How Does SPDIF Through 3.5mm Work?

J

John G.

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 28, 2005
Messages
163
Hey guys, I'm building an HTPC using the Mini-ITX form factor, so my requirements include a chipset with HD video decode support, digital video out, and digital audio out. I found the Jetway JNC62K on Newegg to satisfy the first two, with SPDIF through the orange 3.5mm jack advertised. What does this mean exactly? Can I get a digital audio signal out of this board? How would I go about doing that?
 
Monoprice has them as well for a good bit less. They have the adapter by itself or cables with mini on one and and the standard connector on the other.
 
Sorry Jetski and Nenu, if you looked at the board he is using, you will see it does NOT have Coaxial S/PDIF. It uses a mini-S/PDIF adapter through the orange 1/8th minijack. You need what Vediovus linked to.
One of these, coupled with a standard optical S/PDIF cable:
26711.jpg

26712.jpg
 
Don't you all mean Toslink and mini Toslink not SPDIF? That is, I mean if hes trying to use optical.
 
criccio said:
Sorry Jetski and Nenu, if you looked at the board he is using, you will see it does NOT have Coaxial S/PDIF. It uses a mini-S/PDIF adapter through the orange 1/8th minijack. You need what Vediovus linked to.
Click to expand...

Hmm yes well corrected, I couldnt load any images before.
It seems that the output is optical into a 3.5mm jack !
 
Nenu said:
Hmm yes well corrected, I couldnt load any images before.
It seems that the output is optical into a 3.5mm jack !
Click to expand...

I believe the way manufacturers do this now is to put an emitter LED into the end of the jack. If you look at these combo jacks you can see light coming out of it, even though it also has copper contacts for traditional 3.5mm plugs when doing analog.
 
criccio said:
Sorry Jetski and Nenu, if you looked at the board he is using, you will see it does NOT have Coaxial S/PDIF. It uses a mini-S/PDIF adapter through the orange 1/8th minijack.
Click to expand...
Interesting, and i also stand corrected,

Sorry for posting the bad info OP
 
No problem guys, i just didnt want the OP getting confused. Manufactures have been doing this for a couple years now that i know of. My original 20" Core Duo iMac (first of the Intel Macs) had the same setup.
 
I have the same issue and hoped someone could help. My laptop is an Acer Aspire 6920 and it says it has "Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support". It does not say whether or not this is only electrical, only optical, or both.

From what I've read I have two ways of getting it to work - the most likely to work is a 3.5mm to single RCA cable, into a coaxial digital to Optical adapter, then out via Toslink cable to the Amp.

A neater solution would be a single 3.5mm mini Toslink to "normal" Toslink straight into the amp - but this will only work if the 3.5m SPDIF out on the laptop really IS an optical out...does anyone know for sure what is the "flavour" of the connector on the ACER Aspire 6920?

Thanks!
 
Grey_Area said:
I have the same issue and hoped someone could help. My laptop is an Acer Aspire 6920 and it says it has "Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support". It does not say whether or not this is only electrical, only optical, or both.

From what I've read I have two ways of getting it to work - the most likely to work is a 3.5mm to single RCA cable, into a coaxial digital to Optical adapter, then out via Toslink cable to the Amp.

A neater solution would be a single 3.5mm mini Toslink to "normal" Toslink straight into the amp - but this will only work if the 3.5m SPDIF out on the latop really IS an optical out...does anyone know for sure what is the "flavour" of the connector on the ACER Aspire 6920?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Personally i would purchase both and just be done with it, the mini spdif adapter alone costs just 72 cents so it isn't worth the hand wringing imho.
 
SJetski71 said:
Personally i would purchase both and just be done with it, the mini spdif adapter alone costs just 72 cents so it isn't worth the hand wringing imho.
Click to expand...

Thanks - same adapter over here costs £2.49...welcome to ripoff Britain. I have bad experiences with in-line plug-in adapters anyway, so I'm going to shell out on a cable that is mini-TOS at one end and TOS at the other. I'm also going to get the adapter and RCA coax cable too...I'll post back with which one works.
 
The Jetway board does emit an optical signal from the orange jack.

OP, this board also supports 7.1LPCM over HDMI, if that is a option for you.
 
Well. Surprise surprise, the output on the Acer 6920 IS an optical jack...plugged in the cable and it sent out glorious 5.1 sound with just a few minor adjustments to settings.

Still can't believe Acer aren't ramming it down your throat that their laptops have built-in optical ports.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top