Acer Ethos AS8951G/AS5951G Owners Lounge

[RAY24]

@ SAMMCC
No problem!! ---I also put here for you the install instructions of how I installed them + some user info /manual

(its quite some reading, but to have all things work correctly, and get some understanding of the program, I suggest you read it all ---hehe!

Here are the links:

For the Dolby Home Theater v4

Dolby Home Theatre software 4.0 edition | wyyxgl driver download sites
(Make sure you download the Win 64bit version)

For the Realtek Driver: (Realtek HD Audio Driver v2.62) --or by now a later release..

Realtek

By realtek driver-link,.... Click on -I accept the above-
--Download the 2nd one from the top, (US1) to have the driver package also on your PC



--Here are the Install instructions....



1: Uninstall the realtek audio drivers (The original Realtek-HD Audio drivers) on the system installation. (Go control panel,... / Hardware & Sound / Sound / ---Click on speakers... / General tab, click properties / Change settings / driver... and then uninstall driver....

2: After uninstalling the Realtek HD audio driver, restart your PC.
At start-up, the system automatically installs an audio driver, --No problem!

3: After the system is finished installing the (Intel?) audio driver, install the Dolby Home Theater v4 package (rar-file) software!

(in the install, just select driver only)
(If you need to restart again,... do so..)

4: Once Installed You may notice that the sound isn't really 5.1 anymore... considering you've uninstalled the original RealtekHD Audio-Driver, that is correct.
There's no support of the 5.1 sound system in your notebook, ..cause Dolby Home Theater only istalls the driver for,... well Dolby!.... (Not the speakers itself!)

--What you need to do next, is...

5: Re-install an Realtek HD Audio-Driver.. The Realtek High Definition Audio Driver R2.62
(File name: --- Vista_Win7_R262 )
..Wait!!... What???......
Yes just do it... (don't be afraid, cause it doesn't harm your Dolby Home Theater installation!
It just brings back your 5.1 Sound capability!

If you need to restart again, do it.
(i didn't need to, but did it anyway just to make sure the installation went totally corret.)

Now you are ready to Use it!!

-----User Info / Manual-------

Go to Start, / all programs and select the Dolby folder...
3 Options are available....


1: Dolby Home Theater Demo (Opens a nice Demo Video about Dolby-Home-Theater..)

2: Dolby Home Theater
(Opens the small the options window for Movie/Music/Game settings)

3: Dolby Tuning and Profile Creator --OPEN THIS ONE!!!!
(Opens the Profile Creator in which you All Options Available!!

---these are a few main options in the Profile Creator
1: IMPORT / (Import every Setting/Profile from a Previous PC with Dolby Home Theater...
2: SYSTEM / (Set all Options ON/OFF, like Different Features and/or Modes)
3: OPTIMIZER / (Speaker Tuning Manual/Auto --set on Chared-Mode for 5.1 Speakers)
4: REGULATOR / (Some more Tuning options...)
5: PROFILES / (Here you can make new Profiles, change their Audio-Equalizers to create different Audio-Profiles to choose from for different Audio-Files ..needs.
(Including the standard Movie/Music/Game options, (Which you should leave unchanged!)
6: EXPORT / (Here you can export (Save) everything, .. All Tuning + Profiles,.. or each seperatly!...

Use only change the Profile options, please don’t change other options. Interface language for English version.
Supports the following sound card:
Realtek, Analog Devices, Conexant, SigmaTel/IDT, IDT, VIA, NVidia HDMI, ATI HDMI, Intel HDMI.
download address:
Dolby Home Theatre software 4.0 edition


Dolby Home Theater v4 Technologies
Surround Decoder: creates a surround sound experience by converting two-channel stereo audio into 5.1 channels and converting 5.1-channel audio into 7.1 channels

-----Indept control info-----
Dialogue Enhancer: allows users to hear and understand every word of dialogue

Volume Leveler: maintains the volume across all content and applications according to where the user set the volume level

