TV HDMI sound from PC

Discussion in 'hardware' started by Arcanez, Jun 30, 2012.

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  1. Arcanez

    Arcanez Registered Member

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    hi,

    I have a strange problem here. I have connected my TV to my PC with an HDMI cable. Now when my pc is already running and I turn on my TV I won't get any sound on the TV. When I try to change the default sound output device on my PC the ATI HDMI Audio is inactive and I can't choose it.

    So in order to get any sound on the TV in this case I have to unplug the hdmi cable and plug it in again. Then the computer recognizes that it can output sound through the ATI HDMI Audio and I can set it to the default audio device.

    When the TV is already turned on before you turn on the pc I don't have any problems and I don't have to unplug the cable.

    Now I won't have my TV turned on all the time so is there any other way to tell the pc that it is connected to my TV and that it can ouput sound to the TV??
     
  2. Cudni

    Cudni Global Moderator

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  3. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    Is "new hardware detection" supported via HDMI? I don't think so. At least I am about 95% sure of that. Windows does not care what is connected to a graphics card. It communicates with the card, not the ports on the card, or the monitor/TV for that matter. Note a monitor driver is not really a driver at all. It only tell Windows the brand and model number and it tells Windows the resolutions it supports, so Windows can gray out all the others. All Windows cares about is the compatible resolutions and compatible cards.

    I think this is a typical (and frustrating) HDMI problem. HDMI came out of the home theater environment where it was created for interconnecting DVDs with A/V Receivers which then sent the video to the TV and the 5.1 audio out to the speakers. It was seen as a huge advancement, cramming 5.1 surround sound, plus HD digital video, plus a control channel in a single cable with a smaller connector.

    5.1 audio is not supported in any TV or computer monitor that I know of, but the big TV makers just happen to be the major monitor makers too. And computer monitors get their video signals from graphics cards, not sound cards. And most monitors don't have speakers. But even budget computers support 5.1 (often 7.1) sound these days. And good quality sound too which is why more and more computers are being integrated into home theater system as HTPCs. And why more users are demanding additional digital inputs on their TVs to support computer "sources".

    It is easy to see DVI should be phased out, it is big and clunky, while HDMI is small and sleek. And it just is not cost-effective to support two digital graphics cable types, so the big TV/Monitor makers are pushing HDMI in and pushing DVI out.

    Either it is being forced on the computer sound and graphics industries too fast, or the sound and graphics industries are just dragging their feet. This does force our sound solutions (integrated or cards) to enable audio routing through the graphics solutions, in addition to out the rear panel. And it forces our graphics solutions to accept and channel (without degrading quality) the audio through their circuits and out their ports.

    A lot of handshaking and trust must go on there. Yet, the audio HW makers, graphics HW makers, and monitor/TV makers - 3 separate groups - don't seem to be playing well together to sort this out. And when that happens, us consumers take the hit. :(

    The problem is not going to go away soon either. You are not going to get quality (or any surround) sound out of integrated speakers in any computer monitor or TV. So many, if not most computer users enjoy having external computer speakers. Again, HDMI was designed primarily to be connected to an A/V Receiver, not a "monitor" or a set of speakers.

    So what I am saying is, HDMI and computers still don't play well together and your best bet would be to send audio to your TV via the stereo audio (line) out jacks of your computer's sound device, and not via HDMI.
     
  4. DVD+R

    DVD+R Registered Member

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    Have you set your TV Audio Output to PC Speakers? for instance on My Sony Bravia, theres an option for the Audio to come from the PC
     
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