Sound through graphics card?

[sbhk1]

Hello, I am kind of a newbie about such things so please be patience with me :]

Soon I am planning on buying an ati 5850 card, and I also have a tv/computer screen with an hdmi connection.
my screen is SyncMaster T260HD Samsung (some say it doesn't have speakers but mine does have).

And I wanna know if I can get audio streamed through my graphics card to the screen using an hdmi cable.

If yes, is there a way to get sound through the screen's speaker + my speakers? (I have 2.1 Logitech speakers set).
I mean I don't need double power, I want it as a surround system (4 speakers + 1 subwuffer), knowing the existence and place of each speaker. well I am sure you got the idea


Thx

 

[gamerk316]

The ATI 5000 (and 4000/3000) series of cards comes with a sound chip built in, so once the sound driver is installed, you cen get up to 7.1 sound using a DVI->HDMI connection.

That being said, the Samsung Syncmaster HD series (I have the T240, BTW) have optical outputs which can only carry 2.0 (maybe 2.1...) audio. I tried streaming 5.1 Dolby/DTS signals and got nothing but garbage...Now, if your speakers connect via optical digital, you can pass that signal through, but if you connect via analog, you're best option is to still plug into you're computers onboard (or dedicated) soundcard.

BTW, I believe the chip on the 5000 series is a Realtek chip, so I can't imagine quality is any better then standard onboard anyways...

 

[sbhk1]

my speakers are analog. And I planned to connect them to the built in sound card on the motherboard.
The 2nd question was: If I there's a way to calibrate both the speakers in my screen and the external speakers that I have to work as a 4.1 surround system or ever as a 3.1 surround system.

Thx for answering :]

 

[gamerk316]

Probably not; most moniters have only output ports...

In theory, assuming you're moniter had analog input ports, you could fake 4.1 (no center channel) by plugging your speakers into the analog output for front L/R speakers (Green), and using a male-male 3.5m cable to the outputs for the side speakers to the moniter. I did a simmilar setup a few years back for a cheap 6.0 setup (fronts, sides, and rears) using 3 pairs of cheap desktop speakers (a total wiring mess though).

 

[sbhk1]

Actually this awesome monitor does have an audio-in port.
http/img41.imageshack.us/img41/9307/picture007custom.jpg
and I also got the cable (was included with the monitor).

Is it possible to enter the audio-out put to the external speakers (Logitech X230) head phone port, and the audio-in to the monitor and make it a 4.1 surround system? Or does the speakers automatically treat it as a headphone and it can't be configurable?

thx for the help

 

[gamerk316]

What I would do, since you do have input ports, is this:

As the input ports are RCA (two inputs for stereo sound), get a cheap 3.5mm -> RCA converter cable (male on both ends). Then do the following (from you're PC):

Green 3.5mm output -> RCA converter -> Inputs on moniter (L/R speakers)
Red (or is it black?) 3.5mm output -> Speakers (Rear L/R speakers)

This would give you a quadriphonic (4 speaker) setup. Alternativly, you could select 5.1, and you'd simply have no input for the center channel.