GeForce 8200 chipset: Install both NVidia HD audio driver and NVidia HDMI driver?

[BernardP]

I have been using a new Asus M3N78-VM motherboard with NVidia GeForce 8200 chipset for a few weeks.

I have had to install the Nvidia HD audio driver and the VIA 1708B chip/codec driver to enable sound through the computer speakes.

I then got a HDMI cable and connected it to a flat screen TV. Video is great, but there is no sound. Searching about this on the web I found that I have to install the NVidia HDMI driver to get audio through the HDMI cable.

Hence my question: Does the NVidia HDMI driver replace the NVidia HD audio driver, or does it have to be installed in addition to the NVidia HD audio driver? Should I then uninstall the HD audio driver before I install the HDMI driver?

I could simply try and experiment with these drivers, but I always prefer to understand what I am doing, so as to have the least possible amount of residual junk on my system.

Thanks

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

It's just an issue of using the appropriate driver (and making sure the old drivers are not being used, in conjunction, ie, pieces of drivers). Get all the HDMI related drivers that are latest release for your series of GPU. Under windows, this is especially easy. Under Linux, it's a bit more complex (for the audio), but works as well.

Very best,

 

[renethx]

Just install the latest 15.24 nForce 780a/750a/730a/710a/GeForce 8 chipset driver (uninstall older drivers first of course). This includes the latest HDMI Audio driver 1.00.00.33 (unzip it, go to the directory HD Audio and read nvhda.inf). The driver also includes a display driver, but it's an older version 175.40. The latest 180.84 beta graphics driver is the recommended one.

BTW where do you find "Nvidia HD audio driver"? I am not sure if the "HD Audio Controller" is shared between the onboard audio codec and the HDMI transmitter, but I think you don't need a driver for the controller itself.

 

[BernardP]

Thanks renethx,

I already have the 15.24 nForce drivers on my system and the Device manager tells me that I have the Nvidia HD Audio V 1.0.0.33 driver on my system.

I thought I had no sound through HDMI because I lacked a specific HDMI driver. You are telling me that the V 1.0.0.33 driver is the HDMI driver.

So why don't I have sound through HDMI?

I found a HDMI driver on the Asus web page for my motherboard. It is version V10017 and has more files than the HD Audio driver in the chipset package.

Asus driver page

And here is a link to Nvidia's HDMI driver page (10.3.0.23). It also has more files than the HD audio driver:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/n...o_winxp_10.3.0.23.html

As these are older versions, I don't see why they would be better than the newer version...but they have at least the merit of having HDMI in their name, and more files than the simple HD Audio driver found in the latest chipset driver release. Yes I've seen that nvhda.inf mentions HDMI.

What I call the HD Audio Driver are all the files in the HDAudio folder in the chipset package driver installer (after unzipping). It also refers to the name Nvidia High Definition Audio in Device Manager (please note the lack of a reference to HDMI).

 

[renethx]

Launch the Sound dialog box from the control panel. Is NVIDIA HDMI Output correctly plugged-in? Is NVIDIA HDMI Output selected as the playback device? Test the device. Can you hear sound? Some TVs don't support DD/DTS. You may hear PCM sounds (usual Windows sounds), but you may not be able to hear sounds from movies (with DD/DTS audio track). Maybe somebody answer your questions better in GeForce 8200 - 8 Channel LPCM Output Fully Supported!!.

 

[BernardP]

To answer your question, when going into Control Panel/Sound/Audio, the only entry in the pull-down box is HD Audio - rear output. There is no reference to HDMI Audio.

Although I have the latest Nvidia HD audio driver, it seems there is something I should do to enable HDMI, even though there is not a word about this in the Asus motherboard manual. I might have to register on AVS forums to ask a precise question, as searching is useless.

On second thought... :roll:

One quick, very basic, question... Will the HDMI Audio output option show if there is no HDMI cable plugged-in? I'm trying to configure HDMI without having such a cable plugged in.

If I have to first plug the HDMI cable, this will complicate configuration, as the TV set is in another room and the 8200 digital output is only single-link. It's laborious to have someone calling mouse movements when I am facing a dark monitor... I might have to postpone further experimentation until I add a discrete dual DVI-HDMI videocard.

 

[renethx]

If you can't see "NVIDIA HDMI or HD Output" something in Sound dialog box, you can't select it as the playback device and you will never here HDMI audio. What about Device Manager? Do you see "NVIDIA High Definition Audio"? Check BIOS setup too. Advanced > Southbridge chipset Configuration > AZALIA Audio [Internal codec + External codec], where Internal codec = NVIDIA HDMI Audio and External codec = VIA audio codec. At least you have to enable the internal codec to get HDMI audio.

If you don't connect a display device to the HDMI port (and HDMI driver is correctly installed), then you can still see "NVIDIA HDMI Output" in the Sound dialog box, but the message "NVIDIA High Definition Audio Not plugged-in" is displayed.

 

[BernardP]

Thanks for the follow-up renethx.

All I see in Control panel in the Audio tab is HD Audio - Rear Output. No option to select HDMI Audio. In the Hardware tab, I see NVidia High Definition Audio and Via High Definition Audio.

I see NVidia High Definition Audio and VIA High Hefinition Audio in Device Manager.

Both Internal and External codecs are already enabled in BIOS.

I don't see NVIDIA HDMI Output in the Sound dialog box in Control Panel.

I'm glad to know I should see the HDMI option without a HDMI cable plugged in.