I recently got a new Compac computer with Vista Home Premium. I was looking through the “Sound” settings from the Control Panel and I spotted this item that looks odd to me. Maybe there’s a simple explanation so I’m just asking out of curiosity (the computer is working fine.) Note the attached screen shots. The one on the left shows the input sources with green level meters by each source.
I’ve got a tape deck connected to the computer so I can record into the computer from cassettes (I use Audacity) and it’s connected to the normal line input stereo mini jack. Since I’m not using a microphone, I’ve set the Line In as the default sound recording source. When I’m playing into the computer I notice the green level meter flasing for the Line In which is proper.
However my curiosity is about the green level meter for the DigitalIn source. This is constantly flashing up and down (see arrow) as if it was receiving an audio input signal but nothing is playing in the computer, no programs were running, and there is no cable connected to the digital RCA input (or output) jacks on the back of the computer.
Anyone have any idea why this meter should be flashing? It stops flashing of course if I disable it, (it was enabled by default) but I’m wondering where it is getting a signal from.
Rod Corkum
