[mythtv-users] Do sound cards help with latency or CPU load?

[Marco Nelissen]

>I just ordered the oft-praised Turtle Beach Riviera primarily because
>I plan on upgrading to surround sound
>(<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/227841#227841>)
>and will need digital output.
>
>However, I'm also hoping that the card will help with the random
>prebuffering skips I get under certain situations
>(<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/232468#232468>).
>I've found some vague discussion on the mailing-list archive on how
>moving to a sound card from on-board sound (in my case, from an Intel
>915G motherboard with HDA audio) may help with latency and/or CPU-laod
>issues.
>
>* Anyone find this to be true?

You say you're "upgrading to surround sound". I take it that means you're
currently using stereo output, which means mythtv has to decode the
audio. Switching from that to digital passthrough means that the burden of
decoding the AC3 audio stream no longer falls on the CPU, so yes, I would
expect a reduction in CPU load.