Compaq Presario Surround Sound

LimerickDan

I'm after buying this 5.1 Surround sound from Maplin in Limerick.



I had a smaller 2.1 before and that was connected to my lcd by headphone jack and worked from there. Now with this one It has to go to my computer but i have no surround sound connection. My computer is a Compaq Presario as shown below.



Would buying this card and installing it into the slots in the back of the computer fix my problem??



I'm not in any particular rush with this but it would be nice to get this up ad running as soon as I can.

Now with all that sorted, this is the set up I would like to do. I have an Xbox 360 hooked straight to my LG LCD through a HMDI Cable. my computer is connected to the same TV through a VGA Cable. I have the computer sound out through the TV as-well. With this computer installed with the proper sound card can i keep this set up and have the computer, TV and Xbox all outputting to the surround sound??

Hope i didn't confuse people with this. I just never dealt with any surround sound or surround sound cards before.

Thanks,

Dan

Solitaire

Can you give me the exact model number of your Compaq or take a photo of the back of the PC?

LimerickDan

It's a compaq presario cq5110f

This is the back of the comp.



This is the back of the TV if it's important.



These are the surround sound cable connections to go to the computer.



This is the surround sound itself then.



Sorry bout it being sideways but that's all the relevant pic's.

Solitaire

Can you give me a closeup of the brown plugs on the amp or tell me what the text says next to them?

Hooking up the amp is the easy part - on 3-plug 5.1 sound chips the side speakers (green) go to the Stereo (green) plug as usual, the rear speakers (blue) go to the dual-purpose Line In plug (blue) and the centre/sub line (yellow) goes into the dual-purpose Microphone plug (pink). The problem is how do you then hook up the TV and XBox...

LimerickDan

The green is front input, the blue is rear input and the yellow is centre Sub.

The brown ones are front, rear and centre speaker output.

Solitaire

Argh, so those hardwired cables must only be mains and remote

No easy options here, guess I better see if I can find a soundcard with two Line Ins

LimerickDan

Solitaire wrote: »

Argh, so those hardwired cables must only be mains and remote

No easy options here, guess I better see if I can find a soundcard with two Line Ins

Ya mains and remote with volume control.

A sound card with two lines in would that allow the sound from the tv into it? by headphone jack i suppose?

Solitaire

I can only really see three outcomes in descending order of cost and, not surprisingly, ascending order of irritation.

First is to spend a load on an external audio source selector and plug everything into it, and it into the speakers. Hard to find over here and often expensive when you do, especially when you factor in the fact that it has to be a 3.5mm 5.1 model! :eek:

Second is to buy a sound card with both optical and analogue inputs, run the XBox to the optical input, the TV's line-out or headphone socket to the line-in, and the card to the spakers. Although probably cheaper and much easier to find it has one big drawback - in order to use the speakers the PC has to be on

Third is to buy nothing and live with things as they are

LimerickDan

Well I'm a computer networks student so my computer is on 95% of my time so that's not a problem.

So a simple 5.1 surround card for my computer should do fine??

Solitaire

So long as it has two inputs! Most likely one analogue (line-in) and one digital (optical), so long as your XBox has the optical-out port and you have (or the card comes with) an optical cable you're grand

I think (hope!) that this is probably the cheapest card that has both of the above, and being the cynic I am I suspect its even a better-quality product than the similar Trust mystery-OEM card which is the second-cheapest and costs twice as much The only disadvantage the cheaper card has is that it doesn't bundle the TOSLink (optical) cable so you'll have to source one yourself if you don't have a spare, and they're weirdly hard to find and expensive when you do (DealExtreme sell decent ones for €1-2 but it takes weeks for them to arrive at your doorstep :rolleyes::o). You'll also need a 3.5mm male-male cable for the TV's line-out and the card's line-in, if you didn't receive one with the TV.

Of course, if your XBox is one of the variants that lacks TOSLink compatibility, you've got much bigger problems...

