Audio Systems: laptop digital audio out, computer sound cards, rg6 cable

Question
QUESTION: I'm planning on using a laptop as a media server with my HD TV and my home theater system.  Today at the big box electronics store they told me that HDMI from laptops does not convey audio information to the home theater receiver, and possibly not to a  TV either.


Many Laptops these days have an output which resembles a regular 3.5mm jack, labeled SPDIF or shared headphone/SPDIF (you choose the output in software).  There was no-one in the store who could tell me how to connect that to a digital input in a receiver.  There are no connector cables advertised for that on the internet.  I have searched at length.  There were none at the store.  This was a great big huddle at the store with most of the service experts gathered around.  The only advice they had was to use the analog out jacks for audio.

Why are all the latest models of laptops providing this 3.5mm SPDIF digital audio out if there is no way to connect it to anything?

Do you have any suggestions how to best cable a media server to Home theater?

Thanks

Stephen

ANSWER: One question - is it an optical spdif output?

At any rate, you can get this at bluejeanscable.com (I work there)

We sell tons of this kind of stuff, and we actually know what we're talking about (unlike the big box boys).

If it isn't an optical jack, but an "electrical" spdif 3.5mm jack - all you need is a 3.5mm to RCA cable (probably an RG59 or RG6 cable). Either that, or any RCA to RCA cable with a 3.5mm / RCA adapter should do the trick as well. You can find those at Radio Shack type stores.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your prompt response.

The laptops don't have optical outs.  What they have looks identical to the 3.5mm analog jacks that computer sound cards all have.

Would this cable you propose then connect to the co-ax digital input in the receiver?

And do you know anything about why the HDMI output on the laptops gives users so much trouble?

Thanks in advance,

Stephen

Answer
Yes - you'd set your output to SPDIF and connect to the digital coax input on your receiver.

HDMI is relatively new to laptops. Typically, you'd have a VGA port or a DVI port, but the HDMI ports are very new. I'm not sure why they would set it up so the audio isn't being sent... it seems to defeat the purpose of going to an HDMI cable.

Go to this URL, and you'll learn more about HDMI than the retail salesmen will ever know:
http://bluejeanscable.com/articles/index.htm

I apologize if this feels like a sales pitch - honestly, it's not (I'm not on commission anyway). I just know that you will pull your hair out trying to find this much info anywhere else.

I hope this helps.