Probably a rookie question but here goes…I am looking to buy a new video card for a few year old PC which will be used as a media centre. The card I am looking at is this one http://www.ebuyer.com/product/173708, with the main aim being to play blu-ray films. In the product description it states that the card has 7.1 audio channel support, does this mean it will play the sound from the blu-ray through the HDMI, or do I need a separate sound card?
Audio – Does This Video Card Support Sound?
audiographics cardhdmi
Related Solutions
DVI output is capable of 1080p resolution, DVI->HDMI does not lose any quality as they are both fully capable of the desired output. DVI->HDMI is a popular thing on most video cards these days, save yourself some money and grab the 260 (260 core 216 preferably).
With the S/PDIF cable, it is intended to allow you to send digital audio through to your HDMI output as you expected. This can be used with your TV or home theater setup as desired.
This article should get you up and running with the audio.
Your blueray player is likely using HDCP. To attach the blueray player to your computer you would have to find a capture card that supports HDCP. To the best of my knowledge such a device does not exist.
It is my understanding that Monitors with HDMI ports are HDCP compliant. Therefore you can hook the blue-ray player up to the monitor. However as you mentioned you have the issue of sound. If the monitor has built-in speakers or audio out, you'll are good to go.
An Audio Converter such as the Orei DA21 (Optical SPDIF/Coaxial Digital to RCA L/R Analog Audio Converter) would allow you to convert the Digital Coaxial connection to RCA Analog. Note the Orei DA21 was the first device that appeared after a quick google search and is used simply for an example.
A brief description from Samsung on what HDCP is all about.
LCD: What Is High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection System (HDCP)?
HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a specification developed by Intel Corporation to protect digital content passed between DVI (Digital Video Interface) compliant video transmitters (computers, for example) and DVI compliant video receivers (monitors, televisions, etc.). In the past three years, the HDCP specification has been extended to HDMI compliant equipment such as TVs.
Before transmitting digital content, the transmitter transmits special HDCP device keys to the video receiver which only accepts content if it receives the correct keys. After the receiver has received the device keys, the transmitter and receiver generate another value that is transmitted and constantly checked as the digital content is transmitted to verify the transmission. To further protect the transmission, the transmitter encrypts the data before it sends it.
Best Answer
Yes, the HDMI output will provide audio to the TV (or monitor); all HD 4600 series cards support this. See this article for more info, or the ATI spec.