NT
Rated PG
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 Posted: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:01:49 Post Subject: |
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Best card/s + sware for S/PDIF or HDMI-Audio input & decode of DD/DTS (inc. HD) formats?
I'm just curious as to what people believe to be the best card nowadays for digital-in of the various surround formats created by DD & DTS.
[they're responsible for 99% of SS encoded content right?]
Initially it'd only be for taking encoded content from my Xbox360 & Wi...
But soon it'd also be for a PS3 which for BD content I believe uses newer DD & DTS formats, namely: TrueHD, & HD MA.
Ideally it'd be happy to take any DTS/DD content thrown at it, & pass it to the appropriate (licensed) software for decoding.
[or hardware if there's a card that can do this]
Mostly I'd like to decode and run it through a stereo surround simulation scheme like; DH, CMSS, or DTS-SS.
But occasionally I'll decode/convert & do multi-channel analogue-out via my Essence ST + H6 (7.1 daughter-board).
I was investigating X-Fi cards but they seem to have regressed in this area recently, I hope it's not a conscious trend influenced by big content!
I'm yet to check out Auzentech and Xonar cards for this use....
Then I got to thinking, maybe HDMI-audio capable devices are better suited for this sort of thing than S/PDIF?
Perhaps there's sound-cards that can take HDMI-in, or if not graphics cards?
I know that currently "bit-stream in" for graphics cards acts only as a pass-through to AVR's etc.
The big question mark is if there's dvrs/software that can recognise this incoming bit-stream, & instead decompress it.
Then we have raw digital PCM ready for decoding...
I'm guessing this step is something deliberately kept in the realm of AVR's, but if there's a way, perhaps it's a better path than via S/PDIF?
Assuming a way is found...
Then it's a matter of redirecting the PCM stream to software or hardware (assuming there's cards) decoder/s.
And then (in my situation) have this decoded signal pass through the analogue output circuitry of an Essence ST + H6.
Utopia/profit!  |
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