LimerickDan

but when the Xbox is hooked to the tv by HDMI cable, all the sound from xbox can go through the tv line in to the sound card? or have i got things completely wrong?

Plus my Xbox is an elite so it should have an adaptor lead with it?

Solitaire

Not completely wrong, but its an utter pain. Most TVs can't act as a pass-through from SoHDMI to TOSLink even if they have optical-out, and Line Out is strictly stereo only anyway so its useless. Then there's the fact that all GPUs have an annoying tendency to have driver/firmware issues with HDMI anyway (especially when you're trying to do something esoteric with it!), and the one inside the XBox is no exception!

You're free to try it that way but you'd still need the TOSLink cable and the Aureon for the optical-in anyway. If it doesn't work and you have a line-in cable (3.5mm male-male) you can just switch it over and stick the TOSLink in the XBox instead, giving full 5.1 for the XBox and stereo for the TV. Not great but if the TV's SoHDMI capabilities dick you about its probably your only fall-back position without spending a ton on some strange godlike soundcard with two optical-ins

LimerickDan

Solitaire wrote: »

Not completely wrong, but its an utter pain. Most TVs can't act as a pass-through from SoHDMI to TOSLink even if they have optical-out, and Line Out is strictly stereo only anyway so its useless. Then there's the fact that all GPUs have an annoying tendency to have driver/firmware issues with HDMI anyway (especially when you're trying to do something esoteric with it!), and the one inside the XBox is no exception!

You're free to try it that way but you'd still need the TOSLink cable and the Aureon for the optical-in anyway. If it doesn't work and you have a line-in cable (3.5mm male-male) you can just switch it over and stick the TOSLink in the XBox instead, giving full 5.1 for the XBox and stereo for the TV. Not great but if the TV's SoHDMI capabilities dick you about its probably your only fall-back position without spending a ton on some strange godlike soundcard with two optical-ins

I'm gonna go an check what i got with my Xbox Elite and if i have some kind of TOSLink adaptor I should be fine. Thanks for all your help man i appreciate it. I'l get back to you when i have it up and running if I Can!

Much appreciated!:D:D:D

LimerickDan

I have been rooting through my Xbox stuff and found two interesting looking cables.





I think this cable has an optical output.



I also found this audio adaptor cable.



By using these do i eliminate having to use a TOSLink on my XBOX?

Solitaire

No... it just lets you use it (if you have a cable), which could come in handy if your SoHDMI plan doesn't work out. A more important question is - do you have a) a TOSLink output on your TV and b) do you have a cable to run from it to the soundcard? You need all that just to attempt Plan A!

LimerickDan

Solitaire wrote: »

No... it just lets you use it (if you have a cable), which could come in handy if your SoHDMI plan doesn't work out. A more important question is - do you have a) a TOSLink output on your TV and b) do you have a cable to run from it to the soundcard? You need all that just to attempt Plan A!

I have an "optical digital audio out" port on the back of my TV. I'ts positioned right beside the audio in from my computer, simple 3.5mm jack.

This is the back of my Elite so i think i have nothing even related to a TOSLink on it. :(



Back to square one again now?

Solitaire

What model is your TV? Some use those weird hybrid sockets that can take a modified RCA-style connector or a "round" optical plug.

