I thought I'd set up a new topic about using a PC as a home theatre.

At the moment I have a DVD player and a Videlogic hardware Decoder installed and I am using it to watch DVD's. However with a 15" monitor and two Stereo speakers, to put it bluntly its utter sh#te!

So I decided to link it up in my room. The only problem being my room is on the other side of the house. So I got some cheap phono leads and I now have three cables running throught the loft carrying the composite video and left and right sound channels. In my room they then go through my video recorder to my HiFi and my TV (or DLP Projector when my mum brings it back from the office).

I am now looking to upgrade this system by putting in the Sony HTK 215 surround sound kit and using the S/PDIF output from the PC.

I know some of you will be thinking that the cheap wires will not last long and will give a crap signal but They work without interference or signal degredation. I just cannot afford 40m (for two cables) of top quality cabling.

However next year I am looking at getting a DVD laptop for uni and this will mean I will only need short cables so I will be able to get some good quality ones.

This does raise one question. I know at the moment you can get TV-Outs on laptops but can you get S/PDIF outs?