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I have a SPDIF port on my HP laptop computer?

There is a SPDIF port on my HP laptop computer, it looks just like a headphone port. But I don't know what is does, Is there a special cord I need to buy.

Public Comments

1. S/PDIF or S/P-DIF stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format, also IEC 958 type II, part of IEC-60958. It is a collection of hardware and low-level protocol specifications for carrying digital audio signals between devices and stereo components. S/PDIF is primarily used with CD players (and DVD players playing CDs), but has become common on other audio components like MiniDiscs, modern computer audio cards and especially european Digital Video Broadcast receivers (both satellite and terrestrial) It is also popular in car audio, where a large amount of wiring can be replaced with a single fiber optic cable, which is immune to electrical noise. Another common use for the S/PDIF interface is to carry compressed digital audio as defined by the standard IEC 61937. This mode is used to connect the output of a DVD player to a home theater receiver that supports Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound. The "S/PDIF" specifications allow several different types of cables and connectors which must match the device being used. Key words for the electrical type are "coaxial" and "RCA jack." The other type is called "optical" with the word "TOSLINK" often used, or less-often, EIAJ Optical. Adaptors do exist to convert the coaxial RCA Jack S/PDIF to the optical TOSLINK S/PDIF and vice versa (though most individual adaptors are one-way only). All require some sort of external power supply. The "optical" version is advantageous for applications where electrical noise or many wires are an issue such as car audio. good luck and cheers!