Connecting DVD to SB Live [Drive] via Optical

"Lenny" wrote in message
...

2. It isn't HTML. It's 'Rich Text'.

Actually, rich text IS html. To verify this is indeed the case, just
right-click your mail and view the source (outlook express you'll select
"properties", and then there's a button to view source in the properties
window, ymmv with other mail readers). The polite thing is to not use html
in usenet groups as not all mail readers handle it and/or many users don't
like it, mails also tend to get unneccessarily large and unwieldy in html
format.

Yes, I know all that.
Having been using Usenet for nearly 11 years, I'm fully conversant with
*all* Usenet protocols and etiquette.

I believe this to be only the second time I have used rich text (to
emphasise a point) out of thousands of sent messages.
It's like stepping into the road *once* during a lifetime of safe
pedestrianism - hardly worth getting agitated over is it?

"Lenny" wrote in message
...
Like I said, yours is a very novel way of doing things!

Not really.

Yes, REALLY. It's not something I've ever heard anyone doing before, and
it's not something I've seen advertised as a feature with any soundcard on
the PC. Like I said, it might be possible, but its use is so
unusual/obscure
I've never heard of anyone actually doing it this way. Most people have
enough trouble trying to get digital OUTPUT from a SBlive when they play
DVD
movies ON THE PC......

Simply trying to connect a 'source' audio, in this case a DVD player
with
appropriate outputs to an amplifier/speaker(s) in this case a SB sound
card
with appropriate inputs using an appropriate cable. Pretty basic stuff
that
I'm still convinced *should* work.

Basic? Not really. Like I said, you have to understand you're doing things
"backwards". It's one thing taking a stereo input and get that to play on
the PC's speakers, but dolby digital is an encoded compressed audio format
that needs a decoder to process the audio first, and there is no such
decoder on the Live/Audigy series cards. Creative supplies a software
codec,
but the typical use for that is to take a file stored locally on the PC
(or
on a DVD) and decode it and send to the speaker outputs, not read the
digital input, decode and send to the speakers. This might seem like a
trivial or even silly distinction but really, it is NOT, not to a computer
and/or the software that runs on the same.

Like I said last time, easiest solution is to play the DVD on your PC

How is that the 'easiest' solution if I don't have a DVD drive?

instead and use the TV out feature of your video card because god knows
where you will find a program that does what you propose!

snip

Chances are when they say the Extigy has a hardware decoder is they're not
exactly being entirely truthful, Extigy might still use the same software
codec that the Live/Audigy cards employ. Wouldn't be the first time
Creative
'bent' the truth if that is the case.

Eh? So when the say:

"As a stand-alone device, simply connect your external DVD player, Game
Console or Music playback device to the Coaxial/Optical SPDIF IN for Dolby
Digital decoding or analog inputs." .... They're wrong/lying/talking crap
then? Sorry...'bending the truth'.

We should leave it there.
You clearly don't understand what I'm talking about - nor am I convinced you
know what you're talking about.

Thanks for trying to help anyway.

It's like stepping into the road *once* during a lifetime of safe
pedestrianism - hardly worth getting agitated over is it?

I'm not getting agitated at all, I don't particulary care one way or the
other wether you use, plain text or html (though I tend to prefer plain
text, as some people select weird-ass fonts and/or colors in their posts
which can be a bit annoying), I just wanted to point out the erroneous
statement you gave that 'rich text' was not html - which it in fact is as I
previously mentioned.

How is that the 'easiest' solution if I don't have a DVD drive?

Afair, you never mentioned you did not have a DVD drive. Still, just going
out and buying one - maybe even a dual-layer compatible burner, as they're
dirt cheap these days - might be the easiest, and indeed the cheapest
solution for you as getting an Extigy would cost you maybe as much as about
twice the price of a DVD burner, and much more than a plain-jane DVDROM
drive.

Eh? So when the say:

"As a stand-alone device, simply connect your external DVD player, Game
Console or Music playback device to the Coaxial/Optical SPDIF IN for Dolby
Digital decoding or analog inputs." .... They're wrong/lying/talking
crap
then?

