Xtreme gamer with external receiver?

[zormic72]

I hope there will be someone kind enough to explain to me how to achieve the full 5.1 (AC3, DTS) connection between my Windows Vista based computer with Creative Xtreme Gamer card and Yamaha RX-V1300RDS receiver. I have tried my best to do some research before posting this and I apologize if it has been posted before.

The thing is that I have been trying to achieve this for years now but with no pressure since I have been using the standalone DVD player and watching most of the video like that and until now. Recently I have acquired the flat panel TV and hooked it to my PC and the PC became my primary video player. The mentioned receiver doesn’t have the 5.1 on all the time, as Creative system prescribes, but it switches between modes depending on the input signal. And it has digital inputs as optical or coaxial.

I am using the SMplayer for Windows which is great on the video side but is a bit thin on audio. Mostly I have been playing MKV files that have audio encoded in DTS and Dolby digital. When I play the file on the receiver nothing changes, simply it is always on stereo reception.

How do I need to connect my audio card, what cable, from what connector in order to have 5.1? What settings do I need to check? I am totally confused here? I have read on some forums that these audio cards don’t have any hardware DD/DTS decoder, but rather a software one. Is that true? Can someone suggest some good audio card with hardware decoder for both DD/DTS?

Playing with software came across with Creative Console Launcher (CCL). In CCL on their site it appears with THX, DD, DTS and DVD audio but when I install it has only THX icon with no mentioning anything of DTS or DD.
Latest findings indicate to some Creative Home Theatre Cable which is absolutely out of place and time because I have never seen any receiver in Europe with these connectors.
What I would like to have is the audio card which is so simple that if I plug it in to my receiver will have the same behavior as my standalone DVD player… Is there such a thing?

If I wasn't clear enough , please ask...

Can anybody help me out?

Thank you!

 

[jzodda]

I have an extreme gamer and an external receiver. The only way to get sound under Vista for me is using 6 channel direct mode. There is no DD or DTS support for that card and Vista. For that you would need to use XP. The latest drivers were supposed to include DD support but the ones just released do not have it for that card. (and most of the others also)

 

[zormic72]

Thank you for the reply.

What disappointment to hear about those drivers. I cannot go back to the XP since I went to Vista for the problem I have had with drivers for my ATI video card which was cured by Vista drivers. Unbelievable!?!

I have another audio card on my motherboard which has both digital outputs, optical & coax but the sound quality is not on the level of SB, so that is not an option. I tried it just for fun and the only way that I made it turn on DD/DTS was in VLC player but the sound was completely distorted.

Anyway, thanks again and I will try to see how it goes when new drivers are released somewhere in the future, if they release them at all… 

P.S.
What is 6 channel direct mode?

Is it possible to get DD/DTS signal through normal cable or it needs to be digital connection? Which is digital connection on this particular audio card? Which cable to use, from which jack?

 

[jzodda]

6 channel is having a wire going from the front left/right on the receiver to front input on the soundcard. Another wire goes from rear right/left to the rear input and a wire that goes from the center/sub to that input on the soundcard. Hence 6 channels (5.1)- It does not utilize either a coaxial or optical cable. '

I have a digital I/O addon from creative connected to the flexjack and then run a coaxial cable from the receiver to the digital I/O. This way I can get a digital connection as well. In Windows XP I would use 6 channel direct to play games and then if I played a DVD I would just switch the receiver to Coaxial and PowerDVD would play the movie in Dolby digital or DTS.

In Vista64 however the Digital I/O addon has been useless as there is no DD or DTS with the current drivers and no mods that have made it work either as of yet. There are ways to get the tab in the audio console to enable SPDIF but they don't actually create Dolby DD or DTS sound, just add the tab. Thats with Vista 64. Under XP the workaround to get DD and DTS going are still valid though.

 

[zormic72]

Thanks! I am sorry for not answering before but I am not getting any emails about replies.

Is this Vista driver problem with all of Creative's sound cards available? I was investigating the possibility of buying external audio card such as Soundblaster Surround 5.1.
Any thoughts on this?

Could you, please, give me the link with Digitall I/O addon that you are using or attach the pic of it?

 

[Wildman_CAL]

Is this Vista driver problem with all of Creative's sound cards available?

Yes. Creative has dropped the ball on giving their cards the same feature set in Vista that is available to XP. There are plenty of other threads here which explain this.

If you want surround in Vista, the general consensus is too ditch Creative and go with another card manufacturer.

My two cents.