Just hooked up my pc to my big screen via hdmi - looks great

Now trying to hook up to my surround sound system and having a real struggle
On board audio (Realtek --p.o.s.) does not send game audio thru the optical cable - only DVD 5.1 data.

My receiver does have a set of audio inputs for front/rear/center/sub, and theoretically, I should be able to connect to the 3 (stereo) sound card output jacks, but this doesn't appear to be working either.

Recommendations to get 5.1 surround sound from my pc to my surround system????

You need to set the TV to use the TRS audio input, otherwise it'll default to HDMI for audio. Your TV manual will tell you how to do this.

You also should make sure they are inputs and not outputs...

Not sure if you've done this or not (probably have :P). But make sure you set 5.1 surround for both digital (toslink) and anolog (speakers) tabs through the realtek software or control panel > sound. If you have and anolog still doesn't work while gaiming. Can you give me the models of your receiver and realtek card? Cheers.

Also, read http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/259712-28-realtek-audio-optical-games.

Good link, lots of info

my rec'ver: JVC RX-888VBK (about 10 years old, but still works fine and has multiple optical inputs, but no HDMI)
Realtek chip is on motherboard ALC889 codec (mb is GigabyteGA-790XTA-UD4)

Played around a bit earlier, had sound coming out TV only thru HDMI, but when I started up Dragon Age - no sound out of TV. Note that I did NOT have the surround system on at that time (just wanted to play for a while - no luck).

The anolog route really should work - needs dual RCA to stereo mini-plug converters (X3) - I have 1 and tried it on front channel but nothing.

I'd like to avoid buying a separate sound card, especially since Turtle Beach seems to be gone from sound card market almost totally, and I am not impressed with Creative Labs

Not sure what the problem could be.

I read your manual and the only thing I see is that you have to set your receiver to anolog/digital input (that corresponds to the setting in the realtek software or control panel > sound) , and make sure that you select the correct front speakers output that you connected them to (terminal 1 or 2), make sure you have the correct source input (DVD, TV sound, etc) selected as well. Also, make sure that when you switch from anolog to digital listening modes that you make sure it's same as set with receiver (digital/anolog) default in the realtek software or control panel > sound. And make sure the game is set to whatever mode you chose on both the receiver and in windows.

You can also simulate 5.1 surround with DSP modes with stereo sources if you wanted to as well.

If you've already done all of that. Just read through your http://resources.jvc.com/Resources/00/00/95/LVT0175-001A.pdf and see if there's a step that you missed when switching between listening modes (anolog/digital), connections, etc.

Update - I went back and started up Dragon Age with the surround system on, and it works!!!

wtf?

I only have the 1 converter, but I switched it to all 3 jacks and seems to be right sounds (hard to tell with only rear or only sub/center)

What's interesting is that now sound no longer comes out of the TV!

It's like the Realtek chip needed "something" to actually activate the changes made in its set-up?? ?? ??

Very Weird!

Anyway, tomorrow its off to Frys to buy 2 more converters RCA to mini plug and see how it sounds when inputs are all hooked up to correct channel

Well glad you got it sorted. :goodjob:

Yeah there shouldn't be sound from the TV unless you had it connected from PC to the TV. Even though your using hdmi your setting the defaults to anolog in PC. So the hdmi shouldn't be carrying any audio data. That I'm aware of anyway...I haven't looked into how graphics cards treat audio through hdmi when the defaults are set to anolog.

Yeah it is weird. I had set the audio card to output on the anolog channels, so HDMI should have no audio, and the surround should have had audio; but it didn't happen until I actually started to play Dragon Age. And then when I quit Dragon Age, the HDMI audio didn't come back, audio still coming out of surround system

I guess I forgot to say "Mother, may I?" or something?!?!?!!?

btw - the audio card has an HDMI channel in it's mixer software, but no actual connector, the only connector is on the Video card

lol

I'm still not exactly sure what you did (what audio sources you used to get hdmi before you launched and whatnot) so :shrug: Time's like these, I wish I was there. Hehe.

Yeah I have the ALC892 with a hdmi option as well. It needs a connection from the gfx card to the mobo. I think I remember that GTX 260 came with one. I'll have to hook that up sometime.