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Do I need 4-pin Audio cable between DVD drive and sound-card?

TSST (Samsung) DVD-writer SH-S182
Creative Soundblaster Audigy Value 7.1 Sound-card

Hi,

Do I need to connect my DVD drive (using the 4-pin sound output port) to whatever connection the sound-card may have?

I can't seem to find a schematic diagram of the sound-card, to avoid having to open-up the P.C. case to see what connection ports there are and what they are for. All I have is the picture on Creative's site:
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=14189&nav=artwork

Creative's "Knowledge Base" says something about it no longer being necessary to connect a CD-/DVD-drive audio cable to a sound-card.

Thanks for any help.

Comments

  • bat999
    bat999 Posts: 1,932 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I'm sure you'll find the drive works OK without it.
    When I fitted my drive I asked the question here. I was told it's a 'legacy'.
    Apparently, on old computers, the sound went through that extra lead. But these days the sound goes down the ribbon cable instead.
    :cool:
  • Nilrem
    Nilrem Posts: 2,565 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    yup, it's a legacy connection from the days when CD audio was sent as line level (standard audio) via them.
    These days CD audio is sent via the data cable as data (better sound in theory), and it's not even used for DVD sound.
    I've not bothered with it for years, and have a load of the cables sitting in one of my boxes from when they were still supplied with the soundcards/cd-roms drives.


    Oddly enough those funny little cables are coming back in now with a different use, as a way of connecting some HDMI equipped video cards to onboard sound (so the videocards HDMI connection can carry the sound as well to TV's).
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