Re: Case, IR Blaster, audio card, and CPU questions

OK... lemme make sure I understand this:

Two forms of SPDIF: optical & coax (RCA). My receiver (Onkyo SR600... link
below) has optical and RCA. From what I can tell, virtually every sound
card has the coax (the single yellow "RCA looking" port). The sound card I
was looking @ was the Creative Audigy 2 ZS (link below).

Looks like to me it has the SPDIF output I'm looking for as I found this
cable which seems to do exactly what I'm looking to do (SPDIF coax on
computer -> SPDIF optical on receiver):
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=2001&sku=27015

Am I correct, or have I missed something? Mike, owe you a bev of choice if
we cross paths :P THANKS!!!

http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-SR600&p=f&class=Receiver
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=204&product=4915&nav=2

--
----------------------------------------
-AC [MVP MCMS]
www.andrewconnell.com
www.andrewconnell.com/mvp


"MikeM" <MikeM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:86FFC5EE-B12D-4026-BBFF-ED25CB22A55F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> There are two forms of SPDIF - optical and coax (RCA). Your receiver has
> both (as does mine). If you use optical, just get an optical cable and
> plug
> the ends into your computer and receiver. If you use coax, many of the
> audio
> cards have a mini jack output. You will need to get a cable with one end
> having a mono 1/8" plug and the other an RCA plug. My local radio shack
> didn't have such a cable so I bought a 1/8" male to RCA female adapter and
> used an RCA cable. I used it with an Audigy 2 board that I happen to
> have.
> I wouldn't pay the bucks for this board if I was intending to use my
> receiver
> to decode the DD.
>
>
> "AC [MVP MCMS]" wrote:
>
>> My issue with the sound is going to be that every computer output I see
>> uses
>> SPDIF, but my home theatre receiver will take either RCA or optical...
>> I'll
>> have to get a converter or a single cable that has optical on one end and
>> SPDIF on the other (found one that has a mini SPDIF plug on one end, but
>> none with a regular plug).
>>
>> -AC
>>
>> --
>> ----------------------------------------
>> -AC [MVP MCMS]
>> www.andrewconnell.com
>> www.andrewconnell.com/mvp
>>
>>
>> "MikeM" <MikeM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:300758CD-A577-476C-B8B4-F77DC54D5916@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > As far as the audio is concerned, I use a Turtle Beach Riveria card.
>> > It
>> > has
>> > 5.1 DD as well as an optical SPDIF output. Best of all, it cost < $30
>> > at
>> > Newegg. Also, many of the higher end MoBos have an optical out. If
>> > you
>> > are
>> > using optical out, it is a bypass situation, so the quality (cost) of
>> > the
>> > audio card is not a factor.
>> >
>> > I use the uSoft remote. I have a Harmony 680 in the drawer, but
>> > haven't
>> > been motivated to reprogram it to the new setup (8 months).
>> >
>> > I built my machine with an AMD 3200+ and it carries the load easily.
>> > If
>> > you
>> > are planning to do other tasks while watching TV, you might want to
>> > consider
>> > the AMD 3800+ X2 dual core. ZipZoomFly is selling it for about $360.
>> >
>> > The other factor you might want to consider is noise. I selected a
>> > video
>> > card (Gigabyte 9550) and MoBo (Asus A8V Deluxe) that do not have extra
>> > cooling fans. Typically, these are little, high rpm fans that scream.
>> > A
>> > quite power supply and letting the mobo control the cpu cooler and
>> > chassis
>> > fans also help. Here too, AMS cpus generate less heat than equivalent
>> > pentiums so the cpu cooler fan can run slower and still keep things
>> > cool.
>> >
>> > Good luck,
>> >
>> > Mike
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > "AC [MVP MCMS]" wrote:
>> >
>> >> I'm finally biting the bullet and building out a WMCE box... but a few
>> >> questions (you can see I'm a noob with respect to WMCE):
>> >>
>> >> Looking at getting the Silverstonetek LC16M
>> >> (http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc16m.htm)... I can't think of
>> >> why
>> >> there would be issues with this... but any "flags" I haven't seen
>> >> others
>> >> are
>> >> aware of?
>> >>
>> >> Planned to get the Logitec Harmony 880 remote... any flags with this
>> >> case,
>> >> remove/WMCE?
>> >>
>> >> I am currently on DirecTV so I'd need to use some sort of IR Blaster.
>> >> Is
>> >> there a specific one eveyrone has the most success with?
>> >>
>> >> How does one go about dealing with the DirecTV guide and WMCE? WMCE
>> >> "smart"
>> >> enough to know get the guide?
>> >>
>> >> As for the audio, I'd like to get a card that includes an optical
>> >> output
>> >> for
>> >> my HT receiver...however even the top of the line Creative ones don't
>> >> look
>> >> (visually) like they have the optical output... am I just missing
>> >> something
>> >> here? I have optical and the standard RCA (red-white) inputs on my
>> >> receiver... would prefer to use the optical since everything will
>> >> eventually
>> >> pour through the WMCE.
>> >>
>> >> Related to the motherboard & CPU... I'm flat out lost here. I've built
>> >> my
>> >> own machine before and always stuck with Intel... but I really don't
>> >> care
>> >> if
>> >> it's Intel/AMD. I just want it to be supported by WMCE. Aything
>> >> specific
>> >> about dual code CPUs? Any issues running AMD/Intel?
>> >>
>> >> Thanks!
>> >> -AC
>> >> --
>> >> ----------------------------------------
>> >> -AC [MVP MCMS]
>> >> www.andrewconnell.com
>> >> www.andrewconnell.com/mvp
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>


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