stupid question... SPDIF

[DarkMortar]

Ok when i play DVD's there are different way to play the audio...

like
SPDIF
6 speaker output (5.1)

which is better? i assume SPDIF?
yet the 5.1 one allows some options...



also what is the best dvd player to use.
I use CyberLink PowerDVD
yet which player has best visual and sound quality, i assume they are fairly the same, and are the useful plugins for dvd playback (i use sb x-fi).

 

[EricB]

SPDIF. It's straight digital

 

[DarkMortar]

Ok, so if i have analogue speakers, than i select the 5.1 one right?

Strange, because i selected SPDIF for several movies and it played sound EXACTLY like how it sounds in 5.1 choice.

 

[003]

1. SPDIF means either coax or toslink out. I think the X-fi has both, and they are both digital. If you have a choice between toslink (optical) and coax, use coax.

2. Depending on your equipment, SPDIF does NOT have to be better than analog out. With analog output your sound card converts the digital signal to analog so it is outputting an analog signal which can be readily used by your speakers. With SPDIF (digital) output, the sound card sends the untouched digital signal to an external device (certain speakers, cd and dvd players, dac, etc...) to be converted to analog. Digital can not be perfectly converted to analog and digital to analog converters (usually abbreviated as DAC) vary in quality. If you are using SPDIF output and the DAC in the device receiving the digital signal is not as good as the DAC in the sound card, then analog output would sound better.

A good example of this would be the Z-5500 speakers. When using digital output with them, the DAC that is in the Z-5500s will convert the signal to analog, but it's DAC is much lower quality than 90% of all decent sound cards, and the other 10% of sound cards would be so cheap that they don't even have a digital output.

3. Your X-530s do not have a DAC so you have to use 5.1 (analog) output.

Also I am not sure on the exact specs of the DSP in the X-fi, but in many cases the DSP on a sound card will not support surround sound so if you use SPDIF you will be limited to stereo only.

 

[DarkMortar]

Ok, so I will use the 5.1 one for x-530 or the z5300e whenever i get them.

Here is a screen below of the choice, it 'was' defaulted at SPDIF tho...
Also at the bottom there is audio channel expander, which one is better to choose (Pro Logic II?)

And what the best DVD software?

 

[The General]

Digital speakers? lolwtf

All speakers are analog, there unless there are some new speakers that transmit digital data directly to our brains.

 

[EricB]

Ok, so I will use the 5.1 one for x-530 or the z5300e whenever i get them.

Here is a screen below of the choice, it 'was' defaulted at SPDIF tho...
Also at the bottom there is audio channel expander, which one is better to choose (Pro Logic II?)

And what the best DVD software?

the hardware decoder like nvida pure video decorders. spdif is not the same as toslink (optical). it is actually a superior technology, but in real life you can't tell the difference between it and toslink

 

[Crysalis]

Digital speakers? lolwtf

All speakers are analog, there unless there are some new speakers that transmit digital data directly to our brains.

no, but its a marketing thing. Digital speakers in terms of being able to accept the digital input and decode it.

 

[kwokwai]

just a question here: when should I set SPDIF to be 100%?
I have Creative SB Audigy 4, and I just set SPDIF to 0%.
I have no idea what SPDIF is about!

 

[Crysalis]

what?!