How to Use The SPDIF Connector Available on GeForce Video Cards

[Hardware Secrets Team]

There has been a new article posted.

Title: How to Use The SPDIF Connector Available on GeForce Video Cards
URL: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/600

Here is a snippet:
"Some video cards based on graphics chips from nVidia have an SPDIF input connector. In this tutorial we will teach you when this connector should be used and how to use it.This small connector present..."

Comments on this article are welcome.

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Hardware Secrets Team
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com

[kchilaka]

Originally Posted by Hardware Secrets Team

There has been a new article posted.

Title: How to Use The SPDIF Connector Available on GeForce Video Cards
URL: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/600

Here is a snippet:
"Some video cards based on graphics chips from nVidia have an SPDIF input connector. In this tutorial we will teach you when this connector should be used and how to use it.This small connector present..."

Comments on this article are welcome.

Best regards,
Hardware Secrets Team
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com

Nice article describing the different setup scenarios and options for HTPC users.

However, there is a key question that has not been answered. That is, how is Nvidia sending audio out of the DVI port of its graphics card to the DVI-HDMI adapter? The DVI specification does not allocate any pins on the DVI connector for audio, yet, if we use the DVI-HDMI adapter that Nvidia provides, we get audio via hdmi. Obviously this adapter cannot pull audio out of thin air.. It has to be using the audio it is receiving from the DVI input side...

Now, ATI addressed this problem using a propreitary DVI to HDMI adapter that uses unused pins in the DVI connector to transfer audio.. This is strictly an ATI specific solution and their solution supports HD audio formats including 8 channel LPCM..

Nvidias goal with its DVI to HDMI adapter is less ambitious..all they need to do is pass through Dolby Digital and DTS. Even so, how is Nvidia doing this using its DVI port? Are they using a propreitary DVI to HDMI adapter (like ATI did)? or has Nvidia managed to weave audio information into the video signal somehow? If its the latter case then any generic DVI-I to HDMI adapter should be able to transmit audio. If its the former case then unless we use an Nvidia specific DVI to HDMI adapter audio will be absent in the hdmi output...
Any information you guys can shed on this will be useful...