I've been looking at the optical audio input on the Playbase and am wondering if I could take computer audio out of the built-in SPDIF port on my motherboard, and plug it into the Playbase? That way, this thing would act as a super-deluxe computer speaker, I could stream various stuff directly from my computer throughout the house on my other Sonos speakers (i.e. Podcasts), and my desk would get a lot more tidy.
Also, can anybody tell me what kind of delay Sonos introduces when processing digital signals? For example, would voices match lip movements? Would it make light gaming unacceptable?
If all of the above are positive, I'm thinking this Playbase, with a Sonos Sub, might make an excellent home office sound solution.
Playbase Input and Usage. (PC)?
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Presumably the Playbase could be used for this purpose. I assume it has the same latency as the Playbar and lip-sync shouldn't be a problem. It's a pretty powerful unit to be used inches from your ears, and the price is way up there for computer speakers, but if you have the funds, I don't see why it won't work.
I had my Playbar briefly connected to my HTPC using the SPDIF from the motherboard. I detected no latency issues.
Userlevel 2
Thank you for the quick and helpful replies! I think I've found the answer.
Userlevel 7
+26
I did this too for a while. Worked great and my computer had all sorts of decoding options that some TV's lack.
The digital audio format of your soundcard is very likely to be DTS, which is not supported by the playbase. Verify that your soundcard supports Dolby Digital 5.1 before you buy. You'll most likely have to buy a dedicated PCI soundcard which is another 100-250 dollars.
Userlevel 7
+26
Hey Felix, most onboard soundcards can support Dolby without an issue, but if you're playing DTS files you'll need to adjust the software playing them to convert it to Dolby Digital. As far as I know, there aren't many computer soundcards that are only DTS.
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