How to hook up a computer to a home theater

Cheap way would be from your speaker or headphone jach using splitter that will allow you to go from one jack at the PC to 2 RCA jacks into your pre amp, cheap and reasonable results for audio files.

Several ways, depending on your computer outputs:

USB Port>USB Cable>USB DAC>RCA Cable>Pre

SoundCard Digital Out>Digital Coax Cable>DAC>RCA Cable>Pre

SoundCard RCA Out>RCA Cable>Pre

Soundcard mini-jack out>mini-jack to RCA Cable>Pre

Audio, yes. Video, no. I'm using a LinkSys Wireless MusicBridge that connects via coax digital into my HK pre-pro. I can play any audio file from my PC (via WinAmp) and stream it out to my hi-fi. It cost me $55 and about 1 hour of setup time...

-RW-

For the best sound, you should get a usb sound card and send the digital to an external d/a converter.

This one is cheap. http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audioadv/micro/

This one is expensive, but probably worth it if you have the bucks. http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/AudiophileUSB-main.html

There are also usb d/a converters that do a great job.

The worst sound will come from taking the analog out of a PCI sound card or your motherboard's onboard audio.

Poster check out Roku they have a box that does both audio and video.