Allright. I dont'/really can't go back to windows after playing around with Linux but I might have to if I can get the optical input on my audigy to work. Currently I am trying to take Dolby Digital 5.1 signal from my xbox 360 through a TOSLink cable into the audigy 2 plantium's i/o bay thing. All I get is some machine gun sound, it does however transmit the digital stereo so my conclusion is the computer can't decode the Dolby stream. I have read that Dolby is sueing anyone who decodes their signal without paying licenseing fees to them. I was hopeing this wasn't true so I thought I would come and ask here.

Also, my newer computer I shall actually be using is the Auzentech X-Meridian and I bought the card so as to not to get an external receiver, as I know this is the other solution.

Thank you for any help provided.

I doubt that DD input would work under Windows at all. With Linux, you have a fighting chance. The "machine gun sound" is what Dolby Digital sounds like when treated as actual audio. I would expect Windows to give the same sound, or silence. If you were to send that audio directly out another digital port to an external decoder, you would get normal audio.

Now, since you want to avoid using an external receiver, you should be able to decode the DD stream in software. You will need to strip the AC3 stream from the PCM stream (not sure what programs can do this), then feed it into a52dec or ac3dec. Looking for software that can play AC3-WAV files might help.