cheapest way to hear AC3 output from lifetime receiver

[looksw]

Hi there,

Interested in listening to PBS feeds in AC3. Tired now of "lip reading". I have a small room and want to know what is the cheapest way to listen to the audio from these stations. Thanks in advance for your help.
LookSW

[French038]

At Best Buy and BestBuy.com, you can get AC3 for a low price! There is a Koss 5.1/6.1 speaker system with built-in DVD player. On the back of the DVD player is a digital audio coaxial input. This will decode the AC3 audio stream. Run the digital coax cable from the Fortec receiver's digital output (SPDIF), and into the DVD player's digital input. Make sure to have all the speakers and subwoofer connected properly. This should allow you to hear the sound through the Koss speakers. You can purchase this Koss Dolby surround system for $154.99! At a Best Buy store, it is $127.99. Be sure to ask for the Koss KS3102 system, as this is the model number.

Thank You

[pmb1010]

Seems to be on sale at the online store for even cheaper:


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....3&type=product

$119.99

[wejones]

If you would rather have a small decoder that doesn't take up much space and feeds audio to your TV or stereo, rather than making room for a speaker system, then I'd recommend a Soudblaster Extigy.
You can get them new for less than $150, and even less than that on EBAY.
I've seen recent auctions for less then $50.

I've been using an Extigy for over a year, and it works fine. Not even connected to a computer, although if you do connect it to a computer, it gives you other capabilities.

[looksw]

Thank you for your suggestions!! I think since I am limited on space and not too interested in the 5 channel sound, then the stand alone de-coder will work the best for me. I have a pretty good 3.1 powered speaker system that I can use. I live in Coastal Alabama.

[dmd]

I plan to get the Soundblaster Extigy to be used exclusively with my FTA system. If I understand you correctly, I just connect my Ultra to Extigy and connect Extigy to TV. What kind of cables are you using for this project?

Do I have to turn off the Extigy to hear all non-ac3 channels?

[wejones]

I plan to get the Soundblaster Extigy to be used exclusively with my FTA system. If I understand you correctly, I just connect my Ultra to Extigy and connect Extigy to TV. What kind of cables are you using for this project?

Do I have to turn off the Extigy to hear all non-ac3 channels?

Correct re connections. You use the S/P DIF port on the Lifetime, to the digital input on the Extigy, which is an RCA jack. The type of cable depends on the distance. I used to have about a 75' run, and used RG59 TV coax with F-RCA adapters on each end. Now, I only have a 5' run, and use a regular audio RCA cable.
From the Extigy to the TV or Stereo, the Extigy has 1/8" (I think) plugs for all the options. The Extigy has all sorts of surround sound outlets on the back, which I think are mono plugs, one for each channel, I think. However I use the headphone jack on the front, which is a stereo plug. I run this to an adapter that converts to individual L/R RCA plugs. I'd probably be better off using the plugs on the back, but I happened to have the adapters to do it the way I did it, and it worked. The choices you have are whether to locate the extigy close to the sat receiver or close to the TV or stereo. I think I'd recommend locating the Extigy close to the TV, because the digital goes great distances without degradation, while the analog audio output is degraded more by distance. Of course, if you intend to also use the Extigy with your computer, then you'd need a USB cable, and you'd be best keeping the thing near the computer.
The only thing that annoys me about the Extigy is that every time there is a power failure, the volume level reverts to minimum, so I have to run downstairs and turn the volume knob back up on the thing.
And yes, normal non-AC3 audio goes through the thing too.

EDIT: The last sentence should be no, you don't have to turn off the Extigy, because all audio goes through it.

[looksw]

I bought the extigy external sound card and have had it up and running now for a month and REALLY like it! I would not have known anything like it existed if not for this message board. I bought it used on ebay for about $55 plus shipping. Now I get 5 or 6 more channels and in digital Dolby at that! It passes through the regular audio also, but when I don't want to listen to the large speakers, I just turn off the extigy and listen through the tv speakers. I have the extigy hooked up through the headphone jack on the card to my 3.1 computer speakers. The extigy has its own remote w/volume so you can adjust it without getting up out of my chair. Thanks again for the suggestion.

[dmd]

wejones,
Thanks for the info. Do I have to program the Extigy before using it?

[looksw]

No programming is needed, just hook it up and turn it on.