5.1 Sound Solution?

[Avago-Earo]

[quote=
Don't try running it through your tv first, this will only downscale your signal.

Try running the hdmi straight from your gt740 to the magic box, and from there to your amp. I'm assuming your amp doesn't have hdmi, right?

Yeah that's exactly how I set it up. No my home cinema doesn't have hdmi in, only optical.

My TV doesn't have ARC (Audio Return Channel) so it won't send a message saying 'hi I'm a TV, I accept 5.1 from you' (sort of) because it was made before that technology came out. The idea of getting the device was to get around this and the e-mail from the seller said most modern PC's could 'force' 5.1 over hdmi. I can't find any setting that will let me do that if it can't 'see' 5.1.

Looks like I'll have to return it. Oh well, it's been interesting.

[GlobusDiablo]

Yeah that's exactly how I set it up. No my home cinema doesn't have hdmi in, only optical.

My TV doesn't have ARC (Audio Return Channel) so it won't send a message saying 'hi I'm a TV, I accept 5.1 from you' (sort of) because it was made before that technology came out. The idea of getting the device was to get around this and the e-mail from the seller said most modern PC's could 'force' 5.1 over hdmi. I can't find any setting that will let me do that if it can't 'see' 5.1.

Looks like I'll have to return it. Oh well, it's been interesting.

You don't need arc technology if all you want is audio to your amp. Arc isn't actually all that smart, as it usually downgrades the audio.

You can run the video feed straight to you tv through dvi and run audio to your amp via hdmi/magic box/optical (maybe). Remember: You don't get any options to configure 5.1 on your hdmi (on you pc) until it's plugged in both sides and "on". It's crazy, I know........

[Avago-Earo]

Done that. just getting stereo.

[GlobusDiablo]

Done that. just getting stereo.

Are you getting stereo sound through your hdmi? Then you should be able to configure your hdmi port for 5.1 in your sound menu via the "configure" tab on your pc. Its default is stereo.

check the post by ssddx with the screenshots:
http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-178 ... eiver.html

[Avago-Earo]

Cheers for the post and link. Yeah I've done all that.

I removed the HDMI (to the TV) out of the device, and ran video to my TV through DVI. When restarting the PC I now see Nvidia High Definition MATRIX 4*4-4 under audio devices. It still makes no difference though, still only stereo.

I've done all the obvious stuff, set device as default and configured speakers (only lets you set 2) and can't think of anything else.

[GlobusDiablo]

Cheers for the post and link. Yeah I've done all that.

I removed the HDMI (to the TV) out of the device, and ran video to my TV through DVI. When restarting the PC I now see Nvidia High Definition MATRIX 4*4-4 under audio devices. It still makes no difference though, still only stereo.

I've done all the obvious stuff, set device as default and configured speakers (only lets you set 2) and can't think of anything else.

Crap.

[Avago-Earo]

Strange...

I put a DVD into the PC and thought I'd look through the menu's on the various players until I found the Dolby one. Played the DVD expecting nothing, then I'm getting surround sound! I thought, 'this can't be right,' so I checked the LCD on the blu ray home cinema to make sure I hadn't got any 'virtual surround' switched on and it was on 'Bypass' so it definitely works.

Deserves further investigation before I send it back. Did seem odd that it could have been a dodgy product as it was really well packaged. Hinged lid thick cardboard box with magnetic closure and really high quality printing on it. Shouldn't mean much I know but it doesn't smack of cheapness.

The saga continues.

[GlobusDiablo]

Strange...

I put a DVD into the PC and thought I'd look through the menu's on the various players until I found the Dolby one. Played the DVD expecting nothing, then I'm getting surround sound! I thought, 'this can't be right,' so I checked the LCD on the blu ray home cinema to make sure I hadn't got any 'virtual surround' switched on and it was on 'Bypass' so it definitely works.

Deserves further investigation before I send it back. Did seem odd that it could have been a dodgy product as it was really well packaged. Hinged lid thick cardboard box with magnetic closure and really high quality printing on it. Shouldn't mean much I know but it doesn't smack of cheapness.

The saga continues.

It's because Dolby surround is a compressed signal. You should be able to get all the compressed surround formats from your pc to your amp without hdmi. Toslink/optical and coaxial should do that easily.

The uncompressed surround signal from E: D will only run via hdmi to a dedicated hdmi receiver, is what I have found.

[Avago-Earo]

Yeah. Thought I'd give it a go though. Think I'll be sending it back.

[Avago-Earo]

Learning curve but eh, whatever.Sent a request to return it. It works well for what it is but not what I want.

So I've done this:

Got my Cambridge Audio stereo amp and connected it to the rear speaker jack on the PC. Took the rear speaker cables out of the Home Cinema and connected them to the C.A. amp. Connected the front speaker jack of the mobo to the auxiliary (RCA) L & R input on the h' cinema. (did it this way for reasons of the positions of the amps and speakers / lengths of cables and wires (all the same ohms))

Set up PC audio config thus: Quadrophonic. Going get a cable to connect a guitar practice amp to the sub woofer output on the PC, then I'll go 5.1.

It works fine, I just have to balance front and rear manually with the two amps respective volume controls. Sounds great actually, just more frigging cables and wires to manage .