How do I get back HDMI audio on my receiver after 4k upgrade?

[TestKing123]

In my prior setup, the HDMI output on my 980Ti handled everything regarding audio/video. It was connected to my 7.1 receiver, in turn connected to my 46' 3DTV.

I've upgraded to a 65' 4k LG 3DTV. Now, in order to use 4k resolution on my PC, I need to connect the HDMI directly to the TV. This means my audio is now handled by the TV, and output by the TV instead of my receiver/speakers.

How can I get the sound back to my reciever, retaining full 7.1 /DD /DTS audio?

Can I use the HDMI output of my motherboard (ASROCK Extreme 4 z87), even though this was intended for integrated graphics on the CPU?

 

[JeffMD]

This was my world when I picked up an LG ultra wide which was >1080p.

Unfortunately you are pretty screwed. Lucky for me, I only used 2 speakers and I went with an optical link as my connection to my receiver. Optical can do 5.1 but if you were utilizing the lossless surround sound versions of dolby and dts then you are out of luck.

The receiver is simply a pass through and not a display device itself. This means it simply will not show up as a display in windows. You could throw an unused hdmi tv at it.

 

[Deders]

Does your receiver have the option to playback on just the receiver? Mine has but due to the nature of HDMI I'm not sure it will get surround as it has to send the signal all the way up the chain before sending it back to your receiver.

With my setup I used to have my monitor plugged into displayport, and then a separate HDMI connection to my receiver. Problem with this is my GPU goes to HDMI first, so the bios post screen is sent to the receiver which has no monitor output. I spoke to Nvidia about this and they said the vendor chooses which priority each output has.

I got around this by using a Dual DVI connection to my monitor. HDMI still handles Audio. TBH I actually prefer the colour balance this way. Not sure why it should be any different.

 

[Binky]

Some HDMI splitters have an optical or coax output. Look for one of those that can handle 4k. Or, just buy a new receiver.

 

[Deders]

Even then Coax or Optical will only be able to do Dolby Digital or DTS. OK for movies but games will just be in stereo, unless you have a way to encode DTS on the fly, but even then it will just be 5.1.

 

[TestKing123]

Looks like I'll have to make due with optical audio from my PC to receiver for now, until I upgrade to a 4k receiver.

 

[JeffMD]

I see.. so your main issue is not your connections but rather your setup favors HDMI over displayport. This is only a problem during POST, right? Windows itself will put the logon screen on which ever display you tell it to in the multi display setup utility.

 

[Deders]

Looks like I'll have to make due with optical audio from my PC to receiver for now, until I upgrade to a 4k receiver.

What about displayport to HDMI converter? It should carry the audio but if it doesn't you can use that for the TV and the pure HDMI for the audio.

I see.. so your main issue is not your connections but rather your setup favors HDMI over displayport. This is only a problem during POST, right? Windows itself will put the logon screen on which ever display you tell it to in the multi display setup utility.

Yeah that's pretty much what happened. Display was blank up until windows.

 

[TestKing123]

So I'm SOL.

The optical out on my motherboard is outputting sound to the receiver, but I'm not getting any actual sound.

I now have SLI, but the 2nd HDMI port is non functional in SLI mode.

I can't even use the analog outputs of the motherboard, because the receiver doesn't have the 3.5mm input jacks.

So I'm stuck with TV sound.

Do they make sound cards with HDMI out?

 

[JeffMD]

Test, no. However that isn't your problem.

Your sound not being sent through optical is either an on board sound driver issue, or you have not properly set your system default sounds to go through the optical.

 

[TestKing123]

You're right. My receiver has 2 SPDIF inputs and it wasn't working on the one I plugged it into (SATV). It worked on the other input (TV).

Now, problem is that I'm only getting stereo audio, not surround / 5.1

At the very least I'd like to have my surround back for games. I fired up Witcher 3 and it was in stereo. There is no option in the windows audio control panel to select/configure the number of speaker.

So, am I stuck with stereo?

 

[JeffMD]

In short yes, there MIGHT be a software solution you can purchase. I have the Xonar DSX as my line out provider, and a nice perk is it comes with the licenses and software to realtime encode 5.1 sound over the optical, although im only using 2 speakers atm so I don't enable it.

 

[Deders]

Can you not use a Displayport to HDMI converter so that you have 2 HDMI outs coming from the top GPU card? (ports on the 2nd will be disabled in SLI mode)

 

[TestKing123]

Haven't tried that, will that work for sure? I just want to carry audio. From what I read, even if I had a native 2nd HDMI port on the primary card, it would need some kind of dummy display because just being connected to the receiver isn't enough. I believe audio over HDMI is only active if there is a display detected.

