[mythtv-users] Sound card with SPDif TOSLINK out

[Matt White]

Brandon Beattie wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a soundcard that is supported under Linux and has a
> TOSLINK SPDIF optical out connection?  I'll never use analog sound, so I
> need everything to go over the TOSLINK to a AV receiver.  I have an MSI
> Kt4v mainboard, which I can get a "S" bracket that has a TOSLINK on it.
> The mainboard has a VIA 8233 onboard ("6 Channel") chip, and I have not 
> been able to find any information about support for the onboard 
> connector for the TOSLINK.  The "S" bracket basically just hooks up to
> some pins on the mainboard.  
> 
> I'd like to spend the least amount possible.  It's $10.00 for the "S"
> bracket.  And since digital is digital, and no sound processing needs to
> be done, I'd take any simple pci card with optical out, as long as it
> works under Linux.  I'd appreciate any ideas on what works.

No experience with the VIA stuff - I've got an onboard Intel 8x0-based
sound card that has digital out that I haven't had any luck with at all.

I've been using a Hercules Game Theatre XP 5.1 card.  It's based on a
Cirrus Logic 46xx chip, and it seems to be very well supported with
ALSA.  It's an external box (like the Audigy EX) which has TOSLINK
and Coaxial (ie. RCA connection) inputs and outputs, microphone,
headphone, 6-channel analog output, game port, and 4 usb ports on
the external box.

They've got newer ones out now (eep - Game Theatre XP 6.1, 7.1, etc....)
so you can probably pick one up comparitively cheap.

-- 
Matt White                          whitem at arts.usask.ca
Arts and Science Computer Labs      University of Saskatchewan

You like to dance, you like to flirt - shake & shimmy in your miniskirt
You're leading me on to an early grave...honey, won't you please behave
	- Collin Raye..."Sweet Miss Behavin'"