Question How To Get 5.1 Dolby Digital Output from Asus Strix B350F?

Arjun Chandran

Commendable
Sep 23, 2019
15
0
1,510
I just bought a Sony HT RT3 Dolby Digital home theater system but how do I get 5.1 Dolby Digital Output from the optical audio port on Asus Strix B350F? Now I'm only getting stereo output from this optical connection. How to get the surround effect? I tried many unlocked drivers and iit shows the Dolby Digital Live option but still the rear speakers are not working.
 

boju

Titan
Ambassador
Not possible, need realtime Dolby encoding on a hardware level to compress 5.1 audio tracks. Some sound cards do this using Dolby digital live encoding but not sure if your Sony player is able to decode and split the channels. Windows, games don't offer Dolby compressed audio. If were to play dvd movies from PC which contain compressed tracks already on the disc, then maybe you'll get surround.

PC audio is tricky because a lot of the time, Dolby licensing isn't met to save money.

This sound card is able to encode in realtime. Though, if considering, would want to check your Sony can accept 5.1 tracks via optical playing a disc movie from PC.


---

Other alternatives which would mean a different audio setup is return your Sony and venture into an Audio Visual Receiver with Hdmi inputs and use the Graphics card's audio instead which'll give you hassles 5.1/7.1.
 

Arjun Chandran

Commendable
Sep 23, 2019
15
0
1,510
Not possible, need realtime Dolby encoding on a hardware level to compress 5.1 audio tracks. Some sound cards do this using Dolby digital live encoding but not sure if your Sony player is able to decode and split the channels. Windows, games don't offer Dolby compressed audio. If were to play dvd movies from PC which contain compressed tracks already on the disc, then maybe you'll get surround.

PC audio is tricky because a lot of the time, Dolby licensing isn't met to save money.

This sound card is able to encode in realtime. Though, if considering, would want to check your Sony can accept 5.1 tracks via optical playing a disc movie from PC.


---

Other alternatives which would mean a different audio setup is return your Sony and venture into an Audio Visual Receiver with HDMI inputs and use the Graphics card's audio instead which'll give you hassles 5.1/7.1.
I was able to 5.1 Surround effect while playing a Dolby demo video using the Windows 10 media app but I'm not getting a surround for games.
 

boju

Titan
Ambassador
Maybe, try it. ARC usually works if the opposite device is also ARC compatible ie TVs. Not sure your Sony would get surround sound if connect 1050Ti directly. See what happens.

Games usually don't have compressed tracks like the media demo you used. Those that do will have a Dolby/DTS digital logo. Audio is mostly lossless uncompressed wav format which developer's don't need a license for. It's also partly the reason why games can be quite large, wav audio is huge.

Reason for compression is optical doesn't have the bandwidth like Hdmi does to fit multiple HD channels in a single cable. Most optical can do is 2.1.
 
Last edited:

Arjun Chandran

Commendable
Sep 23, 2019
15
0
1,510
Maybe, try it. ARC usually works if the opposite device is also ARC compatible ie TVs. Not sure your Sony would get surround sound if connect 1050Ti directly. See what happens.

Games usually don't have compressed tracks like the media demo you used. Those that do will have a Dolby/DTS digital logo. Audio is mostly lossless uncompressed wav format which developer's don't need a license for. It's also partly the reason why games can be quite large, wav audio is huge.

Reason for compression is optical doesn't have the bandwidth like Hdmi does to fit multiple HD channels in a single cable. Most optical can do is 2.1.
I tried connecting to HDMI on my gpu but NVIDIA doesn't show any audio device :(
 

Arjun Chandran

Commendable
Sep 23, 2019
15
0
1,510
Not in Windows playback devices? That's where audio is set normally.

If not, try your luck, look through your Sony manual regarding the Hdmi port and ARC. Might have to disable ARC (if possible) for the Hdmi port to work as a simple port.
Nop not working only way to get Dolby for all games is to get an expensive sound card. But I got surround audio for Metro Exodus as it had a Dolby Atmos option in the game.
 

boju

Titan
Ambassador
I've recently learnt not even ARC can pass lossless surround, it needs to be eARC, not the regular older ARC which is limited to 2.1 unless content is already compressed which game audio isn't.

Surround can be very enjoyable if given the opportunity. I've played games in surround and it does give an advantage in combat scenarios, hearing exactly where the enemy is shooting or sneaking from.

Playing on my Yamaha 7.2 AVR was pretty awesome too (audio from graphics card) but the usual 5.1 Logitech speakers does the job and don't need a whole room with floor standing speakers. I don't play games very loud anyway and prefer to use my Gsync monitor.

If go for a sound card and want optical, make sure it's got Dolby Digital Live real-time encoding.
 
Sep 13, 2020
44
14
35
Anyway, I posted this on curiosity who plays games on home theater setup anyway? or am I wrong?
Thought the Sony rt3 was an avr.

My setup is in my livingroom pc is built in a custom case made from an old denon reciever . Fed into an onkyo 5.2 reciever. Video to a 58 inch 4k hdr tv. Play on my couch with a steam controller. The 5.2 system with 2- 12 inch subs shakes the house.