a disadvantage of using a monitor for video and audio?

[mikeymikec]

I tried this out on my server / home theatre PC, which is connected to a TV via HDMI for audio and video output - have audio playing, set Windows power options to switch the monitor off after a minute.

After the minute, the TV displayed 'no signal', and of course it lost the audio feed as well.

I'm surprised that I haven't encountered / thought of this before. I doubt that this is purely a disadvantage of HDMI, surely the same thing would surely occur if one used a monitor connected via say VGA as well as analog audio out.

Can anyone confirm this? While I can't imagine myself ever using a monitor to play music (ie. I've had a hi-fi connected to my PC for about 15 years), I sometimes leave music playing on my PC while I work nearby. I guess the workaround is easy enough for the average person, simply buy a set of active speakers.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I tried this out on my server / home theatre PC, which is connected to a TV via HDMI for audio and video output - have audio playing, set Windows power options to switch the monitor off after a minute.

After the minute, the TV displayed 'no signal', and of course it lost the audio feed as well.

I'm surprised that I haven't encountered / thought of this before. I doubt that this is purely a disadvantage of HDMI, surely the same thing would surely occur if one used a monitor connected via say VGA as well as analog audio out.

Nope, that's pretty much just a feature / "quirk" of HDMI outputs. Cut off the video, it also cuts off the audio stream, since they are essentially combined (I guess?).

If you had been hooked up via VGA, then setting monitor display timeout to one minute, would have caused the monitor to shut off, but if you had analog audio speakers connected to the onboard, they would keep playing on.

 

[mikeymikec]

Nope, that's pretty much just a feature / "quirk" of HDMI outputs. Cut off the video, it also cuts off the audio stream, since they are essentially combined (I guess?).

If you had been hooked up via VGA, then setting monitor display timeout to one minute, would have caused the monitor to shut off, but if you had analog audio speakers connected to the onboard, they would keep playing on.

I meant, VGA monitor using speakers integrated into the monitor.

 

[sdifox]

This is an issue with hdcp. some devices are good at renegotiating on resume, some are not. Change input then switch back usually fixes this.

 

[sdifox]

I meant, VGA monitor using speakers integrated into the monitor.

You need a separate audio link, usually minijack to RCA cables, from the computer to the monitor. VGA is video only, so is dvi.

 

[VirtualLarry]

This is an issue with hdcp. some devices are good at renegotiating on resume, some are not. Change input then switch back usually fixes this.

I don't see where the OP says anything that would indicate a HDCP problem, do you?

 

[sdifox]

I don't see where the OP says anything that would indicate a HDCP problem, do you?

The audio dying when video goes is precisely what hdcp does. You need both to maintain "secure" link.