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The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
The proper connection depends on the outputs of your computer and the inputs of your stereo.
TV: If you go to the sound control panel (NOT the audio contol, Sound in control panel) you should be able to select HDMI as your audio device.
Stereo audio: Get a cable with a miniplug (like a headphone plug) on one end and RCA plugs on the other. Available at Radio Shack and all the finer rip off electronics stores.
Surround sound: If both your stereo and computer have optical connections, get an optical audio cable and use that.
There are more options depending on your specific situation.
On my TV at least, I have to set the control panel to "DVI" not "HDMI"
When set to HDMI, it expects audio from the HDMI cable, which computers do not provide. However, when set to DVI, it takes audio from the analog connection instead. Then you just hook your sound card in with a Y-adaptor cable.
When set to HDMI, it expects audio from the HDMI cable, which computers do not provide.
Most manufacturers are including an audio chip on modern video cards. I believe most 9800 GTX cards come with an HDMI adapter that provides sound if you pick the correct audio device in the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel.
EDIT: Maybe I'm slightly wrong, I guess it's common for NVidia cards to come with adapters that need you to plug into the computer's optical audio connection. But whatever, it still gets sound to the HDMI cable.
Some newer Nvidia cards come with a a connector with two wires that connects to spdif out on your sound card or motherboard.
Also it's more common for motherboard to have coax spdif out then optical spdif. If your motherboard has a lonely phono connector it is probably digital sound out.
Posts
TV: If you go to the sound control panel (NOT the audio contol, Sound in control panel) you should be able to select HDMI as your audio device.
Stereo audio: Get a cable with a miniplug (like a headphone plug) on one end and RCA plugs on the other. Available at Radio Shack and all the finer rip off electronics stores.
Surround sound: If both your stereo and computer have optical connections, get an optical audio cable and use that.
There are more options depending on your specific situation.
Bunting, Owls and Cushions! Feecloud Designs
Hmmmm.... I had no idea about that. I was using an HDMI cable, time to try!
When set to HDMI, it expects audio from the HDMI cable, which computers do not provide. However, when set to DVI, it takes audio from the analog connection instead. Then you just hook your sound card in with a Y-adaptor cable.
EDIT: Maybe I'm slightly wrong, I guess it's common for NVidia cards to come with adapters that need you to plug into the computer's optical audio connection. But whatever, it still gets sound to the HDMI cable.
Also it's more common for motherboard to have coax spdif out then optical spdif. If your motherboard has a lonely phono connector it is probably digital sound out.