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PC Hardware Annoyances
book

PC Hardware Annoyances

by Stephen J. Bigelow
November 2004
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
272 pages
10h 6m
English
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Content preview from PC Hardware Annoyances

SETUP ANNOYANCES

CAN’T USE AC-3 AUDIO

The Annoyance:

How can I use the Dolby Digital AC-3 audio output when playing DVDs?

The Fix:

If your sound card supports Dolby Digital AC-3 audio, it will provide an S/PDIF output jack (it usually looks like a “composite” or RCA-type connector). S/PDIF audio will need a separate Dolby Digital AC-3 (surround sound) amplifier box to process the digital signals and feed your home entertainment speakers. If you don’t have a suitable amplifier, stick with the PC speakers and do not enable S/PDIF. If you do have the Dolby Digital AC-3 amplifier, just connect the S/PDIF jack between the sound card and amplifier and plug in your surround sound speakers to the amplifier.

After you set up the hardware, enable S/PDIF in the movie player. The actual setup differs for each movie player application. For Windows Media Player, launch the player, select Tools Options, click the DVD tab, and click the Advanced button (see Figure 4-7). Choose “using S/PDIF” from the Audio Interface drop-down menu, click the Apply button, and then click the OK button. Now play the movie and enjoy your surround sound.

Enable S/PDIF for a true surround sound movie experience through the PC.

Figure 4-7. Enable S/PDIF for a true surround sound movie experience through the PC.

Tip

DVD audio can’t feed S/PDIF and PC audio at the same time. If you enable S/PDIF, you must connect a Dolby Digital AC-3 amplifier to hear movie sound. You must disable S/PDIF again to use ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 0596007159Catalog PageErrata