Multi Channel Out

[smartin]

I don't know much about sound systems so I have a basic question that I am getting conflicting information about.

I have a cheap sound card that supports 5.1 multichannel out and a receiver that can receive 5.1 multi channel as well. The receiver doesn't have a dolby digital or dts decoder built in. I thought with the multichannel setup I thought my computer (AC3 filter) was decoding the dolby digital or DTS signal for me and sending it to my receiver through the multichannel out. In return giving me true dolby digital or DTS sound.

A friend of mine that knows much more about this stuff than I stated that I am not receiving true dolby digital unless I send a signal to a decoder or a receiver with a built in decoder. He is not a computer person at all he just knows AV, so does he just not realize that my pc is doing the decoding or is he correct?

Thanks.

[whurlston]

I don't know much about sound systems so I have a basic question that I am getting conflicting information about.

I have a cheap sound card that supports 5.1 multichannel out and a receiver that can receive 5.1 multi channel as well. The receiver doesn't have a dolby digital or dts decoder built in. I thought with the multichannel setup I thought my computer (AC3 filter) was decoding the dolby digital or DTS signal for me and sending it to my receiver through the multichannel out. In return giving me true dolby digital or DTS sound.

A friend of mine that knows much more about this stuff than I stated that I am not receiving true dolby digital unless I send a signal to a decoder or a receiver with a built in decoder. He is not a computer person at all he just knows AV, so does he just not realize that my pc is doing the decoding or is he correct?

Thanks.

He's correct in that your receiver will not be getting a dolby digital signal but it doesn't matter. You are correct in that he does not realize that it's the PC that will be doing the decoding. It doesn't matter if you have the PC or the receiver do the decoding, the end result (the analog sound coming out of the speakers) is the same.

[smartin]

Thanks for the clarification. That is what I was trying to say to him but was using the wrong terminology so I was confusing him. Thanks again.