How to setup for 5.1 gameing?

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 08:54 AM

Hi,

I have an onboard Realtek ALC883 8 Channel Audio Codec, sound card.
I also have a Yamaha TSS-1 DTS \ Digital \ Prologic Reciver + 5.1 speakers connected.

I want to play games in 5.1 but every time I set the game for 5.1 i don't see the reciver turn on to Digital (dolby) and most of the time, i get no sound at all, some times i get only a few bits of the sounds.

I play movies and sound files (such as AC3) and DVD with no problem (just had to setup the ACF Filter driver to SPDIF...).

The connection is on a coaxial cable.

Help is most wanted i want to solve this one.

Thanks .
Daniel

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 09:49 AM

your soundcard does not support dolby digital encoding, therefore you are only getting a stereo signal via spdif

use the analogue connnections

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 10:25 AM

thats od, since i am able to listen and watch movies in AC3 witch is 5.1 Dolby digital and the Dolby digital light on my reciver is on...

how come it doesnt support Dolby digital if it has 8 channels ?

can you allaborate on that ?

Daniel

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 11:11 AM

5.1 and SPDIF

it's 8 channel, yes, 8 channel analogue. SPDIF as standard is stereo

and when playing pre-encoded content, it's called AC3 passthrough (your card does nothing to the sound) that is why it's in 5.1

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 01:08 PM

I have also a creative SB live! platinum Card, should i install it ? would it be better than what i have now ?

could you recommand a good not expensive sound card that will do 5.1 in games or sould i say Dolby Digital ?

thanks

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 01:24 PM

Auzentech X-Meridian seems to be a pretty good card and has what you need

there are a couple of other cards that have dolby digital encoding

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 02:00 PM

thats what i will need ? Dolby digital encoding ! ?

You ment for games to use all 5.1 speakers right ?

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 02:25 PM

yes, to use all 6 speakers via a digital connection, you will need Dolby Digital/AC3 encoding

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 02:32 PM

this card is too expensive for me is there other afodable cards out there that will do the work ?

what about my SB Live! Platinume ? does it have the dolby digital encoding feature i need ?

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 03:08 PM

no creative card supports AC3 encoding, there are afew out there that do

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 04:50 PM

so what you are telling me is that none of the SB users have 5.1 sound in there games ?

i find that hard to beleive !

Judas · Oct 25, 2006, 07:00 PM

The only way to get true 5.1 sound (actually 4/4.1/5/5.1/6.1/7.1) surround sound in anything that used a Digital Connection to the speakers is to have a soundcard which full supports it in every manner. There is no solution other then what DJ_Stick already suggested for a product that support it.

If you want to have it, using the Analog Minijacks to do it.

IMO, in the game department, and generally with movies, there is little to no difference between a fully connected and tuned Analog connection and a digital one. (aside from more cables

)

Just Learnin' · Oct 25, 2006, 07:01 PM

dj what about speakers with a built in decoder like the Z-5500's?

Judas · Oct 25, 2006, 07:12 PM

That's the thing, to decode, the sample has to be encoded, by default, most games or within windows isn't already encoded in a digital format. Not enless theres an option i'm missing. And i beleive Vista is saposed to be starting to provide some pretty slick audio options to the manufacturers (we'll see).

Only will samples already encoded, being passed through to the speakers that have a decoder, will the sound be presented in true surround sound.

Just Learnin' · Oct 25, 2006, 07:22 PM

So there isn't a game at all that actually has true 5.1 surround audio anyway? It is all software rendered as in EAX etc.?

thomasabarnes · Oct 25, 2006, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by predatorftp

so what you are telling me is that none of the SB users have 5.1 sound in there games ?

i find that hard to beleive !

Creative cards support 5.1 gaming, but that is analog. My understading is that you asked about digital 5.1 gaming. That is why you got the reccomendations and answers from dj_stick that you got.

Dolby Digital is dealing with digital, and you need a soundcard with digital support to get 5.1 digital gaming.

Many Creative soundcards support 5.1 analog gaming (including SB Live 5.1, Audigy/Audigy 2, Audigy 2 ZS). You will need a game that supports 5.1 gaming (I recomend games that support EAX High Definition) and get yourself a 5.1 analog speaker set, and you will have 5.1 gaming capability.

