I'd like to replace my works perfectly fine Sound Blaster Audigy pci 
sound card with one that has optical out. The optical out needs to be
supported by Alsa and Fedora. 

I currently have a semi-cheap 5.1 PC Surround system that is connected 
to the Sound Blaster Audigy card using 3 analog inputs. The 5.1 surround
sound is 'simulated'. It's ok... but I want to go pure digital. 

I'd like to be able to plug my PC Sound card into my Sony Surround Sound 
stereo and listen to PC stuff via my Sony receiver. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a supported card? Cheap is always 
nice. 

Thanks - jack 

-- 

Jack Snodgrass wrote:
> I'd like to replace my works perfectly fine Sound Blaster Audigy pci
> sound card with one that has optical out.

Why do you want to replace it when it works perfectly fine?

> I currently have a semi-cheap 5.1 PC Surround system that is connected
> to the Sound Blaster Audigy card using 3 analog inputs. The 5.1 surround
> sound is 'simulated'. It's ok... but I want to go pure digital.
>
> I'd like to be able to plug my PC Sound card into my Sony Surround Sound
> stereo and listen to PC stuff via my Sony receiver.

To transport more then two channels over a S/PDIF cable, the sound must
be compressed with a codec like Dolby Digital.  There is no distribution
that ships with such an encoder because of licensing restrictions.

Have a look at <http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/A52_plugin>.
Even then, it won't work perfectly fine with all applications.

> Does anyone have any suggestions for a supported card? Cheap is always
> nice.

Cards with C-Media chips (CMI8738/8768/8770) are cheap and have a
digital outputs which are supported.


HTH
Clemens