Hi, i bought a X-Fi Fatal1ty XtremeGamer Professional card with a view to hook it upto my Onkyo surround sound amp. I'm running Vista with the latest creative drivers. Much to my horror i hooked it up to the digital out to the coax digital input of my amp and i only get stereo which sucks, i was expecting a digital encoded 5.1 signal. 
I checked online and it also seems im missing the decoder tab option under the Audio Console, where you can set the output stream as per this pic http://i2.tinypic.com/t8knxv.jpg.
Im confused, cos ive read elsewhere on this forum that the X-Fi will not encode the digital signal only pass through signals (ie ac3 from dvds etc), but that pic seems to suggest it can encode?? Apparently the ExtremeGamer does not support this as it is meant for gaming only... so what is that decoder output tab for? Would i get encoded digital output of all the speakers if i bought a X-Fi FPS?
I can always use the analog outputs from the sound card to the amp (front, rear, center/sub) so that might be ok but i was really hoping for an all digital solution.. i spent enough on the card. If i would still have to do the same with the more expensive X-Fi FPS i wont be so anoyed.
I have read also due to driver architecture modifications to stop people copying music vista cannot support this encoder model, futhermore EAX doesnt work?! Will creative make new drivers compaitable with this new model or is it not possible with the current hardware and driver model restrictions?
Clarifications much appreciated!
I checked online and it also seems im missing the decoder tab option under the Audio Console, where you can set the output stream as per this pic http://i2.tinypic.com/t8knxv.jpg.
Im confused, cos ive read elsewhere on this forum that the X-Fi will not encode the digital signal only pass through signals (ie ac3 from dvds etc), but that pic seems to suggest it can encode?? Apparently the ExtremeGamer does not support this as it is meant for gaming only... so what is that decoder output tab for? Would i get encoded digital output of all the speakers if i bought a X-Fi FPS?
I can always use the analog outputs from the sound card to the amp (front, rear, center/sub) so that might be ok but i was really hoping for an all digital solution.. i spent enough on the card. If i would still have to do the same with the more expensive X-Fi FPS i wont be so anoyed.
I have read also due to driver architecture modifications to stop people copying music vista cannot support this encoder model, futhermore EAX doesnt work?! Will creative make new drivers compaitable with this new model or is it not possible with the current hardware and driver model restrictions?
Clarifications much appreciated!
