Surround Sound Insights
Recently I drank alot of green tea and decided to hook up 2 surround sound systems - 1 for my TV and 1 to my computer system. For my TV, I have a digital cable box and a digital video recorder as well as a HDTV. In order to get true ‘digital’ surround sound, then you’ll need a 5.1 or better surround sound receiver WITH a fiber optic digital sound input (many stereo receivers these days are also DVD players - just make sure your DVD home theater system has a digital fiber optic cable input option). My receiver has the fiber optic input, but didn’t come with the cable.
So after reading the instructions for the 4th time, I went out and bought the fiber optic cable at Radio Shack for $20, not knowing why exactly I was buying it. My surrround system (5 speakers hooked up to my receiver and cable box sounded great already. I was just using the red and white sound in cables). But an interesting thing happened, when I hooked up that fiber optic cable from my cable box to my stereo receiver the quality instantly and dramatically improved. And a little light came on telling me I was now receiving ‘digital’ surround sound. And wow, the sound quality is awesome. Who knew. Combined with hi def channels, the result is that I am going to be spending a lot more time than I already do vegging in front of the TV. Great 
So if you are hooking up a surround sound system and have ‘digital’ cable and want true ‘digital’ sound then make sure your receiver has the fiber optic input and go get the cable. It’s a nice addition to a home theater and it’s only $20.
Now, my computer didn’t have the fiber optic option, and I wasn’t going to hook up a digital reciever to my computer, but maybe someday when I have nothing better to do. Right now, I just have the Creative Labs 5.1 speakers (under $50) and a sound blaster live 5.1 surround sound card and it’s pretty good. The 3-d sound I experience from sitting at the computer is very cool, games are great and music, espcially from Yahoo, is really amazing.
I wonder what they’ll think of next….
Add comment August 26th, 2006