HTPC integration with older 5.1 system

S

stehle

n00b
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Jan 21, 2006
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I need some advice on how to best integrate my upcoming HTPC build with my surround sound system.

HTPC I am going to make will likely have a Zotac board (optic and HDMI out) and a blu-ray drive.

My challenge is that my Denon receiver is does not have a HDMI input but has all the other standard inputs and outputs (composite, s-video, optical, etc). It was a higher end receiver when I purchased it and I love the sound quality I get from it so I would prefer to keep it.

In order to get the full experience, I would need the HDMI out to go to the flat screen TV to enjoy the 1080p and then the sound to go through the receiver.

Would I be able to have the HDMI go straight to the TV (the TV will need to be muted) and then use the optical to stream the sound from the HTPC --> receiver? Or should I just bit the bullet and get a new receiver?

Thanks.
 
For DVD quality audio that will work great. You only need to upgrade if you want to hear the higher bitrate audio track from the blurays.

I'd suggest taking a look at the new Intel chips set to launch in the first week of January, which should be very very nice for HTPC's with bluray, although for you that benefit wouldn't be realized in anything but power savings until you upgraded the receiver to one that can decode the bluray audio.
 
just diable the audio over HDMI and output audio via analog or digital SPDIF
 
analog rca's arent horrible either, far far from it. you dont get the digital 5.1, but you still get 5.1 dolby surround and its still awesome. that's all i run, and i honestly still dont feel like i need to upgrade my 15 year old pioneer receiver.
 
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