CALROG.COM: Win2K Service Pack 2 Released, S/PDIF Output Supported

Win2K Service Pack 2 Released: S/PDIF Output Supported
By C. Rogers, 06.01

For many audio enthusiasts, the jump away from the Win9X kernel to Windows 2000 had one big hurdle: lack of support for S/PDIF output. For those unaware of what S/PDIF output is, this is a form of audio pass-through geared towards external receivers. This standard became present in the latter half of the 20th century (as a joint effort between Sony and Philips), during the age when home receivers became more commonplace.

With the lack of native support under Windows 2000, many sound technophiles in the past were left in the dark. The only support was for "analog" audio, a form of audio which is created by the sound card and the operating system. For most users, this will suffice, but definitely not for the big boys who want to hear all spectrums of audio, while pumping out MP3s or watching their favorite DVD films.

During May, S/PDIF output became a reality, as Microsoft included support in their second service pack of Win2K. As many bug fixes were included with SP2, the HTPC (Home Theater PC) community bursted for joy, as the more reliable NT kernel supported the foundation of an impressive audio subsystem.

While Microsoft has played their part with the release of SP2, some companies will need to create audio card drivers for Windows 2000 which support this very feature. Creative Labs has yet to define S/PDIF output in their SB Live driver set. Until Creative can fix this issue, this will be a black eye to their company image.

Overall, digital output has become a reality for home enthusiasts running NT5. It may have taken a while for it to arrive, but this feature may have well been worth the wait.

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