Hey Guys,

I just built a computer, and I want to hook up my home theater to it. I have never done that before on a PC. I'm a little confused as to which is the best way. I'd like to have the full 5.1 Surround Sound. Here is my Philips Stereo so you can see the connectors on back.

Here is my motherboard so you know what the connections you have there. EVGA X58 3X SLI

Can I use SPDIF? I don't even know what the heck that is I'd like to hear what any of you have to say. I'm not sure what connectors I can use and what types of connections have converters. i.e. DVI to VGA Remember, I want 5.1 sound if I can.

Thanks,

I see nothing on the back of your receiver to indicate it will support 5.1. Looks like you are out of luck. You can come out of your motherboard and go to the line in of your receiver.

Is a spdif connection just an RCA cable? They look identical and from what I read I can't tell the difference really. Can you help? I think that is my best bet.

They may use an RCA type connection but they are not the same. SPDIF stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interface - digital being the key word. Typical RCA connections support analog signals.

Again, I see no SPDIF input on the receiver. The one in the picture is for output.

You need to come out of your computer/sound card and go into your receiver in order to hear your 5.1 over your HT system.

Using something like this? RCA Audio Splitter(Stereo)

Then go to my recievers two audio in's. ?

No, you need to read your motherboard manual to see which connectors are L/R "Line Out" and connect that to the line in of the receiver.

Ok wait a second. What kind of cable will I be using? That is where my original question was coming from.

A 3.5MM jacks to RCA? The only "Audio in" my reciever has is RCA I believe. I think I need this spelled out a bit

Thanks,

Sorry Farrari, but you are not making this easy. In order to help, providers need information - we have little to none. You need to spell out what you want to do now since we have learned your receiver, a Philips MX 6050D DVD AM-FM Stereo HT system does not support 5.1 audio. The included link to the motherboard was great, but quickly reveals the motherboard does not have on-board graphics. Therefore, there must be an add-on card. But no mention of the card means no clue as to what video connections it supports; D-Sub (VGA/analog), DVI, HDMI, S-Video, etc., or how many of each. No information about the HT's TV/monitor this will be connecting to means no clue what inputs it supports. Can't help if we don't know what we are dealing with.

Page 15 of your motherboard manual here shows you can use a 3.5mm mini-stereo to RCA cable to get stereo out of the motherboard's on-board sound "line-out" jack. This can be connected to the receiver's Left and Right AUX RCA inputs. For video, we don't have not enough information to even guess.

That is what I was wanting to know.

I used the DVI VGA example just because I know that those can convert. For example, I didn't know if I could convert a SPDIF signal. See what I'm saying now? I have the video stuff down, I don't need help on that.

I just need to get the sound from my computer to my reciever. And I think now I know that 3.5mm can be converted to RCA, I'm good to go. I believe the reciever generates the 5.1 sound(may not be true 5.1 dolby digital) because I have always had the sound come out of my TV into the reciever and all 6 speakers play sound. That is what I'm going to do here, just get the sound to the receivers audio in's.

Thanks for your help. I will look around for those kind of cables.

J.R.

No they can't - not without expensive electronics. DVI is digital. VGA is analog. There is no conversion here. There are adapters, but they adapt the cables, not the signal. Graphics cards that only have DVI connectors still provide analog signals and support analog monitors through these adapters.

No, your receiver does not support 5.1 sound. 5.1 is true surround sound with front left, front right, rear left, rear right, center, and a subwoofer. All are discrete channels, not the same front and back. Your receiver clearly states it is a "stereo" Home Theater System - Stereo is two channels - with perhaps the lows split out to a subwoofer. Some surround "effects" may be used to simulate true surround to the back pair of "stereo" speakers, but it is still not 5.1 audio.