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Bit_Nate
Unregistered guest
Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 11:09 am:    Edit Post
I am trying to hook up my laptop to my suroound system at home and I have no clue how. Thanks for the help.....
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Michael Britt
New member
Username: Daedilus

Post Number: 4
Registered: Jun-05
Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:14 pm:    Edit Post
Bit...

Your options here are relative to the sound card your laptop has and conversely relative to the capabilities of your surround sound system.

First and formost true 5 channel surround sound can only be sent to a true 5 channel amp in a digital format, hense your laptops sound card would have to have a digital output.

Either coaxial digital SPDIF or optical digital fiber optic would do.

Secondly your receiver may have either a "5 channel stereo" or "all channel stereo" mode.

The basic question is what media do you want to listen to? Movies or Music?

Movies are in 5.1 surround. Music is typically in stereo (but not always)

If you primarilly want to listen to music your best bet is to run 3 millimeter phono to RCA stereo plugs out of your line out or headphone out from your laptop to an input on receiver.

(RCA = the little red and white plugs you typically see. 3mm phono is the little plug like you find on a set of headphones)

If you are wanting to listen to movies, then you need to upgrade the soundcard in your laptop. This is pretty costly for what you are doing... you could probably buy a really nice CRT TV for what you would pay for a laptop soundcard with digital outputs.

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