Intelligent Equalizer: monitors and adjusts audio to match the user’s chosen preset

Graphic Equalizer: lets consumers tailor audio to their exact specifications using high-quality general filtering

Surround Virtualizer for built-in speakers: creates a virtualized surround sound experience of stereo or multichannel content over stereo speakers

Surround Virtualizer for headphones: creates a virtualized surround sound experience of stereo or multichannel content over normal stereo headphones

Volume Maximizer: boosts the audio signal so users can turn up the volume without causing noise or clipping

Audio Optimizer: improves the frequency response of the PC’s built-in speakers so content sounds truer to the way its creator meant it to be heard

Audio Regulator: eliminates or reduces noise caused by the combination of overdriven speakers and amplifiers

Dolby Digital Output: converts all PC audio to Dolby Digital signals, allowing the PC to be connected to a home theater system


HOPE it all WORKS!! ---ENJOY!!!

[sammcc]

Okay, apparently Notebook Solutions has the hd cable in stock, I ordered one:
Acer original cable - AC44753 - $24.95US : Notebook Solutions, Parts, Service & Support
they also say they have very limited stock of the hard drive brackets which I also ordered:
Acer original bracket - AC44033 - $19.95US : Notebook Solutions, Parts, Service & Support
I asked if they come in pairs or if you have to order two (the brackets fit on each end of the hard drive so you need two), haven't heard back from them yet.
----------------------
WOW Ray, you da man! Thanks so much for that. I'm downloading now, I'll let you know how it turns out.
----------------------
Yes, worked perfectly - your instructions are excellent. Makes a huge difference in the sound. Thanks so much!

[vgorilla]

I love pretty much everything about this laptop other than the touchpad. I can't believe there haven't been any comments on this.

The pad is a little too sensitive for my tastes, but I could live with that if there was a way to disable tap-to-click. Even as I am typing this message, I accidently bump it and suddenly I'm typing in another paragraph.

Another problem is that the pad is unstable. If I hold down a button and drag the scroll bar and pause for a moment to read, the page wobbles up and down a little, enough to make it very difficult to read the text.

There are NO trackpad-specific options, such as sensitivity and gestures. It took me forever to discover that it actually is possible to scroll by using two fingers, which I find awkward and unreliable.

Acer only provides/supports the generic microsoft mouse driver and I went through level 2 support to engineering and the ultimate response was "that's just what we decided to do."

I had assumed that there would be an outcry about this, but it seems that not many others mind it. If it bothers you, please call acer and maybe if enough people call in, they will give provide proper drivers. If you do call, level I will give you a lot of useless advice about loading drivers and doing a factory restore. I don't think they will pass anyone on to level two unless you have 'done' a factory restore. The folks at level 1 are nice enough, but they don't seem to have ever used a computer themselves.

By the way, I tried installing various synaptics and alps drivers, with no luck. Apparently, this is a propriatary system.

[RAY24]

Yes, worked perfectly - your instructions are excellent. Makes a huge difference in the sound. Thanks so much!

--Yeah it sure does make a difference in the sound, Quality wise, -and Boosting loudness without loosing that quality!!

--Can you believe why Acer thought of not putting that ful package on it?!

Anyways..
Glad I could help!

ENJOY!!

Okay, apparently Notebook Solutions has the hd cable in stock, I ordered one:
Acer original cable - AC44753 - $24.95US : Notebook Solutions, Parts, Service & Support
they also say they have very limited stock of the hard drive brackets which I also ordered:
Acer original bracket - AC44033 - $19.95US : Notebook Solutions, Parts, Service & Support
I asked if they come in pairs or if you have to order two (the brackets fit on each end of the hard drive so you need two), haven't heard back from them yet.

---Can you let me know if those parts work or not, when you install them?,..
I'm in the same situation of putting in the 2nd hard-drive myself.

