Need a cheap way to get digital audio into computer.

I've got an old computer that I plan to upgrade in the not too distant future, so I don't want to spend much money on it. However, I will not be replacing it immediately, so I would like to be able to use my old computer. I want to be able to record digital audio in my computer from an external source, but I don't have a digital audio input. I was thinking about something that can convert from a standard coax or optical (it doesn't matter which) digital cable to something that could enter the computer via a USB port. Does anyone here know of a very cheap way to do this? Thanks in advance.

(What I want to do is make a CDR copy of a music laserdisc that was never released on CD. I have a laserdisc player with optical and coaxial digital outputs. I use my computer for making CDRs, normally compilation discs for my car from CDs that I put in my computer, so I've never needed a digital audio input in my computer before.)

You probably have to run the sounds through a a soundcard. I have an audigy 2 zs and I recorded some tracks of a DVD by having the computer record "what it hears" in media source player.

I'm not to sure how this can be accomplished with a digital feed but i have a few ideas.
option 1:
If your reciever has a headphone out, a send that signal into the line in on the soundcard and use whataver software to record from the line in port.

option 2:
If the disc player itself has stero outputs, just plug those into the line in and record away.

option 3:
Find a soundcard that offers digital inputs.

I hope all that sounds clear enough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Coldwater

You probably have to run the sounds through a a soundcard. I have an audigy 2 zs and I recorded some tracks of a DVD by having the computer record "what it hears" in media source player.

I'm not to sure how this can be accomplished with a digital feed but i have a few ideas.
option 1:
If your reciever has a headphone out, a send that signal into the line in on the soundcard and use whataver software to record from the line in port.

option 2:
If the disc player itself has stero outputs, just plug those into the line in and record away.

option 3:
Find a soundcard that offers digital inputs.

I hope all that sounds clear enough.

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Thank you for your suggestions. Do you have any suggestions for a very inexpensive soundcard that offers a digital input? Ideally, it would be an external card that interfaces with my computer via USB, though I can open up my computer and install an internal card if I need to.

If your looking for a cheap soundcard w/ digital inputs, "Turtle beach" might have something. The "Catalina" model has optical in/out and seems inexplensive @ $50. Maybe even "M-Audio". "Creative Labs" has some usb models out there that may prove useful.