HDMI to SPDIF

[selaeyal1]

OK so this is how it goes:
i've recently purchased a converter that gets an HDMI signal input and does downscaling: on the video part - either component or vga. on audio: either a stereo red-white connection or SPDIF optical connection.

just so it is clear - i went and bought this 58$ piece just so i can connect my laptop to my JVC reciever, which for some reason has two digital inputs (coax/SPDIF) but doesnt have 5.1 analong inputs.

as I got the product - i tried it. the VGA works, the analog sound works. I can see the red light on the SPDIF output but the reciever doesn't recognize it.

now the question is - should i be sending the product back because it's defected, or is the something i am missing here and there is some kind of special definition on my computer\reciever i need to do in order to get the optical output to work.

you can see the converter here: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/1080p-h...-240v-ac-37081

the system as a whole:

HP LAPTOP----via HDMI---->converter---via SPDIF--->JVC reciever.

appreciate those how answer me
thank you!!!

 

[NutBucket]

What media player are you using and what type of sound output are specifying?

 

[selaeyal1]

i am using mv2player.
I played MKV files, and it shows on the player that it is in AC3 (5ch) format.

what i find weird is that the analog output is working. both for music and for videos.

the reciever has an incication of which channels are active. on analog connection - only R and L are active. when I switch to digital - nothing.

any ideas?

 

[Soundmanred]

Is your laptop set to send a signal through the S/PDIF (as opposed to analog or built in speakers)?

 

[selaeyal1]

I am using a realtek soundcard. the laptop only has two output options - speakers\analog jacks, or High definition output. basically if i what to use the HDMI cable for sound (when i connect it directly to the TV of instance) I switch to the second option. and thats also what I did when i connected the converter.

another thing worth mentioning - other than a switch that determines between VGA and RGB modes (both video) - there are no switches on the converter.

 

[NutBucket]

There are probably options in the media player as well.

For example, using my wife's Dell M1330 laptop connected to the receiver via HDMI. The default audio device is set to HDMI. Using VLC, I get stereo if I select the output as stereo and surround (dolby digital, etc.) if I set it to S/PDIF.

 

[selaeyal1]

it sounds like you have a built-in digital SPDIF output on your wife's laptop. besides, but isn't the converter suppose to give a continuous signal?

 

[NutBucket]

HDMI can carry S/PDIF...

 

[selaeyal1]

HDMI can carry S/PDIF...

first of all, thank you for your assistance and patience.

the question is: why doesn't it take out the digital S/PDIF signal as well?
two options as I reckon the situation:
1) defective product
2) wrong PC setup
I don't know which one is the factor.

the HDMI can carry the signal - no arguement about that. in fact, it does carry the signal from the computer to the converter - we know that from the fact that the converter does provide an analog signal. So the digital signal is going through the HDMI cable to the converter, where it undergoes conversion to an analog signal, or being routed to the S/PDIF output.

 

[jtvang125]

Not much more you can configure on the PC since you know it's already sending out the audio over HDMI. One thing to check before ruling it's defective is to check that the source on your receiver is set to optical. So if you're using DVD as the source, make sure this is set to optical.

 

[selaeyal1]

done that.
DVD works perfect with the same cable and reciever is set to digital input.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion i have to send it back...

 

[NutBucket]

You may be right.

For example, a TV has HDMI inputs. A blu-ray player is connected via HDMI. A receiver is connected via optical cable to the TV's optical output. The only audio that will pass from the blu-ray player is stereo and that is by design.

 

[Modelworks]

Part of the problem with devices like this is they are not HDMI compliant. It doesn't matter how much the box or marketing says it is. The give away is when you see something claiming to convert 1080P with HDCP into component. That isn't allowed by the HDMI organization. 1080p protected content can only be delivered over the secure channel of HDMI. There are a lot of these chinese companies selling items like this. Basically what they have done is take chips that were sold for things like DVR and adapted them to be converters. Since the chips are grey market they do not have the proper licensing in place and they can't enable full functionality, the chips require security certs installed in the firmware which they don't have.

The easiest way to solve your issue is get an expansion card or usb sound card for the laptop to replace the current sound card outputs and forget about using hdmi for a spdif connection.