Would love to know if those parts are O.K. --I hope so--

--I live in Europe myself, and have checked for those partnumbers here, but so far no-luck (maybe in time)

--Luckily 'notebook solutions' ship worldwide!

Ok let me know!

[pmbellis]

I love pretty much everything about this laptop other than the touchpad. I can't believe there haven't been any comments on this.

...

I had assumed that there would be an outcry about this, but it seems that not many others mind it.

Actually, I noticed this myself when I first checked it out, but I NEVER use a touchpad (hate the things, they give me a cramp in my palm ), so I never thought of commenting on it ... my touchpad is permenantly disabled ...

When testing the touchpad in it's "remote" mode (useful for presentations, I thought) I found it to be insensitive to my finger movements ... so I won't ever be using it.

I use a Targus retractable travel mouse & I love it ... got one with my old laptop & when I got this laptop I immediately went out & bought a new one.

As far as the screen/graphics comments are concerned ... I think what we should all keep in mind when evaluating other peoples comments is that we all come from different prior systems and have different criteria of what determines OK, Good or Great ... personally I'm very happy, but I don't do graphic editing or gaming ... I just watch movies [when not actually working]

As with all things ... YMMV

[vgorilla]

Specs say this laptop has Bluetooth, but I'm having trouble finding it. Any ideas?

It has the bluetooth sticker next to the broadcomm wlan sticker on the bottom, both directly above the ports. I have one port empty, which leads me to believe the bluetooth card was not included, for whatever reason (unless they both are on the same card). My specific model is the 8951g-9600. Acer.com lists it as having bluetooth.

[RAY24]

As far as the screen/graphics comments are concerned ... I think what we should all keep in mind when evaluating other peoples comments is that we all come from different prior systems and have different criteria of what determines OK, Good or Great ... personally I'm very happy, but I don't do graphic editing or gaming ... I just watch movies [when not actually working]

--I agree with you.

I do alot of Video-editing on it,... and although it doesn't have a Huge wide-view angle, or Intense brightness,.. coming from my older notebook (which is indeed a big point of criteria) its for me a lot better, considdering the brightness/colour..
--and as far as Wide angle view... unless someone is planning on watching a movie from a distance (doubt that)...
--or do so with a bunch of friends... (why not just using a BIG LED-tv??)....
I guess using the screen normally,... (work-place depending) ..but sitting behind it ..as someone 'normally' does sitting behind a laptop'...
this screen can indeed be beautiful enough'..

Jet as you've said, it offcourse depends what prior system we come from, and what we deem as Good or great for the things we want to use it for...

Specs say this laptop has Bluetooth, but I'm having trouble finding it. Any ideas?

It has the bluetooth sticker next to the broadcomm wlan sticker on the bottom, both directly above the ports. I have one port empty, which leads me to believe the bluetooth card was not included, for whatever reason (unless they both are on the same card). My specific model is the 8951g-9600. Acer.com lists it as having bluetooth.

Do you mean you can't find the Bluetooth-card?...

Or how to turn it on??

My model as yours, (but European) has also one port empty, jet I Do! have Bluetooth,...

Have you checked the button front-side left?....
When you click it,
A little "switch" screen will appear on screen, where you can slide/click each WLAN & Bluetooth... on,...or off...

[vgorilla]

The only buttons on my laptop are the power, keyboard light, quick launch, and clearfi. If you are referring to the silver button on the hinge, on my machine it is does nothing. There is apparently no way to turn on/off wifi with hardware.

It seems the European version has many features the US version does not.

[sammcc]

Gorilla, Ray is talking about the tiny button below the wifi light (farthest left light) in the front of the machine, to the left of the card slot. Press it and it pops up a dialog box where you can turn on/off wifi and bluetooth.

[sammcc]

---Can you let me know if those parts work or not, when you install them?,..
I'm in the same situation of putting in the 2nd hard-drive myself.

I definitely will. They contacted me today to make sure the hard drive brackets were the ones I wanted, they pos