Bose Lifestyle Receiver connecting to PC Technical Help

[nikofox]

Hi,
I have a Bose Lifestyle 28 Series III (http/worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/ls28_series3/page.html) and trying to connect it to my PC. My motherboard is a GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H (http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128707). I do not have a sound card installed. I want be able to output 5.1 audio to the Bose Lifestyle receiver but having trouble doing so.

I tried to connect an optical cable to the receiver but that won't work because the optical connection needs to be activated through a video options menu (TV connection), This is described here: http/worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/article_82_optical_source/page.html. I tried to work around this by connecting a TV to it temporarily. This worked while the TV was connected to the receiver, but stopped when I unplugged the TV. I don't want a TV connected to the receiver.

Then I tried to connect a Y audio cable (RCA adapter I think) from the green audio output from the motherboard to the AUX input connections on the receiver (red and white). This worked, but then I tested the speakers for 5.1 audio. This connection outputs regular stereo audio and the receiver is spreading out the signal to all the speakers, not truly 5.1 audio.

I tried to look up a solution to my problem on various sites, but haven't found an answer I'm looking for. This thread (http/www.tomshardware.com/forum/58189-6-bose-home-theatre-speakers-connected) seems the closest but it's a different receiver and does not have the connection type I want.

Looking at possible solutions to improvise the TV connection needed, I found and bought Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250(HVR-1265) Hybrid TV Tuner (http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116028), which is being shipped at the moment. I probably should have ask this before buying: will this fix the optical connection problem? Will I be able to use the video settings menu on my PC with this card? Or should I just return the card? Would it be better to buy a sound card instead or a different audio cable?

Also when I was searching for my answer, I stumbled upon compressed and uncompressed audio output. This thread (http/www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-2095538/spdif-optical-support.html) got me thinking. Will the optical connection output 5.1 audio and will the Bose receiver see those separate channels or not?

I'm new the this and the terminology. Thanks for any help!

 

[americanaudiophile]

The problem seems to be in the Bose which should remember that you assigned the optical input regardless of a TV being connected to the output. Since your Bose predates HDMI it shouldn't have a way of detecting a TV connected to the output but it could detect a lack of video on the input you assign the optical to. Assign the optical to aux and then while it is playing disconnect the TV.
The TV tuner could supply a video signal at the input that you assign the optical to so the Bose will keep working but I suspect this might not be a solution because you would want the video from the TV card and the audio from a different program at the same. A video source independent of you PC would make more sense if this solves the problem.
Optical does support 5.1 digital surround sound (but not the uncompressed formats). The Bose supports Dolby Digital & DTS.