I am curious what kind of laptop has an SPDIF output and if it has an input as well. I recently bought a turntable that has the SPDIF output and found, like you, that you need a SPDIF reciever to have the correct handshaking (codex) for it to work. Sony/Philips came up with this protocol thinking it would be the industry standard but similar to IBMs microchannel, it was to specific and the industry has made a similar standard that is more used. SPDIF is good but to specific. Also, if you happen to know of where I could find a sound card (cheap) that has an SPDIF input, I would be interested as right now I have to take the anolog output on the turntable and turn it into a digital signal to record my albums even though I have the SPDIF output because I can't use it.
