Dell XPS m1330 digital surround output.

Hi!

Im planning to completely redo my room. I have already bought some of my AV equipment in the recent past. What I already have is a Jamo A102 HCS 11 home theater system which is actually a jamo dmr 61 receiver + jamo A102 HCS 5 5.1 system. This will take care of all my dvd and divx requirements as the receiver has a usb port and is divx certified.

Now, of late ive started dowloading hd movies in mkv format on my dell xps m1330. Ive figured that i can use the hdmi port to view the video on my lcd tv (yet to purchase). It will also transmit audio signal which the tv can only receive as stereo sound obviously even though the hdmi port on the notebook might be capable of sending 5.1 signals. The drawback with my jamo receiver is that it doesnt have an hdmi-in port and hdmi is the only port on my notebook that can send surround signals whereas the receiver has optical and coaxial inputs. So, is it wise to invest in a soundcard (usb/expresscard)? If so, which? Or, do i have any other options? I do not wish to convert the mkv to dvd. Bascally dont want to do anything to compromise on the quality.

Lastly, will the hmdi port on the notebook easily transmit 1080p signals to a full hd tv if the mkv is in 1080p format?

Thanks.

At $99, the WD TV HD Media Player seems like a good option as it will solve my mkv issues. Any comments?

Basically this whole thread was meant to solve my mkv issues and this does that.