got it clear now - SPDIF can only carry surround sound if it's encoded in DTS/Dolby, and games nor the Creative test output in those formats.

I found that the reason I couldn't get any audio with DTS Connect was I was set to SPDIF default output whereas it needs to be set to speakers instead (it just automatically redirects it to SPDIF with DTS Connect).

It seems too much hassle for digital output really. With analogue I don't need to worry about any settings, with digital surround and DTS Connect enabled it seems that DTS/DD tracks are being decoded and then re-encoded into DTS to be sent to the speakers, which is stupid.
 
There's no hassle. My PC is connected via SPDIF to my Marantz AV amp using DDL encoder. Music and all other stuff in stereo comes through in stereo, stuff in surround comes out in surround. Why have all those analog cable when you can have just one digital cable?
 
Old thread I know, but just to add that DTS and DD are lossy. DTS is the better of the two generally, but I just stick to analogue myself.
 
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