And there's no TOSLink on the back of the XBox because its on the video cables

LimerickDan

my tv is an lg 32lh3000



Specs:
LG 32LH3000 Widescreen LCD TV - Technical Specification Table
Manufacturer LG
Model Name LG 32LH 3000
Dimensions (H X W X D) mm 805 x 531 x 79.9( without stand)
805 x 583 x 224( with stand)
Weight 10.6 ( without stand)
117 ( with stand)
Colour Glossy black
Stand type Table top swivel
Display size 32 inch wide screen
Display technology TFT active matrix
Display Format 1080p
Resolution 1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio Corrections 16:9/Just scan/Original/4:3/14:9/Zoom/ Cinema Zoom/full wide
Colour Reproduction RGB bit 10
Dynamic Contrast Ratio 50000:1
Brightness (cd/m2) 500
Just Scan HDMI/Component: 1080i / 1080p / 720p
Viewing Angle 178 degrees
Backlight Life 60,000 hours
Audio Output 10W+10W
Speaker System 2 way 4 speakers
Dolby Digital Decoder Yes
Surround System SRS TRusurround
HD Ready Yes
Input Video Formats 480i , 480p , 720p , 1080i , 1080p
Picture Status Mode Vivid/Standard/Cinema/Game/Sport
Colour Temperature Control Cool/Medium/Warm
Sound Status Mode 5 modes ( Standard/Music/Cinema/Game/Sport)
Remote Control Universal remote control - Infrared
XD Engine Yes
EPG ( SI) 8 days
Energy Saving Recommended Yes
Sub Title Yes
Parental Channel Lock Yes
Closed Caption Capability Yes
Clock Sleep Time Yes
Connectivity 3 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A )
2 x Component video input
1 x USB (SVC)
1 x PC Audio Input
1 x RS 232 (control/svc)
1 x Headphones
3 x Composite video/audio input
Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 )
1 x Audio line-out
1 x Remote control
1 x Digital audio output (optical)
Power Device Power supply - Internal
Power Consumption 150w
Warranty 1 year

So i have a TOSLink? sweet. one problem outta the way. :)

Solitaire

Now all you need is the card and the cable :P

LimerickDan

Solitaire wrote: »

Now all you need is the card and the cable :P

The card is the one you linked to me and the cable is just an ...... cable to go from ..... to the surround card.


Sorry if i'm a little slow i'm new to this plus I don't want to go out an get the wrong cable.

Solitaire

Just like the sockets the cable itself can be called an optical cable or TOSLink cable. Its thin and quite rigid (as the inside is all fibre-optic) and I'm not sure if you'll need one with a regular or Mini head due to the round socket on the TV. Pics please! I can't find much about that TV's optical port on the web

LimerickDan

Close up of my "optical digital audio out".

Solitaire

That's a full-size optical plug You'll need to buy something like this if you don't have one already. Don't buy a Mini one by mistake, they have long thin cylindrical heads on them instead!

LimerickDan

Thanks,

So i have my surround sound, my Xbox, TV and PC.

I need to buy a 5.1 surround sound card like the one you linked and this optical cable to go from my Xbox to TV.

I have a 3.5 mm audio jack to go from TV(Headphone Jack) to PC card(when i buy it).

Is there anything I'm missing? :)

Solitaire

No... that's what the TOSLink cable is for (TV-PC). At least if you want to try the Sound over HDMI trick first. The 3.5mm cable is your last resort as it can only supply a stereo signal and in that case the TOSLink would be used to connect the XBox to the sound card instead.

LimerickDan

Perfect. i just bought the cable. seeing as it was only 3 dollars! Thanks for th e help man.

As that's left is the 5.1 Card and I should be enjoying surround sound in no time.

Thanks for all your help man. Would have been a big mess without it!.
:D

Solitaire

Um, I wasn't suggesting you get the cable there, like I said before its very cheap but also takes ages to arrive!

LimerickDan

Solitaire wrote: »

Um, I wasn't suggesting you get the cable there, like I said before its very cheap but also takes ages to arrive!

It's all good. I'm a patient man. plus i dont know when i'll be gettin the surround sound card. prob after xmas so im sure the cable will be on by then!

LimerickDan

I hate to be such a pain but I could use a little help if you don't mind.

My surround sound card arrived from pixmania yesterday and in put that into the pc no problem. plugged the surrund sound into it and sound coming out the centre speaker or any other speaker but not at the same time.

Now I also have the Optical cable to go from my TV to PC. that is in and light going through no problem.

I still do not have any sound going to the front or rear speakers.

I think i just have something plugged into the wrong input or output.

Please help.

Thanks!