Cannot have Dual Screen & HDMI Sound at the same time...?

d3daiM

Junior Member
Nov 28, 2007
18
0
0
No matter what configuration that I do--either by making use of my onboard Intel HD Graphics & Audio, my last NVIDIA GTX 465 card that processed audio, or my new AMD 6950--I cannot have both of my monitors running with sound processing via the HDMI input to my AV receiver (Pioneer VSX520).

With my primary monitor powered on, I can receive and play 5.1 audio absolutely fine. However, as soon as I turn on the 2nd monitor, the screen flickers, the 2nd monitor turns on, and sound becomes disabled with the speaker icon in my System Tray gets a big red X, claiming that nothing is plugged in. All the while, my receiver shows on the LCD that it is receiving a valid HDMI audio stream (only registers when I boot into Windows). It is not until I either turn off the monitor or pull the plug out from the HDMI out from the back of the AV receiver, turn off the AV receiver, and turn the AV receiver back on that sound works again. It is extremely annoying.

This occurs while passing the video from my GPU through my receiver and into my display using a HDMI (M) -> DVI (f) adapter from the output of my receiver, while attempting to Eyefinity with my receiver registered as the third "display", and using all of the possible arrangements of cables and adapters from the back of my GPU (which has 2 DVI, 1 HDMI, and 2 DP) to my monitors and AV receiver that I could think of.

What is most desirable is to have the first monitor connected directly to my GPU via DVI, and for my second monitor to receive its video after being passed through my AV receiver to process the audio, which be directly connected directly connected to my GPU's HDMI out. Currently, in this configuration, it can process both the 2nd display and audio, but never together..

:confused:
Help! :rolleyes:

my graphics card: XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB
my two monitors: Apple Cinema Display 23" A1082 M9178LL/A Note: DVI out is physically attached to monitor. Has Firewire also. No DP input.
my AV receiver: Pioneer VSX-520-K 5.1-Channel 3-D Ready A/V Receiver
adapters I've used: 1 2 3 4 Note: None of them are "active" I don't think. DVI input on Apple monitor cable is DVI-D Single Link, while on the adapter it is DVI-I Dual Link. I don't know if these details make any difference..
 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
What OS are you using? Apple?
If you are using windows 7 there are some sound settings you can select by clicking on the speaker. It is like sound output or sources or something like that. When you right click on the speaker, it is the bottom option then a list of option with checkmarks comes up.

This could be a problem with the how you are routing the sound which is not clear.

It could be that with dual displays the sound will not work that way, or the video card does not support it. I wonder if you can use optical sound also or it is an either or thing.

What video setting are you using for the Multiple monitors? Do you just clone the display or do you extend the display accross both monitors or what? Those settings might make a difference. It might be you need some third party software that will help a bit.

What chipset motherboard are you using. That might make a difference.
 
Last edited:

d3daiM

Junior Member
Nov 28, 2007
18
0
0
Windows 7 x64 SP1, all updates, latest drivers for everything. Believe me, I've played with ALL of the sound settings. It is nothing obvious. There possibly may be a registry entry or something that I am unaware of, but, beyond that, I have thoroughly explored all of the Windows sound settings, driver software, etc.

I am using extended desktop. Changes to the resolution and other monitor settings beyond this make no difference. I will try setting it to Clone when I get home and see if it makes a difference. I don't think it will though.

Responses to my other posts are saying that it may be a DRM or Microsoft "PlayReady" that is in fact causing the issues....
 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
The reason I mentioned 3rd party software product is that once I noticed that multiple monitor systems sometimes use 3rd party software for the video, etc.

Might try this website:
http://www.avsforum.com/

Also try asking in the home theater forum of anandtech.
 

d3daiM

Junior Member
Nov 28, 2007
18
0
0
The reason I mentioned 3rd party software product is that once I noticed that multiple monitor systems sometimes use 3rd party software for the video, etc.

Might try this website:
http://www.avsforum.com/

Also try asking in the home theater forum of anandtech.
Yep, got one already going over at AVSforum, its good help.
I'll go ahead and start one in the home theatre section here, good idea.