What is the maximum audio bit-rate through an optical connection?

I just purchased the HD-DVD player for the xbox 360 and it doesnt have a hdmi connection so i was wondering whats the max audio performace i can expect out of the system.

The maximum audio bit rate for an optical cable is 1.5mbps.

Now at the moment the Xbox 360 doesn't actually support DTS (1.5mpbs) so you're limited to 640 kbps for the time being.

There is word that they are working on a patch to update and correct this, thus allowing the full 1.5 mbps over optical for much greater sound (esp with the HD-DVD add on!!)

I work at Tweeter and have a 360 so I've been following this issue/waiting for the update myself. Hope this helps. Although TOSLINK (optical audio) was originally limited to 48 kHz, it has since been modified to handle all current audio formats, so you will be all set using optical audio. To be specific, that will handle all the audio formats the xbox 360 supports. However very shortly new audio formats for hddvd and blueray will surpass tos-link. dolby truehd and dts master audio and dts expanded cannot be sent down toslink, but they do "fit" on both new hd dvd formats. Although no recievers are decoding it on a widely available level yet, and it needs hdmi 1.3 to work. At some point within about a year tos-link will not be able to keep up with what a true HD-dvd can "spit-out". But I don;t think the current gen of 360's will support dts master audio anyway or dolbytrueHD either so its a moot point Click this link...It explains how NO ONE is getting all the AUDIO out of their HI-DEF DISCs (Blu-ray or HD-DVD):

http://www.whydoesmyhometheatersuck.com/...

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