Best PC/AVR setup for music and movies

[razvan4nba]

Currently have PC(movies/music player) with asus xonar essence stx sound card and nvidia 9800GT graphic card and an Arcam rDac And a 60 inch plasma with hdmi

On the way: marantz sr 7007

Will I get better video performance by connecting the video card to the AVR then from AVR to TV or to connect the video card straight to TV

And separately the sound from pc audio card to arcam rDAC then from rDAC to AVR

Or should I go one way (both video and audio) through one HDMI to AVR

 

[Mtenga]

Currently have PC(movies/music player) with asus xonar essence stx sound card and nvidia 9800GT graphic card and an Arcam rDac And a 60 inch plasma with hdmi

On the way: marantz sr 7007

Will I get better video performance by connecting the video card to the AVR then from AVR to TV or to connect the video card straight to TV

And separately the sound from pc audio card to arcam rDAC then from rDAC to AVR

Or should I go one way (both video and audio) through one HDMI to AVR

I don't think you are going to get any improved picture by sending the video directly to the TV. To the amp is simpler. I have a Xonar that does Dolby Digital Live so all PC audio is turned into amp friendly DD. I can't remember whether your Xonar does this. So personally I'd go HDMI from the video card and optical from the sound card both directly to the amp, then just assign the optical.

The simplest way is a single HDMI from the video card to the amp but then you bypass your oundcard and it wasn't worth paying for it.

 

[razvan4nba]

Guess that I'll have to swap the optical cable from AVR to rDAC when listening to music to benefit from the analog output of the DAC.

Or just leave the rDAC and use the card analogs for music and the optical for movies as it has both outputs

 

[Mtenga]

You can connect it all up if you wish and just use control panel to switch the default soundcard dependent upon what you are doing. Bit of a faff I know but that way you get to use all the hardware youve already paid for.

One solution is:

Rdac connected to PC via USB and then analogue to your receiver (for music)

and

Xonar connected to receiver via optical with graphic card connected via HDMI (for films)

 

[naughty573]

Does the 9800GT have an HDMI output?

 

[Mtenga]

Does the 9800GT have an HDMI output?

Apparently not I just checked. It's an old card now. Just need to use a DVI to HDMI adaptor. Might have been one in the box, dirt cheap otherwise.