spdif output confusion

[daveh75]

according to my device manager i have a spdif output on the right hand headphone jack of my laptop, trouble being i thought spdif was coaxial, but surely if its using a mini jack it would be a optical output like they are on mac's, or can you get a mini jack to rca digital coaxial interconnect, by the way the laptop in question is a dell inspiron 1525, theres no information about it either in the handbook, or in the tech specs or on dells website that i can find, any help would be appreciated

 

[John Duncan]

No, SPDIF is optical, and you need a mini-toslink-to-toslink cable.

I had a picture somewhere once, hang on.......

Here you go:

 

[Andrew Everard]

SPDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format - can be either optical or electrical.

 

[John Duncan]

Ooo can it? My bad. It's not in this case though, is it.........

 

[daveh75]

cheers andrew and jd, just heard back from dell, and apparently(just to be awkward) imo, it actually outputs via the s-video port, and you have to get an svideo to composite+spdif adaptor,

 

[John Duncan]

what?!?!?!?!? No way!

 

[Andrew Everard]

daveh75:cit actually outputs via the s-video port, and you have to get an svideo to composite+spdif adaptor,

Bizarre - and a new one on me!

 

[John Duncan]

Though if you google "s-video spdif", a lot of dell hits come up...........

 

[daveh75]

thats americans for you, i need one of these now, having trouble finding any in uk though

 

[John Duncan]

Though I saw one on Dell's website?

 

[John Duncan]

Thing is, your device manager is telling you you have a digital out in the headphone socket, yes? I would be trying a mini toslink in there (if you have one to hand).

 

[daveh75]

Ooo, where, if you dont mind me asking jd, could only find s-video to 3rca and scart when i looked

 

[daveh75]

just looked in device manager again, it actually says spdif via right hand jack, think i assumed it was the right hand mini jack as i didn't know it could be ouput via s-video port,

 

[John Duncan]

hm no, might have just been references to it in dell manuals. Do you have an optical cable, even if is a toslink socket at either end? There are adapters to fit headphone-socket-style to toslink, which might be cheapest way to try it and see.

 

[daveh75]

just found a reference to it in the dell manual on there site, and it definitely outputs via s-video, so i guess i'll have to get the adapter,or just not bother and use the mini-jack to rca lead i've been using, or wait till i get an a/v receiver and use the hdmi out

 

[John Duncan]

bet the hdmi out doesn't do audio..........

 

[daveh75]

according to the settings it supports dolby digital,dts audio and ms wma audio via the hdmi in 5.1 and 2 channel via the spdif

 

[John Duncan]

oh well that's a start......

 

[daveh75]

woohoo found one here, and a bargain to boot, just bought one and a beresford to go with it

 

[John Duncan]

Aha, cool. Should've got the Cambridge though