I didn't say that. Maybe you should just read my posts instead of trying to
read all kinds of stuff I never wrote into my words. My suggestion would be
to go back and read my post again, more carefully this time.

You clearly don't understand what I'm talking about - nor am I convinced
you
know what you're talking about.

I think it's more a case of bone-headedness on my opposite end that is at
work here rather than me not understanding.

You have an unusual situation where you want to pipe digital multichannel
audio into a PC and get it to play back through your multi-speaker setup and
you feel 'it should work', based on I don't know what knowledge and
experience. Usually - and with no disrespect meant towards you - when
people - often with little to no clue of how computers work - have an idea
they think should work with regards to PCs it's something along the lines of
they have a cable with a plug on it coming from some device, and there's a
socket on the PC where the cable's plug will fit, and they expect that by
some form of magic whatever they want to do will simply happen if the plug
is inserted into the socket. Like plugging a lamp into a wall socket
perhaps. Then, when their idea fails they get disappointed, and sometimes a
bit snarky and unpleasant towards the person who told them maybe they were
expecting a bit too much when they thought their idea would be a feasible
one in the first place.

Unfortunately it's not that easy with regards to inputs and outputs on PCs,
particulary digital ones involving compression like I already mentioned. A
PC is not like a hifi amp where you connect your tape deck and CD player and
tuner etc to the inputs, and speakers to the outputs and that's it.

On a PC you need some kind of program that will do the job of piping data
from input to output in all cases or else nothing at all will happen. With
analog stereo audio it's easy, you could probably just start the windows
sound recorder and let it sit there while you watch your movie. Encoded
digital audio is different though because your SBlive or Audigy does not
accept encoded audio, it can't play back such a format. It has to be in raw
digital form, and to reach that stage you need a codec for dolby digital
sound (also called AC3) that is legally aquired when buying a DVD software
player for example, and illegally when downloading a codec pack off the web,
such as the K-Lite Codec Pack (google it if you're not that particular with
honesty), and you need a program that will read the digital input port, pipe
the SPDIF stream coming in through the port through the codec, and then use
the windows directsound interface to send the resulting data out to the
various speaker outputs on your soundcard.

This really isn't everyday stuff, believe you me. Do note I never said it
can't be done, just that this is so uncommon I never heard of an utility
that is designed for this very purpose. It's possible getting an Extigy will
do the trick, but they're fairly expensive, and CPU use is higher with these
beasts as well compared to a PCI card so your computer will perform slower.
It's marginal under most circumstances, but worth pointing out anyway just
so you won't get surprised, because Creative certainly won't tell you that
when you read their site about the thing. Also, you probably need a USB2
connector to plug it into to use it to its full capabilies, and if your
computer isn't equipped with one of those that's an extra expenditure that
has to be made.

I just think it's silly to buy new sound playback hardware to replace the
fully working stuff you already have when you could simply play your DVDs
through your PC instead. The easiest solutions often tend to be the best
ones, but okay, you do what you want and take your chances with the Extigy
if you want to. You're an adult - hopefully anyway - and can do whatever the
hell you want with your money... ;-)

Now, feel free to insult my intelligence again if you like, but it won't get
you any closer to a solution to your problem... *rolls eyes*

"Lenny" wrote in message
...

snip yadda yadda

Perhaps you could point me to someone more knowledgable and less
patronising...
Actually don't bother, I might get another thesis. :+)

I'm obviously asking in the wrong place.

less patronising...

Pot, meet kettle.
Kettle says: "charmed!"

I'm obviously asking in the wrong place.

Just a hunch mind you, but I would not be surprised if you find as little
success in your endeavour elsewhere as you did here, discounting the
practical advice I already gave you of course, which you promptly ignored I
might add...

Good luck, but don't get snarky again if someone else suggests you'd be
better off just getting a DVD drive for your PC and quit trying to faff
around so much.