I need 5.1 sound card help.

[Jugglejohnjohn]

I purchased a sound card so i could use my new spekers and not just the right and left ones. I installed it, I set it to be used in the control panel, I switched it to 5.1 setup under the advanced tab, and I plugged all speakers in correctly. However for some reason, only the right and left speaker(and the sub) are the ones that work. The center and satellites for some reason have no sound coming from them. I beleive the card was a Sound Blaster Audigy Value, I think I paid $30 for it, I have lost the box. Does anyone know what could be the matter?

[nizzy1115]

First, did you install the software that it came with. Second, what type of speakers are you using? Third, are you positive you have plugged in all of the cables to the speakers in the correct ports of the card? And lastly, what type of sound were you playing? Sometimes music will only play out of the sub and left and right speakers unless you tell it to do so otherwise. Did you try playing a dvd or playing a game for the sorrund sound testing? Also, you may wish to run the creative digonastics program that was installed with the other creative software. It will allow you to see if your card is working properely and that you have everything connected right.

[Jugglejohnjohn]

Yes I installed the software that came with it. Perhaps I didn't install it correctly. I'm using Logitech somethings sorry I can't tell you exactly what kind they aren't here. I've tried all combinations of plugins it definetely isn't that. And at first I was only playing music through windows media player but then I popped in a DVD that said on the cover it accepted 5.1 surround sound but it still didn't work... i'm pretty lost on what to do.

[TheNSS]

just buy a new sound card

[vicec64]

You need to enable CMSS 3D for upmix in the creative configuration utility (look in the EAX tab). What it does is upmix 5.1 for 5.1 emulation when your source is not really true 5.1 compatible. Firstly, an Audigy Value is not a real creative DSP hardware solution and can't decode true hardware 5.1 on the fly. Secondly, you have to be playing that movie either with true hardware acceleration (like nVIDA's pure video or Power DVD deluxe Or teh retail version of Nero) and still... 5.1 reatime can only be done when you have a real extended copy of Power DVD or nVIDA's nDVD, and then you also have to have a sound card that will decode the signal in hardware real time in 5.1 like an Audigg 2ZS or X-Fi, or and older Audigy with a real hardware DSP, or one of the new c-media 8768 solutions with reatime DDS on the fly (But you would need to use a tuner/amp with optical or RCA outs). I know it sounds complicated, but you can get 5.1 "emulation" by using your CMSS function. Nornally the copy of PowerDVD that sells with PC's or DVD-RW-R drives aren't the retail extended version that actually will do 5.1 real time sound encoding so you have to emulate it.