Anyone know how to capture 5.1 Dolby from Optical source?

[Neishaverse]

Not sure if this is even in the correct Forum catagory, but here goes.

I have Comcast HD Cable TV, and recorded a concert from the channel INHD. The HD video is 16:9 and the audio is 5.1.
I recorded the program on my Cable box's DVR (TiVo Type system) and wanted to somehow get it on DVD in the same 16:9 & 5.1 formats.

My Comcast box has optical digital audio out, and my computer has optical audio In & Out (Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS)

The Comcast box has both USB 2 & Fire wire connections, but naturally Comcast has left them disabled

I don’t horribly mind just capturing the video with the cable box’s S-Video out to my Sony MiniDV Camera (DV pass thru to fire wire to computer) because I'm going to encode it to DVD anyway, but I really would like to keep the audio 5.1 Dolby.

When I attach the cable box to my home stereo amp via optical cable I get all 5.1 sound, however when I connect the cable box to my Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS card I try to capture with Sony Sound Forge I only get 2 channel stereo.

Is their any way to get the full 5.1 Dolby stream to my computer?

Any help would be appreciated!

Barney

[Nelson37]

Do a search on SPDIF capture, it is apparently possible, but may not work with your card. VERY few people working on this, I no longer have the card or source to test with.

[smearbrick1]

I don't believe soundforge has the 5.1 recording capability. 5.1 tracks are recorded as 6 separate mono tracks and then mixed together (as 6 separate tracks).

[Nelson37]

It is a hardware issue, not (at least initially) software. Your card has to be able to capture a digital stream with bit for bit accuracy. Further processing is then necessary.

The stream coming out the SPDIF or Toslink port is not audio, it is essentially a digital file. Think of it like a ZIp file, it must be decoded or uncompressed into its audio components.

Soundcard must be 24-bit, SOME audigy cards, using hacked drivers, can do it, the M-Audiophile 24/96 card can, and one other was mentioned whose name I forget. Check the earlier post I mentioned for a user who has verified success, and methods used/software required.

[Cornucopia]

I wouldn't be surprise if the Digidesign cards couldn't do it too (hardware is certainly up to snuff), but then they aren't very open with their drivers, so you may not be able to access it for stuff like that.

Scott

[sullen]

I have no idea how to do what you want, but I have a question/comment. Are you sure the Firewire port is unactivated? I don't have the DVR version but on my Moto 6200 the Firewire is activated, but the only thing you can do with the Firewire is capture digital TV signals. I can capture nonencrypted HD signals from my Moto 6200 to my PC using the Firewire. Won't work for INHD, INHD2, HBO etc. because of the 5C flag and screwy compliance with the PC. DVHS will let you capture 1x but carries the flag so no going back to the computer via the DVHS deck. At least that is my understanding, not that I do DVHS recordings.