surround formats and audio on disks: eXtGamer & 5500s

I now have SB x-fi eXtremeGamer sound card and Logitech 5500s speakers with internal surround format decoder: pooter need not even be on.

I like to watch either tv with a surriound signal or a dvd movie on a dvd home player with the computer off, not using the SB for surround sound decoding.

I do not have a "new" dvd movie handy; one with a definite surround format, and I'll have to go rent one, and when I do I don't know what to expect.

A few questions:

Q1)
I had to download and install Cyberlink PowerDVD to do surround audio formats, as per SB and this version of X-Fi XtGamer soundcard's instructions, but its the limited edition software version that comes with this soundcard, and getting anything/everything is an optional s/w license purchase. Likely not bought it if I'd known this. So my main X-Fi s/w display, set to Entertainment mode, has no "Surround Format" buttons at all, even with this all installed. Why? I can't believe its not hardware. Been ripped off, by SB, again? Would a different DVD player software (a full version I may already have) enable fuller surround audio format options, eg in the creative software Main Display buttons? cuz I have, but have not installed, slightly older DVD s/w versions that came with the LG GSA-H10N RW+- pooter super-multi & P5k-E/WiFi AP etc. mobo & vid cards (evga 8800GT 512, etc.), possibly even more PowerDVD s/w again. Or is it limited to code from this s/w source?

Q2)
The only surround format I have been able to select under "effect" on the electronic control board of the 5500 speakers is "PLII movie", but so far all I've had inputted it, via a 1/8" stereo type (side) jack, is a hi-fi vcr (which would have the format "ProLogic", & a cheap Cyberhome dvd player.

Q3)
I do have some movies. I found them, I wonder if the surround audio format is automatically transfered when someone else made them (I never have and will not). They split up some dvd movie rips onto two to four CD-R 700MB CDs. These movies I found have played on the Cyberhome std. dvd player, as well as the LG Super-multi disk player in my pooter. Is there likely to be the original surround audio format on these? All I know for sure is Audio format 1 I can hear, but Audio format 2 is blank (when I pushed the Cybers' Audio button (on remote), according to instructions.

You can download a DVD upscalling program that has surround support.

I'm gonna google "DVD upscalling program" and see what I get:

Is this a standalone thing?

theres talk of upscaling wrt the video portion so far... "ffdshow" specifically

In the past I have found that I have had to install k-lite mega codec pack out of neccesity. Don't know if thats the same type of thingy - it?

FFDshow is 350K, klm is 18MB

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Mega_Codec_Pack.htm

In the same category at the above site as ffdshow. Actually it includes it.
This includes an inline internet streming media media player classic, which WMP10 is not. And lots else. I needed this to get these movies to play in the first place, but curiously they play automatically already in the $50 stand alone home dvd machine.

But my questions lead up to the fact that I have not seen, cannot have, the real surround sound audio format I AM SURE was on these movie originaly. With $150 & $450 worth of sound hardware which is supposed to have REDUNDANT SURROUND DECODERS!

There is no surround buttons in the pooter entertainment mode and only Dolby PLII Movie, but this is only one of the handful of formats of the 5500s and is the last surround format I'd expect on a disk. A vcr yes. But also this one of a handful of formats format also seems to be an option for any input - it just cycles through "6-channel direct", "STEREO", "STEREO x2" (F & R pairs), "DOLBY PLII MOVIE", "DOLBY PLII MUSIC".

disks (original ones anyways) would have DTS, DTS-ES, DD, DD-EX, or whatever, or anything but ProLogic or PLII. PLII is just an enhanced (newer) version of the std. audio surround format that comes specifically emeded in the stereo signal form vhs tapes.

The only time I would ever want to see PLII is when there is a vcr tape playing, or a simple tv audio surround signal, format or not. But as it is it is the SINGLE and ONLY format available from both! On the front panel it has "DD" and "DTS" and then even has the nerve to even put "THX". What is this, Enron?

This $800 (retail) worth of harware has done exactly zero, 0, to better my video experience. My mobo has surround, and my speakers were nearly as good before this...this...this...what is this!?

http://www.cccp-project.net/ <-- Best codec pack out there.

Yea ffdshow is the one im talking about actually.

well I have that and probaly the 2nd bestest, so what the * does that mean!?

maxxoverclocker said:

http://www.cccp-project.net/ <-- Best codec pack out there.

Click to expand...

MAXXOVERCLOCKER....


I did the klmcodec mega already. Now you probably know this type of thing might have a gagillion yes/no overwrite options I wouldn'r know how to cope with. Can I do the CCCP thing on top of the klmmega.exe I have alrady done. It was done only about a month ago.

I just looked and there IS an uninstall option in the k-lite mega codec folder in Vista.

I might even be advantageous to have done both. Any thoughts?