Possible to drive two separate speakers with two separate audio streams?

[EarthwormJim]

Lately, I have been watching video content from my computer onto my TV. It's great, however I also like to play games (WoW) while I watch videos.

Consequently since I'm doing both on the same computer, I have mute WoW or I end up with it's effects being blasted through my TV. However I'd still like to hear WoW sound effects while I watch videos, just on my computer's speakers (at reduced volumes) and not my TVs.

My computer and tv's speakers are both plugged into my sound card's audio out using a Y-splitter.

Is there anyway to do this, possibly with two sound cards or something? I currently have the integrated audio from my Asus P5Q Deluxe, but I do have a spare sound blaster audigy 1 laying around.

I know the integrated audio has digital outputs (coax and optical), but my tv just accepts standard RCA cables. Even if it could accept digital inputs, is there a way to force different programs to use different audio outputs?

 

[imported_apocalypse]

The integrated audio in the P5Q should be able to output 2 streams of audio to different audio jacks. I don't know if you can change which device is used in WoW, but there should be an option to select the audio output/device for the media player.

 

[corkyg]

To get the expert opinion of YOyoYOhowsDAjello, AT's resident audio guru, this might be better posted in Audio/Video & Home Theater.

 

[George Powell]

You can use 2 soundcards quite successfully here. Wow along with many other games allows you to select the output sound driver within its settings.

Applications like web browsers and itunes will output to the default soundcard as determined by windows when the application loads. In vista you can change the default output device on the fly, however you will have to reload the application for the change to take effect.

I use this setup quite succesfully, with a stereo output going to my main speakers for music, web video etc and 5.1 + mic going to my razor headphones for gaming and teamspeak.