Do I need a DDL sound card?

[AKM880]

To watch Blu ray do I need a Dolby Digital Live compatible sound card? Or can I use a normal sound card with EAX2.0 and 7.1 audio?

 

[nukemaster]

DDL(Dolby Digital Live) just lets ALL sound be encoded in dolby digital so your digital speakers/amp can play ALL sound back, not just the stuff already in DD. That said, most(if not all) BD content is in a format that most digital speaker systems and amps can decode.

If you are just listening with analog(Connected with the 3-4 sets of mini-headphone jacks) speakers then DDL is a waste. You can even watch BD content in stereo if you want.

 

[AKM880]

BD content is stereo is not great lol, so lets say I have this sound card without DDL and it has Coax SPDIF out. Will the digital receivers be able to decode that sound and make it enjoyable for bluray?

 

[nukemaster]

Its should, but do not quote me on it as i have not purchased a bluray player yet. It did work on DVD's and they had DD audio as well.

 

[AKM880]

What kind of audio encoding does blu ray use anyways.

 

[nukemaster]

http://www.blu-ray.com/faq/#bluray_audio_codecs

 

[AKM880]

Thanks, so I ended up getting a Diamond Sound Card with 7.1 channel audio, thanks!