ati all-in-wonders.....do I need a sound card?

[me_and_lil_liv]

I just installed an ati all-in-wonder video card and when I hook the cable up to my computer I can see the tv on my monitor, but I can't hear it. In the instructions it briefly mentions plugging the video card adapter into the sound card (to be honest the instructions included with the video card are a joke.....it doesn't make any sense). I don't want to unplug my surround sound speakers just so I can hear the tv and I only have audio in, audio out, and mic on my sound card (I don't know if it's considered a sound card b/c the three plugs are included with the part that has all my USB, ethernet, mouse/keyboard stuff on it). I hope that makes sense..........so my question is: Do I need a separate sound card to have surround sound and my video card plugged in at the same time or is there something I'm doing wrong with the video card? I want to hear the tv signal through my surround sound speakers......is this possible??

[Jarhed7276]

No you don't need a separate sound card. You can use a cable to go from the video card to the sound card. You use one like the kind that goes from a cd drive to the sound card to play cds with.
The input on the sound card should be something like AUX.

You need to plug the OUT on the video card to the IN on your sound card.

Do you have all the cables? Depending on how old the AIW is, there should be a cable bundle that has the Audio OUT.

[EndobioticChaos]

I've got the AIW 8500DV. I don't know how the hookups on others compare to mine. Mine has a special port replicator attachment that plugs into a special port on the video card. On this port replicator are all the audio in and out plugs as well as composite video in and out and such. There's also some cords comming from this piece that plug into the sound card; one has a blue end and plugs into the line-in jack in my sound card, the other has a green end and plugs into the speaker jack on my sound card, however this also serves as a "straight through" jack, in that it has a place to plug my speakers into. That's probably too muddled up for you to make sense of it, but I tried.

[I2n0ld]

there is a special connector from the card u need to make sure its connected to the video card bec its loose and easy to disconnect. then u will see a green colored input from that special connector that u need to connect at the green of sound card. that green connector will have a connector so u can have ure line frm speaker to it. here is what im talking about
http://www.ati.com/support/connector...deooutput.html

make sure on ure sound card properties sound is not muted it happens.
some more info here http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/2596.html


i know that feeling it had hit me before with that same card. its a pain in the back.

good luck!!!

OMG! My "favorite" video card.

I'd say this video card is the 'Windows Me' of video cards.
I spent close to a week (one week more than I should have) trying to get it working. ATi even has a page dedicated to the same problem I was having with the capture driver. It was dated about 2 years ago and still says it's a problem they know about and will update the page when a fix is found.
I know now why it was so hard to find one of these cards. I also know now I would not recommend anybody else getting one either.

This is a quote from another forum I made back in November.

[me_and_lil_liv]

Well from all I've read here I'm still lost.......it sound like nobody uses the all-in-wonders and maybe I shouldn't either. It was suggested to me by the salesperson at the store (who probably doesn't know what it is or what it does anyway). What I want is to watch DVD's and play PC games on my tv screen and also hear these things through my surround sound speakers that are installed on my computer (I would also like to hear the tv through these speakers if possible, but it's not a big deal). Any suggestion on a better video card?......I can always take this one back.

[Jarhed7276]

What kind of video card and sound card do you have?