Optical/toslink cable from PC to AVR

[sdk]

I want to connect my PC to my AVR to play surround music.

Formats will be DTS, DVD etc

The PC is across the room from the AVR, total cable length is about 19 feet with lots of slack.

Amazon has BlueRigger cables in 25 feet length at Rs 1000 to 1800

Will this idea work? Or relocate the PC nearer to the AVR?

Does the optical out on the motherboard output the surround digital signal if i use MPC or VLC?

The realtek audio manager controls output for the analog connectors on the motherboard and in 5.1 mode i used to connect the PC too the AVR via cables to the ext in of the AVR when they were next to each other

 

[efernand1]

I want to connect my PC to my AVR to play surround music.

Formats will be DTS, DVD etc

The PC is across the room from the AVR, total cable length is about 19 feet with lots of slack.

Amazon has BlueRigger cables in 25 feet length at Rs 1000 to 1800

Will this idea work? Or relocate the PC nearer to the AVR?

Does the optical out on the motherboard output the surround digital signal if i use MPC or VLC?

The realtek audio manager controls output for the analog connectors on the motherboard and in 5.1 mode i used to connect the PC too the AVR via cables to the ext in of the AVR when they were next to each other

Hi

You need to check the specs of the motherboard and reconfirm if it will support the required formats.

I use HDMI from my laptop and it supports the required format.

See if the motherboard has an option to add a soundcard, if yes then get a good one which supports the format you want.

Advisable to get the PC near the AVR to avoid long cables and possible breaks in signal.

If you can get a pre owned dedicated NUC which would support well, nothing like it!

Check OLX for the same or see who offers a good deal.

 

[mbhangui]

Does the optical out on the motherboard output the surround digital signal if i use MPC or VLC?

The realtek audio manager controls output for the analog connectors on the motherboard and in 5.1 mode i used to connect the PC too the AVR via cables to the ext in of the AVR when they were next to each other

It totally depends on the realtek driver if it support DTS, Dolby, etc. How were you connecting earlier? Using individual left, right, center and left and right rear channels?

Your best bet is using the HDMI. Very long optical cable gives lot of dropouts and also it depends if your realtek driver sends DTS, Dolby on the optical cable.

 

[sim_tcr]

Amazon has BlueRigger cables in 25 feet length at Rs 1000 to 1800

Will this idea work? Or relocate the PC nearer to the AVR?

Does the optical out on the motherboard output the surround digital signal if i use MPC or VLC?

I do this, but instead of AVR, pc optical out is connected to optical to 5.1 convertor.
And VLC played almost all 5.1 formats correctly.
Cable I used BlueRigger 3.3 Feet.

 

[sim_tcr]

It totally depends on the realtek driver if it support DTS, Dolby, etc. How were you connecting earlier? Using individual left, right, center and left and right rear channels?

Your best bet is using the HDMI. Very long optical cable gives lot of dropouts and also it depends if your realtek driver sends DTS, Dolby on the optical cable.

View attachment 70504

It was little bit tricky to get 5.1 enabled on mother board.
I had to download some Realtek driver from internet.
My mother board is Asrock Steel Legend B450.

 

[spirovious]

I do this, but instead of AVR, pc optical out is connected to optical to 5.1 convertor.
And VLC played almost all 5.1 formats correctly.
Cable I used BlueRigger 3.3 Feet.

Your PC has optical out and AVR has optical in, then vlc/mpchc will output standard DD/DTS 5.1. Optical cables are better than spdf if need to use longer cable. Any good optical cable will do.

 

[rshri]

I want to connect my PC to my AVR to play surround music.

Formats will be DTS, DVD etc

The PC is across the room from the AVR, total cable length is about 19 feet with lots of slack.

Amazon has BlueRigger cables in 25 feet length at Rs 1000 to 1800

Will this idea work? Or relocate the PC nearer to the AVR?

Does the optical out on the motherboard output the surround digital signal if i use MPC or VLC?

The realtek audio manager controls output for the analog connectors on the motherboard and in 5.1 mode i used to connect the PC too the AVR via cables to the ext in of the AVR when they were next to each other

I have connected my PC's motherboard's optical out with Denon AVR using bluerigger optical cable. So your idea will work. I don't think there will be any problem with 25ft length. Just make sure cable doesn't gets bent sharply.

Whenever you want to play audio through optical, then you will need to select "Optical" in PC's audio's "Select playback device" setting. Please note that usual analog sound from headphone/speaker will not come then, only AVR will be able to output sound.

If you have an additional HDMI port in PC, use that instead of Optical out. You will be able to play more sound formats then.

 

[sdk]

Thanks everyone who replied. I'll be installing a new HDD and reinstalling the OS and other software soon. So I'll implement all the suggestions once the cable arrives. Toslink is my only option as my Denon 1707 does not have HDMI inputs. So I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything works as hoped

 

[spirovious]

Whenever you want to play audio through optical, then you will need to select "Optical" in PC's audio's "Select playback device" setting. Please note that usual analog sound from headphone/speaker will not come then, only AVR will be able to output sound.

Even this is not needed if media player if configed correctly. Say in Mpchc, you can select direct out as optical in output section and without need to change playback device option as primary. Few days back,l ran 3 foobar players with different sound out option that is HDMI out, spdf out and USB out just to compare which sounds best.

 

[rshri]

Even this is not needed if media player if configed correctly. Say in Mpchc, you can select direct out as optical in output section and without need to change playback device option as primary. Few days back,l ran 3 foobar players with different sound out option that is HDMI out, spdf out and USB out just to compare which sounds best.

Thanks for pointing that out, it had slipped my mind. You are right, "optical" playback device can be set in media player apps also, thus leaving the Windows volume settings intact.