Connecting Z-5500 through digital

[Statik]

I just bought a set of z-5500 speakers and I'm using them with my motherboard's onboard audio (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059; Realtek ALC888). I'm planning to buy a digital cable (something like a RadioShack Gold Series Digital Optical Audio Cable--just did a quick search at radioshack's site. I think these should work.) so I can let the z-5500 do the DTS/DD decoding for when I watch DVDs on my computer. For the DVD program, I use powerDVD ulta 7 I believe.

What I'm wondering is...to watch DVDs in DTS/DD using powerDVD, all I have to do is use a digital cable, and then the z-5500 will just automatically detect and decode the audio into DTS or DD? Or is it a little bit more complicated than that? I've read somewhere that to even be able to let the z-5500 decode to DTS/DD, the sound card needs to have Dolby Digital Live. Or maybe I just got confused. I'll be honest, I've been watching DVDs on my computer for years but I've always listened to them through my speakers via analog connection. I've never really once given thought about digital or anything else for that matter. Part of the reason is probably because I know very little about audio in general.

So any comments, pointing me in the right direction, giving me a idiot's guide, etc., will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[PunterCam]

As far as I know, it just decodes it and you don't have to set up anything, at least it was with mine.

Most DVDs have a menu to change the audio they play, select it and away you go.

To be fair though, if your sound card has the 5.1 mini jack outs, just use them - you even get the cable in the box!

 

[royalmarine]

+1 to just using the 5.1 mini jack cables. just crank it up and you wont notice the difference to digital.

sick sound from the z5500. picked mine up the other day and im scared im gonna get evicted from my apartment with the bass !