Alternatively, for SPDIF I would need Dolby Digital Live for 5.1 surround in games. I've yet to see a clear explanation how to get this for integrated audio in Windows 10, it's seems to be available only for aftermarket sound cards for some reason.

 

[Deders]

Haven't tried that, will that work for sure? I just want to carry audio. From what I read, even if I had a native 2nd HDMI port on the primary card, it would need some kind of dummy display because just being connected to the receiver isn't enough. I believe audio over HDMI is only active if there is a display detected.

It's what I use. I think the receiver emulates a display internally as I can set a resolution for it. I have to use a program to stop the mouse from disappearing off the main screen onto the emulated screen.

 

[13Gigatons]

There is so little 4K content I would just feed the AVR first and watch the mostly 1080p content.

or maybe: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Prosumer-Splitter-Advanced-VHD-PRO1X4/dp/B00HETH3XM

 

[mdram]

There is so little 4K content I would just feed the AVR first and watch the mostly 1080p content.

or maybe: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Prosumer-Splitter-Advanced-VHD-PRO1X4/dp/B00HETH3XM

this, and when 4k gets m ore mainstream, get a 4k receiver

 

[Deders]

Or have the best of both worlds in the way I described above.

 

[Fallen Kell]

What you need is a 4x2 (or 8x2) HDMI MATRIX switch which is capable of HDMI 2.0 + HDCP 2.2. With a matrix switch you have 2 HDMI outputs which you can then connect one to your TV and one to your receiver. Each output is independent of the other (meaning that the capabilities of the equipment it is connected to do not need to be the same, such as in this case, one being able to process 4k resolution, and the other only 1080p).

I suggest getting a switch large enough to cover connecting all your potential 4k sources. Right now obviously this is just your PC, but in the near future satellite/cable boxes will support it, so with 4k blu-ray players (which come out this year), so a 4x2 might be enough, or you might want to go with a 8x2 if you think you will need that many source devices with 4k capabilities.

This is/was the same solution to the 3D capabilities when they first came out with some TV's supporting it, but most receivers did not.

 

[TestKing123]

There is so little 4K content I would just feed the AVR first and watch the mostly 1080p content.

or maybe: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Prosumer-Splitter-Advanced-VHD-PRO1X4/dp/B00HETH3XM

That device according to the specs only supports 4k 30fps. I would need 4k 60 fps.

Well, after some thought I'm going to go in this order:

1. Dolby Digital Live (this converts 5.1 game audio to Dolby Digital 5.1 so it can be carried by the optical cable). I already verified this works in test samples. Need to figure out how to get the license for my motherboard/PC, willing to pay if needed.

2. Displayport to HDMI adaptor. Only if I can't find a software solution to above first.

3. Upgrade to 4k receiver. This I already have planned for the summer when 4k Blu Ray discs start coming out, but if I'm not satisfied with # 2 I might jump early.

 

[mdram]

i dont think #2 exists atm for 60hz

 

[Deders]

i dont think #2 exists atm for 60hz

The receiver doesn't need 60Hz for audio. Just need to make sure the adapter can carry the audio.

 

[mdram]

The receiver doesn't need 60Hz for audio. Just need to make sure the adapter can carry the audio.

4K60hz is 60fps
which is what he said he wanted
i havent seen a dp to hdmi adapter that can do this yet

 

[Deders]

4K60hz is 60fps
which is what he said he wanted
i havent seen a dp to hdmi adapter that can do this yet

Yes but you can have 2 separate streams, without buying a Matrix switch (which would be more useful if the number of HDMI devices were to increase).

My previous posts have described what I have been doing for some time. 2 separate streams along 2 cables. 1 for audio and 1 for video.

 

[TestKing123]

4K60hz is 60fps
which is what he said he wanted
i havent seen a dp to hdmi adapter that can do this yet

I think in this case the displayport to HDMI adaptor doesn't have to be HDMI 2.0 (which isn't available yet as you said), because the connection between my 980 Ti and LG TV will still be dedicated via HDMI 2.0 for 4k 60hz.

For audio, I think I would need something simple like this to connect to my receiver:
http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters...449597622&sr=1-4&keywords=displayport+to+hdmi

Can you confirm this Deder? Or does it specifically have to be some kind of active converter?