How can i hook up my home theater surround sound to my computer?

Posted by admin in Home Entertainment Q&AFeb 16th, 2009 | 6 responses

Jack asked:


Right now i have a 5.1 surround sound for my home theater. Also i have my computer's sound card hooked up to my reciever through a digital optical cable. I also went in to my sound properties on my computer and it lists three things:

Speakers: not plugged in
Digital output: working
HDMI output: working

6 Responses to “How can i hook up my home theater surround sound to my computer?”

1. TitoBob says:

   February 18, 2009 at 3:32 am

   If I wanted to hook up my computer to a home theater system, I would just connect a standard shielded stereo cable from the earphone/speaker output jack on the computer (mini stereo plug) to the auxiliary stereo input of the system (two RCA jacks). Then the system has to synthesize the extra channels and send the bass to the sub-woofer – which it can do if the system is any good.
2. lord_greatmane says:

   February 20, 2009 at 3:19 am

   I believe you have to set your speakers to 5.1 and the rest should work. You may have to turn the volume down on your desktop speakers to prevent interference. How do you know your digital outputs are working? Just because the computer thinks they are working doesn’t necessarily make it so.

   I have an SB Audigy and have been unable to get the digital output to work even though the computer says things are great.

   TitoBob: If he only wanted stereo sound he would not have asked the question!
3. El Duderino says:

   February 21, 2009 at 11:38 pm

   Select the “digital output” and set as default.
4. Carty says:

   February 25, 2009 at 6:35 am

   o well this is easy i do it everyday well if you have a portable input on the fron of your stereo do what i do buy one of those ipod connecter cords and just plug it into your headphone jack on your computer and in the portable on your reciver or just get a cord that one end is for a headphone jack and the other is the 2 plugs on a AV cord for audio
5. scubaman357 says:

   February 26, 2009 at 6:49 pm

   Make sure you have the cable from the sound card plugged into the line out jack and plug it into a set of RCA jacks on your receiver. Go to Radio Shack and get a cable with a 3.5mm jack on one end and two RCA jacks on the other. It costs less than $10. Do not plug it into the speaker out on the sound card.
6. audiogeekster says:

   March 2, 2009 at 5:13 am

   Using the 3 3.5 mm sockets (left/right front, l/r rear, sub/centre) you can do it, but it will be analog sound.