What would you put in a HTPC?

[Tahir2]

System is built and the video quality is astounding. I need to work on the noise levels to reduce them a tad but its is prety quiet already.

I need help with the sound, at the moment everything sounds atrocious other than PC audio.... e.g. DVD's, DivX etc.. games sound fine.

Incredibly muffled and low volume sound, using PowerDVD and Media Player 10.

I know I need a new soundcard but I didn't think going through LineOut and then to Analog Surround was the best option... help!

 

[pascal]

Maybe the Montego soundcard above.

Another (more expensive) possibility is X-Plosion soundcard below (with DDL & DTS encoding with SPDIF) http://www.auzentech.com/products_xplosion.html

Good X-plosion review: http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/reviews/sound/Auzentech_X-Plosion_1.html

Here some info about DTS: http://www.dts.com/consumer/pc/dtsconnect.php
Run the flash demo and see option two.

 

[Skrying]

Make your way over to head-fi.org and post.

 

[kyleb]

I know I need a new soundcard but I didn't think going through LineOut and then to Analog Surround was the best option... help!

You get digital surround pass though with a digital line out, but encoding games and such to digital requires lossy compression methods which makes the process inherently inferior to solid analog connections.

 

[nutball]

Maybe the Montego soundcard above.

Another (more expensive) possibility is X-Plosion soundcard below (with DDL & DTS encoding with SPDIF) http://www.auzentech.com/products_xplosion.html

Good X-plosion review: http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/reviews/sound/Auzentech_X-Plosion_1.html

Here some info about DTS: http://www.dts.com/consumer/pc/dtsconnect.php
Run the flash demo and see option two.

Be wary of those cards, the drivers are a bit hit-and-miss. I have a card based on the same C-Media chipset, in my old box I got no end of pops, clicks, farts and so on. I tried the drivers for the Montego card, the HDA card and my card (they're all basically just the same reference drivers) and all exhibited the same behaviour with my card.

Having said that since I put the card in my newly-built rig it's been OK, it's nice to get DDL encoding without being tied to SoundStorm ... it's just that it's not a given that it'll work perfectly in some arbitrarily chosen piece of kit.

 

[martrox]

As far as soundcard goes, I use a TB Montego DDL.......Dolby Digital Live*, and it's absolutely excellent for a HTPC. You can find the same card under the Diamond brand - Xtreme Sound 7.1 DDL - for less than $50 US. While it's not a great gaming card, it's a excellent low cost card for a HTPC. Remember, though, you may be best served by downloading and using the generic CMedia drivers......... They worked much better than what TB has, at least for me.

If you are a serious videophile and need the best, consider the cards from AuzenTech. While more expensive, they do include higher quality Op-amps that are usuer replaceable (read socketed) and their higher models use the new CMedia 8770 chip that inclused not only DDL, but also DTS Connect, a DTS equilivent of DDL, but without the slight highend rolloff that DDL suffers from. However, if you are older that 30 and male, chances are you can't hear any difference......

*need to know what Dolby Digital Live is? Google is your friend!

 

[Tahir2]

There are some pics as promised.. still need some help with the sound though.
Temporarily it has an Audigy 2 Value inside it but this will be changed for a soundcard that can do Digital sound out.
The AMP is an old Sony DVD/AMP system that I am planning on replacing soon - going through the speaker line out to phono.

Yes you did see a VHS player above... some habits die hard.

 

[pascal]

Congratulations. Nice setup

I am travelling tomorrow with my family to the south of the country.
I will try to buy a few things. Hope to find an AM2 setup like that and a good DDL soundcard too (crossing fingers).

 

[kyleb]

Temporarily it has an Audigy 2 Value inside it but this will be changed for a soundcard that can do Digital sound out.

You do understand that the Audigy card support digital audio pass-though, right?

 

[gokickrocks]

if you dont mind looks, or if you are a modding fanatic, go with the original xbox and turn it into a media center

 

[Tahir2]

You do understand that the Audigy card support digital audio pass-though, right?

Nope I don't please explain more!!

Also.. I am looking at a Denon 1706 AV Receiver - this has ext inc which looks like 6 channel analog surround sound. Can you confirm?

http://www.denon.co.uk/site/frames_main.php?main=prod&ver=&MID=3&sub=1&action=detail&Pid=236

Thank you very kindly sir - I really appreciate your help.


As to modding an Xbox into a media centre unit, I have done that in the past and it was awesome but an Xbox is not any good for what I want to do.

 

[kyleb]

For digital pass-though just set your souncard's driver control panel to disable internal decoding, then use a mono 1/8" to RCA connection between the Digital_IO jack on your soundcard to the to the coaxial digital input on your reciver so it can do the decoding of DD and DTS soruces. That connection is also good for two channel sources which if want to do DPLII or other expansion with your receiver.

And yeah, the 6 RCA connections labled EXT IN on the bottom left of that Denon will hook right up to the analog outs on your soundcard to allow for full quality playback of unencoded sources. You just need a few stereo 1/8" to RCA connections for that.

 

[Tahir2]

I don't have the Digital IO Module with the card as it is sold as an optional extra on the Audigy 2 Value.

Unless I am misunderstanding something it looks like I need a different soundcard.

 

[kyleb]

Nah, you don't need the external module, all you need is a cable like this. That is exactly what I use to pass digital sound from my Audigy 2ZX to my Denon.

 

[Tahir2]

Alrighty then...

What port should I put that cable into? I assume it is the orange one on the right.

 

[kyleb]

Nah, the orange is for analog center and sub, the white one all the way on the other side is the digital-out.

 

[Tahir2]

My bad.
Thanks for the help again.. I will be back with more stupid questions!

 

[kyleb]

Heh, no problem, I'm always glad to be of help.