Audio Conundrum

[Sowser]

I am using an ASUS P6T Deluxe with a Sapphire 4850 X2 to connect to a 32 inch 1080P tv. (32LG60) My problem is setting up the audio. Using the DVI to HDMI adapter works great for video but it precludes me from using the TV's speakers. My three options as I see them are:

1. Use the TVs PC connection which consists of a VGA port and audio port
2. Buy external speakers
3. Buy a converter than has a DVI and audio input and a HDMI output
I'm afraid I'll lose too much picture quality with option 1 and the only DVI + audio to HDMI converters I saw were around $250.
It seems like my best option is number 2 but I have no idea what speakers to purchase. I'm in a small bedroom so I wouldn't need anything that could blow the doors off. Any thoughts?

[vicaphit]

My LCD has a VGA input, and a set of RCA for audio for the same input, you can get a Y-splitter that goes from 3.5mm jack to RCA.

What kind of TV do you have?

[Skippman]

There is a coaxial and toslink digital in on the back of the TV. Can you use one of these to run digital out of your PC into it?

[Major_A]

I was using a DVI to HDMI cable but one day it magically lost the sound. After a few hours of trying to figure it out I said screw it an hooked up the VGA cable and a cable to the audio in port. I can't tell one bit of difference in the picture. Then again I'm not watching Blu Ray discs or HDTV.

[Sowser]

The TV is a 32LG60. Skipp posted a picture on the inputs. I will be using the bluray player at some point so I'm afraid that VGA (the PC port) won't give me high enough resolution. Skipp can you rephrase your post please? If I understand what you're saying then I think I'd need a DVI to coaxial adaptor? It is my understanding that DVI can't carry audio, can you elaborate a bit Major A?

[Major_A]

The card at the time was a HD 3450 with the built-in ATi audio. I honestly don't know if it was sending audio through that or if it was a another audio cable that I had hooked up.

Why wouldn't a VGA cable be able to output 1920x1080? There are PC monitors that support higher resolutions than that and VGA looks fine.

[Skippman]

You'd need two seperate cables.

You would use either TOS/LINK (Optical) or Coaxial SPDIF to run your audio out from your PC to the TV.

You would use either a 15DB VGA or a DVI to HDMI adapter to run the video into the TV. VGA connections will work just fine for BluRay playback.

Now, here's where things get tricky. SPDIF doesn't have enough bandwidth to transmit the HD audio formats. It has nothing to do with the cable. It's due to the DAC's they use on both ends of the connection. When SPDIF came out 48.8khz PCM audio was the standard. Now that we've jumped up quite a bit in terms of audio quality with DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD there's not enough processing power to cope.

This will not be an issue for you. Simply speaking, the TV's speakers lack the sophistication to replicate the diffrence in audio quality between the older and newer audio formats.

Does that make sense?

[Sowser]

Yep that makes sense. I'll give the VGA and audio option a try. I wasn't sure if VGA was going to give me the resolution that I wanted but it sounds like it will. Thanks for the input guys.

[martini161]

get a good VGA cable and keep it away from power cables

[Major_A]

Out of curiosity what is defined as a good VGA cable? I'm currently using the one that came with my 22" Samsung monitor. My TV is only 26" and I rarely get the pleasure of watching anything HD, sometimes Apple Trailers, sometimes MKV files.

Is this considered a better cable than the one I am using?
Monoprice Gold Plated Super VGA Cable

[martini161]

yeah, anything thats got some toriods on either end should be fine. im too lazy to buy a good decent VGA cable for one of my PC's, and since i have both a digital output and that VGA from the saem computer goign into the monitor, i can do a side by side comarision of DVI and VGA and i must say that DVI is noticably better. But i swapped out the cable and i couldnt tell the difference

[Sowser]

Uggg, the DVI to VGA connection doesn't look nearly as good as the DVI to HDMI connection. The colors are a bit washed out and the edges aren't as crisp. I might me able to tweak it some but I think I see an external set of speakers in my future.