Dell XPS M1330 and S/PDIF, remote?

[Belzebutt]

Does anyone have a Dell XPS M1330 and tried to hook it up to an AV receiver? I want to use it to play back movies with 6-channel AC3 and I'd like to know if this is possible using the headphone jacks (into the coax input on my receiver). The Dell specs aren't specific about this but some sites claim that the headphone jacks do support S/PDIF.

I know it also has HDMI but I'd rather not buy a new receiver for this. I'm not even sure if the 1330 supports 6-channel sound through the HDMI.

Also, Dell offers a "Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition" option, as an upgrade to the "High Definion Audio 2.0". What's the difference?

As a side question, does it come with the small ExpressCard remote shown in the picture gallery, or is that extra?

I just spent an hour with a Dell guy on the phone and all they can do is repeat the vague information on the Dell website.

 

[wildfire99]

I only hooked mine up via HDMI audio. The Audigy software is just that... you get fancy Sound Blaster software for EAX/THX/Volume controls but AFAIK the audio hardware is identical. Is it worth $15? Maybe if you futz with audio stuff and EQ all day. Sometimes it comes free depending on your package deal.

It should come with the remote. I don't remember ever seeing it as an option, and the HPs at least recently come with one standard.

I can't tell if it does 6ch HDMI audio, I'd have to look into it later. I can't find an s/pdif option anywhere, and it doesn't send audio out digitally via the front headphone jacks. I can't get it to output an s/pdif signal via coax at all, I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or what. I checked all the front headphone outputs and tried setting the sigmaltel chip to all sorts of settings.

If nobody else knows, I'll futz with it more later and find out more.