01:56 pm, 13 Jan 08
technology mess
We now have a 5.1 stereo system, which supports a "Zone 2" for the extra speakers in the kitchen. After some diagnosing of why we weren't getting sound in zone 2, the manual reveals: "Only analog input sources are ouptu by the ZONE 2 LINE OUT and ZONE 2 SPEAKERS terminals. Digital input sources are not output." Is this DRM biting us or just a lame receiver? My gut says DRM but I'm trying not to get too upset because I know I don't know anything about this stuff.
Right now, it seems that the situation is: for 5.1 while playing movies, we need to use the optical line from the computer to the receiver; but then to play music throughout the house, it seems we need to switch to an analog line between the two.
Right now, it seems that the situation is: for 5.1 while playing movies, we need to use the optical line from the computer to the receiver; but then to play music throughout the house, it seems we need to switch to an analog line between the two.
Get a cheap outboard DAC to convert the optical signal to a set of RCAs. I'm pretty sure you can split optical connections, so you could use one to feed the DAC for music and have the other one feeding the receiver for movies.
I'm not sure how to finger DRM -- they're already giving you an analog hole on zone 1, which you could presumably split yourself if you really wanted to.
hope this helps.
it's not DRM... without being too descriptive, i'll just say audio equipment doesn't work that way. in addition, 5.1 is not 2.1 + 2 or any other thing all of us might wish. considering you seem to be using a computer to output the sound in question, the "easiest" way to get two identical left channels and two identical right channels (which i think is what you're trying to do) would be to use some software to take a stereo input and output it over the optical jack as the 5.1 signal you wish to create. i don't use linux for such things, but i suspect that it's not that difficult to do. i would start with jack but quickly move on to something more robust if it won't do the trick.Re: hope this helps.
My post wasn't very clear -- sorry. It's a 5.1 receiver with additional jacks on the back for a separate "extra room speakers" feature. We're already using all the 5.1 speakers in the main room.It is far more likely they were super cost-conscious in the implementation somewhere. If the Zone 2 output is only stereo, it is probably a tap of the mixer bus but the DAC/DSP are routed separately. Unlike software-based systems, consumer appliances with analog circuitry just doesn't have the flexibility you'd expect.
Professional equipment would generally disregard these flags.