5.1 connection options.

CivilServant

How does one connect 5.1 sound to speakers? A package I'm interested in has inputs for Left and Right Phono connection(White and Red), coaxial and optical inputs (toslink). I want to connect it to the xbox, will the Left and Right Phono connections be enough?

derrie

The L&R are only stereo, which may - depending on the systems be encoded with dolby prologig, which is the old poorer brother of 5.1. It uses 4 channels, L - R - Front - Rear, but they are matrixed onto the 2 channels.

Matrixing is a cool way of forcing more channels down two wires but it does mean that all the channels are not completely seperated from each other - you can always hear a small amount of crosstalk

The digital connection is the one to go for in this case because it's only a single connetion and all 6 channels are completely seperate from each other

Does the X-box have a digital out?

CivilServant

Not natively no, I'm gonna buy the hi definition av pack. The official Microsoft one comes without a breakout box that includes an optical connection. Or I was going to go with a cheaper one with just the component lines and left and right audio phonos. So is matrixing possible with the left and right audio?

derrie

My first post prob didn't read too clearly

2ch stereo is usually encoded with Dolby Pro-Logic
Dolby Pro-Logic is a 4 ch Matrix system

So it'd probably work but won't be as cool as 5.1

CivilServant

So unless the two channel signal passes through a receiver/amp with pro logic on it. It's unlikely that 5.1 will out come. I don't think xbox has a pro logic encoder onboard so it looks like I'll have to use the optical. Thanks derrie.

bucks73

I have my XBOX connected to my receiver. What you need is the Digital AV Cable.

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=XBOX&title=111950

One end goes in the XBOX, the scart goes to the TV and the optical goes to the receiver for 5.1 sound.