console gaming (pc related)

[Atma]

I recently purchased some Altec Lansing 5100's for my pc, and was hoping to use them for a few other things (such as for surround sound on my dvd player/game console), as opposed to solely for use on my pc.

Now, I'm happy with my purchase of speakers, but is there a way to get surround sound for a console from them?

I enquired about a SBLive! Audigy 2 ZS Platinum (since it has rca among other input), and was told that it would be able to play my games (and dvds from my dvd player) in surround sound(not just stereo).

Now, is this true? would I indeed be able to get 5.1 sound from my console and dvd player by buying said card and hooking them (at least one of em) up to the front rca inputs that the card supplies, thus using my pc as a pass through port for sound?

thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Janan]

I don't know, but I think I would have bought an amplifier and gathered all sound there instead of through your PC. Otherwise you would loose your surround on DVD and console if your PC went gaga.

 

[Arris]

If your sound card has optical/digital and your DVD and console have digital out then it should just be a case of hooking them up to get a surround sound signal to the PC. If you just take stereo signal you may be able to get a pseudo surround effect using the sounds cards effects options.

 

[Atma]

well I haven't actually bought the card yet Janan, that's why I'm aksing.

Arris, my DVD player does have digital out, but my console doesn't (GameCube). there are games on it that would go great for surround (such as Metroid Prime), but since it only has two audio cords, it would only get stereo unless I bought a decoder, which (from what I read on the dolby site) would decode it into surround.

Thus, this is why I'm asking if the card can decode it, so then I can get surround which I really want.

-

Now, another thing popped up. My speakers. They're no-longer working properly (I've had them for a month and a day).

Out of boredom, I thought I'd do a speaker test, but strangely, the test didn't work out right.

The front right speaker said front left, the center said center rather lowly, the front left said nothing, and the rears both said rear left/rear right (instead of one saying one and the other saying the other). I thought it might've been the sound card drivers, so I uninstalled/reinstalled those, but that didn't do anything.

I then plugged it up to my Cube (using the connecter) for stereo, but not a thing came out of the left speaker.

It seems somethign might be wrong internally with my sub (which all plugs into), so would a wise idea be to return and swap them over?

 

[Janan]

I'm not certain Atma, but I will agree that if everything goes through the sub, then there is a fair chance of internal problems. I would however test the speakers as singularly as possible just to check that they all work.

 

[Arris]

From Dolby's guide to the GameCube:
I have a home theater system and a GameCube. How do I connect the two?

Once you have the speakers wired up to the receiver and placed properly, you'll need to hook up your GameCube. Your receiver has lots of different inputs in the back, which allow you to use your receiver as a switch box. If you hook everything up properly to a serviceable receiver, you can switch between your GameCube, VCR, television, and other consoles with ease.

The GameCube does not have a digital audio output, so you will need to connect it to your receiver using the analog left and right outputs that come with the console. Make sure your receiver is set for Pro Logic II "movie mode," and you are ready to go.