Does Intel graphics 3000 HDMI support LPCM 5.1 audio?

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm looking at some configuration possibilities for my two i7 SB systems (including the sig-rig).

I could use the Intel graphics HDMI outputs on my motherboards to feed HDMI to an HDMI switch, and then use the switch output to feed a AU-HDMICP decoder which has a pre-amplifier built-in and 3.5mm 5.1 output jacks for a 5.1 speaker system.

HEre's a description of the decoder device:

http://www.ambery.com/2hddodtsdihd.html


The critical requirement for the AU-HDMICP device is that the input support LPCM 5.1.

I KNOW my dGPUs (NVidia GTX 780 and 970 respectively) support LPCM 5.1, because I get true 5.1 surround with my AVR fed by dGPU HDMI cable.

I can't imagine that the onboard HDMI would be any different.

Has anyone else tried to use the Intel HDMI stack to get 5.1 through an AVR or similar configuration? I'm trying to imagine what Intel drivers I would install -- just the HD sound drivers or the graphics driver as well. I wouldn't be using a monitor connected to the motherboard HDMI, but only the decoder and 5.1 speaker set.

 

[razel]

Have not tried HD Graphics 3000 to AVR, but I have used HD 4000 and an VERY old Nvidia 130m. I do have access to a Sandy Bridge HD3000 laptop, but it's been years since I tried connecting that.

In both cases, supported bitrates using default drivers always showed PCM 2, 5.1, 7.1up to whatever the AVR supports. It also is capable of bitstreaming DTS, DD based on your player. Whether you can get 5.1 PCM decoded from DTS, DD again depends on your player. Your player will need to decode it.

Also by default, when connecting HDMI for the 1st time, you'll always want to go to the sound control panel and configure it. You'll have control over what audio it supports.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Have not tried HD Graphics 3000 to AVR, but I have used HD 4000 and an VERY old Nvidia 130m. I do have access to a Sandy Bridge HD3000 laptop, but it's been years since I tried connecting that.

In both cases, supported bitrates using default drivers always showed PCM 2, 5.1, 7.1up to whatever the AVR supports. It also is capable of bitstreaming DTS, DD based on your player. Whether you can get 5.1 PCM decoded from DTS, DD again depends on your player. Your player will need to decode it.

Also by default, when connecting HDMI for the 1st time, you'll always want to go to the sound control panel and configure it. You'll have control over what audio it supports.

I think that's in line with what I figured myself. But there's a gap in information between the audiophile/photo manufacturer information and the PC information, or I'm still confused -- and until I get Unconfused, I will defer going out on a limb with $128.

The folks hawking the HDMI-to-{Optical, SP/DIF, RCA, and six-channel 3.5mm speaker} connections on the decoder device I linked earlier only say "your PCs would have to produce LPCM 5.1 to work with the {whatchamacallem} decoder device.

There are various lists of graphics cards which began to support LPCM, back in the day of a GTX 460 or comparable Radeon. I read (probably on wiki) that Intel began supporting it for its iGPU for Clarksdale processors and socket-1156. So I assume you have it with the Graphics 3000 on a Sandy Bridge.

I'm also interested in new perspectives on what sort of snags I could run into with this, or whether it's worth it. Uncertainties may include how Windows behaves with an HDMI switch that has to do an EDID handshake every time you switch back to it. But I think it's possible to use only the audio from the skt-1155 and later -- for the Intel 3000, 4000 and higher.

And such questions as "does the audio retrieve its pause and begin playing where it left off?" or "What happens to the audio when you switch back and forth between HDMI sources?"

 

[razel]

Sounds like your just going to have to try it. You can answer many of those questions. In my experience Win7/8 do a great job of remembering your video/audio preference based on when you unplugged the HDMI cable.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Sounds like your just going to have to try it. You can answer many of those questions. In my experience Win7/8 do a great job of remembering your video/audio preference based on when you unplugged the HDMI cable.

I think you would have to right-click the sys-tray sound icon and open "Playback devices," then change the default among the list of recently used "ready" outputs.

Media Center plug-in/add-in named "Audio-Renderer-Updater" seems to do it well, but I couldn't find the download or even a sense that it is being revised as I looked at the French web-site. But it just seems to work without mishap or event.

Otherwise, you'd just switch to a preconfigured sound-output and make it "default."

 

[piasabird]

If you are playing back fully HDCP compliant digital audio it will pass through. Otherwise it gets rein coded to a lower quality.

 

[fuzzymath10]

When I removed my HD 5750 from my SB machine and switched to the HD 2000 IGP I had no issues with LPCM except certain high sample rates and resolutions didn't work but I think it was a limitation of my receiver.