[mythtv-users] Hardware vs. Software audio decoding (AC3/DTS)

[Kevin Kuphal]

Alan Marchiori wrote:
> I am in the process of designing my frontend system.  My first 
> instinct was to send all audio out thru SPDIF to my receiver to be 
> decoded.  But then I got to thinking that many motherboards now have 
> 6+ channel outputs, and there are many cheap PCI sound cards as well.  
> Considering the problems I have read about getting SPDIF passthru to 
> work properly; would it be easier to just use the 6 ch analog outputs 
> straight into a 5/7 ch amp?  As an added bonus there is no receiver to 
> mess with which might reduce the cost of my final setup.
>
> So how is the software decoding of AC3/DTS?  Does it compare well to a 
> good quality AV receiver?
I don't know about anyone else but I've never had problems with AC3 
output.  I use a Turtle Beach Riviera card (or the equivalent AOpen 
Cobra SFF card) and I just enabled the SPDIF port in alsamixer, set Myth 
to AC3 passthrough and all my audio, 2 or 5/7 channels, comes to my 
receiver in glorious sound.  I would strongly recommend just getting the 
$30 Riviera from newegg and enjoying it.

Kevin