Audio hook up question

[Loyudo]

I'm in the process of setting up my computer on my entertainment system. I have a 42" LG 1080p television with a v-chip. I have hooked my computer to my tv via HDMI cable, and am currently using the tv speakers. I have a receiver with a 5.1 surround speaker system and i would like to hook my sound card into my receiver. My question's are what kind of cables do I use (will regular RCA cables work?) Also, my receiver doesn't have an HDMI connection, so if I keep my video hooked up directly to my tv and run my audio through the receiver will this cause noticable lag between the audio and video.

 

[Howard]

There's no audio lag through an analog audio connection. You can make one by getting a 3.5mm to RCA stereo cable. Dunno about the video.

Like this:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=5599&seq=1&format=2

Plug the 3.5mm end into the speaker/line-out connection on your sound card, and the RCAs into one of the the line-in/AUX stereo inputs on your receiver.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I would recommend good audio to go with good video... therefore, please verify if either your computer or your TV have a digital audio output. If yes, you should feed that digital signal to the receiver.

With analog, it's pretty much a given that you'll be stuck with 2.0 (stereo) sound... with digital, you can get the full 5.1/6.1 experience. And it's worth it.

 

[Howard]

Yeah, your sound card most likely has an S/P-DIF output... use that if you can.

 

[Loyudo]

First off thanks for the help I know my questions are very noob. My sound card is a VIA VT1828S on board. The only outputs I see are front speaker, center/LFE, rear speaker and side speaker. So with 5.1 speaker system I would get 3 of those 3.5mm to RCA cables then match the front cables to the front speakers and rear to rear speakers (obviously) then the center/LFE I assume goes to the center speaker and supwoofer and I wouldn't use the side output. Is that right? Also I don't see a S/P-DIF output on my sound card or tv but my tv does have an optical digital output if that would be better then hooking the sound card into the audio receiver.

 

[Howard]

What's the motherboard?

Can you afford a discrete sound card with digital out?

 

[Loyudo]

mobo -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130290
I have 1 pci slot, 1 pci express x1, and 1 pci express 2.0 @ x4 all open. I could see spending up to $40, but only if it would be noticeably better then using the hdmi from my video card to my tv and then the digital optic out of my tv to the receiver. Or getting the 3.5mm to rca cable and running those straight to my receiver. My video card is a gtx460 1gb if that makes a difference on the audio quality.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Oh, it looks like your motherboard is one of the (fewer and fewer) models capable of outputting 5.1 directly to a set of dedicated speakers (like Logitech).

No matter... since your TV has optical digital output, connect your TV to the receiver, and you're all set. If the TV allows direct pass-thru for Dolby Digital (and, if you're lucky, DTS), then you're sitting pretty.

Don't go buying expensive optical cables, you should be able to find them in dollar stores as well... Just get one long enough from your TV to your receiver, and all will be OK.

 

[Howard]

No matter... since your TV has optical digital output

Hopefully from all inputs... if so, and pass-through works, he's in business.

 

[Soundmanred]

I haven't seen a motherboard in a while that doesn't have 5.1 or even 7.1 analog outs. My P67 has them.
Also, it would be rare that your TV outputs anything other than Dolby Digital recieved from your cable/dish/OTA source. Not many have passthrough capabilities, even on very high end sets. The "5.1 Dolby Digital Surround!" on the TV box just means that it has a decoder for those sources, not passthrough, or decoding of external sources.
It's kind of a selling tactic and a shady one at that.
You would most likely only get stereo from your TV through optical from any other source. In other words, running your audio through the HDMI cable from your PC to your TV and then from your TV to your reciever using the optical cable, you aren't likely to get anything higher than 2.0 (stereo)
The analog output option on your motherboard would be fine, just get one cable mentioned above for each pair of speakers you plan to use (one for the front L/R, one for the center/sub, one for the surround L/R). *Note that this is only if your reciever has 5.1/7.1 discrete inputs! If not, you're limited to stereo no matter what you do.*

This is a pretty standard blurb concerning optical outputs on TVs -
"The only 5.1 output through the optical out on the television would come from the tuner (assuming they are broadcasting a 5.1 audio feed). HDMI surround to the television will only output 2 channel audio via optical."

 

[Loyudo]

Looks like soundmanred nailed it. I had an extra optic cable sitting in my big box'o'cables and I gave it a try, sure enough I only got 2.0. So I've ordered some cables for the analog, while searching some out I noticed that these range from $2 to $40. Is there really a noticeable difference between them. I ended up going the cheap route and got some Belkin cables for $2.40 a piece.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_os_product
If this was a mistake please let me know, and give some recommendations for a good set, and yes my receiver does have 5.1 discrete inputs. Thank you for your help.

 

[Soundmanred]

There shouldn't be too much of a difference between them. Some might offer more shielding that can keep hum away, but most will work just fine. Mine were cheap ones I got from Monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=5598&seq=1&format=2)and they work perfectly.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle... I stand corrected!

Thanks for pointing out the errors in my thinking, folks. I was under the naive impression that TVs have an honest-to-God passthru, but it looks like I was sadly mistaken.

Therefore, OP, it looks like you took the best route, and if your receiver has the discrete inputs to match the motherboard outputs, the cables you picked should be more than adequate.