Go to the Creative Labs site for a list of games that support EAX HD gaming.

Judas · Oct 25, 2006, 09:55 PM

As far as i know, there are no games that output a AC3 Encoded Audio sample thus far. It's all a mixed wav/mp3/ogg/raw single/stereo files that the games are configured to send out to any specific speaker currently setup. But this only works via analog as far as my understanding goes.

For it to work, the game would have to direct those samples to a encoder, in which when encoded would be sent digitally to the sound card as passthrough. At which point if you don't have a encoder/decoder present on the sound card, there isn't much reason to have a sound card when the speakers are doing the work anyways.

predatorftp · Oct 25, 2006, 10:45 PM

the game "Company of Heroes" has a 5.1 \ 6.1 \ 7.1 option in the sound manue. so that means it has the sound allreay encoded and outputed to the speakers to decode ?

i guess bottom line is can i get my system to run that game in 5.1, i guess that the developers of the game meant for ppl. to be able to use this option quite easly...

can you explain what happens when i am playing a movie in AC3 format and my speakers work in 5.1 (and the Dolby Digital turns on, on my reciever) ? how come ?

**dj_stick** · Oct 25, 2006, 11:28 PM

predatorftp - you've missed the point

ALL modern games support multi-channel sound - BUT none of them support digitial encoding (that i am aware of)

to play these games in 5.1/7.1 etc you need to use the analogue outputs

when you play a DVD, the content is already encoded in AC3, where as in games it's not <-- that's the important distinction that i'm trying to get across

Oct 25, 2006, 08:54 AM	#1
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	How to setup for 5.1 gameing? Hi, I have an onboard Realtek ALC883 8 Channel Audio Codec, sound card. I also have a Yamaha TSS-1 DTS \ Digital \ Prologic Reciver + 5.1 speakers connected. I want to play games in 5.1 but every time I set the game for 5.1 i don't see the reciver turn on to Digital (dolby) and most of the time, i get no sound at all, some times i get only a few bits of the sounds. I play movies and sound files (such as AC3) and DVD with no problem (just had to setup the ACF Filter driver to SPDIF...). The connection is on a coaxial cable. Help is most wanted i want to solve this one. Thanks . Daniel

Oct 25, 2006, 10:25 AM	Thread Starter #3
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	thats od, since i am able to listen and watch movies in AC3 witch is 5.1 Dolby digital and the Dolby digital light on my reciver is on... how come it doesnt support Dolby digital if it has 8 channels ? can you allaborate on that ? Daniel

Oct 25, 2006, 01:08 PM	Thread Starter #5
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	I have also a creative SB live! platinum Card, should i install it ? would it be better than what i have now ? could you recommand a good not expensive sound card that will do 5.1 in games or sould i say Dolby Digital ? thanks

Oct 25, 2006, 02:00 PM	Thread Starter #7
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	thats what i will need ? Dolby digital encoding ! ? You ment for games to use all 5.1 speakers right ?

Oct 25, 2006, 02:32 PM	Thread Starter #9
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	this card is too expensive for me is there other afodable cards out there that will do the work ? what about my SB Live! Platinume ? does it have the dolby digital encoding feature i need ?

Oct 25, 2006, 04:50 PM	Thread Starter #11
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	so what you are telling me is that none of the SB users have 5.1 sound in there games ? i find that hard to beleive !

Oct 25, 2006, 07:01 PM	#13
Just Learnin' HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 1,414 Rep Power: 56 System Specs	dj what about speakers with a built in decoder like the Z-5500's?

Oct 25, 2006, 07:22 PM	#15
Just Learnin' HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 1,414 Rep Power: 56 System Specs	So there isn't a game at all that actually has true 5.1 surround audio anyway? It is all software rendered as in EAX etc.?

Oct 25, 2006, 10:45 PM	Thread Starter #18
predatorftp DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	the game "Company of Heroes" has a 5.1 \ 6.1 \ 7.1 option in the sound manue. so that means it has the sound allreay encoded and outputed to the speakers to decode ? i guess bottom line is can i get my system to run that game in 5.1, i guess that the developers of the game meant for ppl. to be able to use this option quite easly... can you explain what happens when i am playing a movie in AC3 format and my speakers work in 5.1 (and the Dolby Digital turns on, on my reciever) ? how come ?