Asus shows off HDMI-equipped Xonar DX and Xonar AV1 sound cards

Asus continues to crank up its media PC related offerings, its latest are two HDMI equipped sound cards aimed at HTPC users or prosumers. Next week at CeBIT expect to see the Xonar DX sound card, a slimmed-down edition of its Xonar D2X card made to fit any PCI-E x1 equipped computer. Dolby Digital Live and DTS connect support is still part of the package, plus EAX 5.0 compatibility. Next up is the Xonar AV1, complete with three HDMI jacks and Asus' Splendid HD chip to assist audio and video mastering. Price or release date on these is unknown but we're sure to get a closer look once the show starts.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 11:42AM]

HDMI on a sound card is useless IMHO without the video going along with it. Dolby Digital and DTS will stream just fine over optical without wasting an HDMI port on my receiver.

When someone comes out with a new top end video card/sound card combo with HDMI (with CableCard support too please), I'll be the first one to jump on it.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 12:41PM]

According to the link, it sounds like it will capture video, which I would think is why it needs a pcie slot. I'm sure HDCP will smash our hopes and dreams to the ground though.

[superklye Posted Feb 28th 2008 12:07PM]

Who the hell cares about EAX 5.0? This is obviously targeted toward the HTPC market. And no mention of decoding Dolby Digital+, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR, DTS-HD MA?

Come on. HDMI on this is just a gimmick if it doesn't pass the advanced codecs.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 7:10PM]

yeah, that would be the only point of having HDMI. I still would like to be able to build an HTPC that can play HD DVD and Blu-ray and decode all of the high def codecs.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 1:46PM]

woa woa wait...the HDMI will capture video? the article says it will input HDMI/output HDMI, and that it has a video processing chip. if it truly inputs HDMI could this be one of the first cards to allow us to record from hdmi sources such as ...HD set top boxes? hmmm i really doubt it, but one can only hope

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 5:03PM]

IN and out?


Sounds like you drop an HDMI from your video card into the IN on the sound card, then put the OUT from your soundcard into your receiver.

The sound card "adds" the audio to the video stream coming in on the input.


Is that what they're going for here?

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 29th 2008 2:53AM]

I think you're onto something there.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 6:24PM]

Will this be a solution to connecting an xbox 360 through say a mac pro? Being that this card fits in any pci-e slot.