First time hooking SPDIF jack to home theatre receiver...

[BobLoblaw]

Hey guys,

I just got a home theatre receiver and I want to hook my PC up to it. My PC's mobo has a SPIDIF output on it (Digital coax, if I'm not mistaken) and the receiver has the same input.....

My question is: what type of cable can be used to go from my PC to Receiver? I was told that I could use a component video cable in a pinch and it would work just as well as a more expensive "HQ audio cable". What do you guys think? What should I go with and where is the best/cheapest place to buy the cable?

Thanks

[Baldrick]

A coaxial cable with RCA connectors for the spdif. You don't need any expensive crap.

And for best video quality use hdmi or dvi if you have a such computer output and tv input.

[edDV]

S/PDIF digital audio coax cable has the same spec as normal 75 ohm composite coax or analog component coax.

[BobLoblaw]

A coaxial cable with RCA connectors for the spdif. You don't need any expensive crap.

And for best video quality use hdmi or dvi if you have a such computer output and tv input.

Forgive my ignorance......I think of coax as the screw on cable wire, I've never heard it used in this context. So if I had a long yellow-tip (RCA-video) connector wire, would that work for SPDIF?


My video card has 2 DVI outputs on it, so I thought I'd just use a DVI to HDMI for video. Audio is my main focus though.

[edDV]

A coaxial cable with RCA connectors for the spdif. You don't need any expensive crap.

And for best video quality use hdmi or dvi if you have a such computer output and tv input.

Forgive my ignorance......I think of coax as the screw on cable wire, I've never heard it used in this context. So if I had a long yellow-tip (RCA-video) connector wire, would that work for SPDIF?

Yes exactly the same spec. RCA to RCA 75 ohm coax (RG 59 or RG 6 or equiv).

My video card has 2 DVI outputs on it, so I thought I'd just use a DVI to HDMI for video. Audio is my main focus though.

In most cases there would be no audio from a display card. Some newer display cards add audio to DVI/HDMI and it will be in the card spec.

Your 8800 GTS may have audio. Spec says it needs S/PDIF into the card.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_8800_gt_us.html

DVI to HDMI via adapter or cable has no performance advantage.