http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/tech_overview.html
under the sixth heading Dolby Digital Live I think I stumbled on something about soundcards vs. home audio decoders that could be good &/or bad. I think in order to have an input like a tv channel audio signal give a 5(.1) surround physically to all speakers you need an audio card that does Dolby Digital Live. Home receivers afaik do not suffer from this distinction, b/t live and not-Live. Also the extremegamer is NOT a Dolby Digital Live type card - that is reserved for the high cards, like the extremegamer Professional Fata1ty 64 X-RAM. However if the source is not "Live" but is a dvd it can give a real 5(.1) physical audio to all spkrs. I downloaded the Cyberlink PowerDVD but it is ambiguous whether this gives downloaders of the Cyberlink PowerDVD downloaded version, DD and DTS. Thats the only way to get DD and DTS with the base retail extremeGAmer, but I'm not even sure if you have to upgrade to the purchased version to do that. Do you know?
Its all about the standard. Getting a real 5(.1) signal from a tv channel without it built in as a standard ausio format is the biggest problem with those of us who spend 95% of out time watching random tv channels. The fact this Dolby Digital Live is a Dolby thing may mean it is a chance they (Dolby) have done something about it. Or maybe it just puts soundcards on the same footing as standalone decoding recievers in that there is no delay for decoding a "Live" signal.
also the Dolby Digital Live could be just to force the issue generally , getting 5(.1) from any signal thta happens to be flowing around inside your pc, for thse who just need to get all watts via all speakers, and is not particularly of effectively addressing the problem I stated (the 95% of time issue). Thats an issue attempted by every mfgr., but unsuccesfully. If Dolby gets involved there is a hope they are listening to th ecomplaints (hopes) of people like me. Anyone?
By the way why are you needing to connect the two, your extremeGamer to your reciever?
Home receivers usu attempt to include a button for facbricating a surround audio physically to 5(.1) when there is just a regualr stero audio signal, for watching TV 95% of the time. My 5500 speakers only have the option of setting DPLII (Dolby Pro Logic Two), selecting DD and DTS does nothing, and there is as great a chance as not that there will be no noticable rear or "matrix" audio to speak of, it sucks, etc., cuz the (any known content/format) source has not been included. There is NO fabrication, and no real attempt to make something form nothing, as is often the case, resulting in crap a majority of the time, when setting the best surround option I have that could possibly even do it. Recievers are better, but not necc. better. DPLII (Dolby Pro Logic Two) & DPL(I) works perfectly for stereo input from vcr tapes though, so theres always a great surround 5(.1). The signal is setoff in frequency &/or amplitude from stereo vcr tape signals so its carrier can be detected and decoded tada seperate form the Front Right & Front Right signal it is piggybacked onto with the stereo (L&R only) cables.
This frequency &/or amplitude is how Dolby noise reduction works fro tape recordings. The hiss (static) is heard in the upper frequency range, introduced by the physical act of the tape passing over the heads. By cranking up the highs during recording, then cranking them down on playback, you also crank down the distortion/hiss. Or something like that.