SOLVED - How to enable HDMI Audio - Asus M3N78-VM GeForce 8200 chipset

[BernardP]

EDIT : See my post down below ( 01/18/2009 12:43 PM ) for the solution provided by Asus technical Support


This is a summary crosspost from the Motherboard forum. I might have more chances for a solution in the H/T forum.

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

I have installed the latest Nvidia HD Audio driver (1.00.00.33) and the VIA 1708B chip/codec driver to enable sound through the computer speakers.

I then got a HDMI cable and connected it to a flat screen TV. Video is great @ 1280x720, but there is no sound through HDMI. Searching on the web, I have found this to be a common problem, but have found no solution.

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

I don't even see HDMI Audio not connected in Control Panel. Nothing. It's like there is no HDMI audio available on this motherboard.

I see NVidia High Definition Audio and VIA High Hefinition Audio in Device Manager. No option to select HDMI Audio.

Both Internal and External codecs are already enabled in BIOS.

-----------------------------------------------------

I think I have everything in place for HDMI audio to work, yet it doesn't. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the latest Nvidia HD Audio driver, without results. There is no special instruction for enabling HDMI audio in the mobo manual.

I suspect I might be missing something that's too simple to think about. Thanks for your suggestions

 

[Slick5150]

Are you sure your TV accepts audio over HDMI? Some don't.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: Slick5150
Are you sure your TV accepts audio over HDMI? Some don't.

Yes it does. It's a Panasonic 50-inch plasma (PX80). The HDMI inputs are labelled "video-audio in". I have tested that it works with another source (HD decoder).

 

[PurdueRy]

Have you seen people with HDMI audio working on this board. I looked into it a bit and I don't really see much of a claim that it does HDMI audio. It does list that it has a HDMI connections and that the purpose of HDMI is for digital audio and video. However, that simply reads to me as an explanation of what HDMI CAN do rather than if they actually have that ability on this board.

 

[BernardP]

I have scoured the Asus support forums. There are people with HDMI audio problems. There are also people who have HDMI audio working...with this motherboard and with other GeForce 8200 motherboards.

I'm thinking something basic/stupid is escaping me. One thing I just thought of is to unplug the computer speakers when plugging the HDMI cable. I'll try this when I get home tonight.

My fundamental problem is that I'm not getting any option for HDMI in Device Manager or Control Panel/Sounds.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: BernardP
I have scoured the Asus support forums. There are people with HDMI audio problems. There are also people who have HDMI audio working...with this motherboard and with other GeForce 8200 motherboards.

I'm thinking something basic/stupid is escaping me. One thing I just thought of is to unplug the computer speakers when plugging the HDMI cable. I'll try this when I get home tonight.

My fundamental problem is that I'm not getting any option for HDMI in Device Manager or Control Panel/Sounds.

Have you checked in BIOS?

 

[BernardP]

Enabling Internal Codec (as explained in first post above), is required for HDMI audio out. I have done it. The other BIOS option that concerns HDMI (as per mobo manual) is a choice between Front Panel and HDMI for SPDIF Out. This is currently not displayed in my BIOS as I don't have a SPDIF cable/output for now. My understanding is that the cable will be used to bring HDMI audio to a discrete videocard with HDMI audio/video out when I get such a card.

 

[shackrock]

Ok I have a similar problem with this board. I can't get audio to work on the Optical S/PDIF or even on the HDMI. No matter what! (All I REALLY want is the Optical S/PDIF though). I've tried everything in every combination of possibilities...including the internal/external/internal+external/disabled settings in the bios....

I desperately need some help, any more ideas anyone? In the BIOS, there is also an option for the external to chose HD AUDIO FRONT PANEL or AC97.... Any ideas here? Even though I've tried both relentlessly.

Here's another question come to think of it - on the HD Audio app provided by VIA, in the SPDIF section it says it is enabled no matter what. There is then a checkbox there that says "enable hdmi output." I assume we want that UNCHECKED, so that it will want to use optical? At this point the Nvidia audio drivers are disabled, too - so that it won't try to use hdmi otherwise...

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: shackrock
Ok I have a similar problem with this board. I can't get audio to work on the Optical S/PDIF or even on the HDMI. No matter what! (All I REALLY want is the Optical S/PDIF though). I've tried everything in every combination of possibilities...including the internal/external/internal+external/disabled settings in the bios....

I desperately need some help, any more ideas anyone? In the BIOS, there is also an option for the external to chose HD AUDIO FRONT PANEL or AC97.... Any ideas here? Even though I've tried both relentlessly.

Here's another question come to think of it - on the HD Audio app provided by VIA, in the SPDIF section it says it is enabled no matter what. There is then a checkbox there that says "enable hdmi output." I assume we want that UNCHECKED, so that it will want to use optical? At this point the Nvidia audio drivers are disabled, too - so that it won't try to use hdmi otherwise...

Welcome to the Anantech Forums, shackrock, and Welcome to the Club of M3N78-VM-owners-who-can't-make-HDMI-Audio-Work! :disgust:

I have also tried everything I can think of, including everything you mention. Yesterday, I even reverted to a previous Nvidia Audio Driver that is labeled "HDMI Audio Driver". It's version 10.3.0.23 available on the NVidia web site. No change... I have read all discussions about all GeForce 8200 boards in the Asus Support Forums. No new idea there, except one (see below)

I'm simply trying to get audio directly from the board to the HDMI cable. I don't have a SPDIF cable connected. I have tried all combinations of checking/unchecking HDMI and SPDIF in the Via Audio driver taskbar popup panel.

At this point, I have three remaining aspects of this problem I have not been able to satisfy myself with:

--- Could there be a conflict/incompatibility between the NVidia and Via HD drivers? Maybe future updates to both drivers will solve the problem.

--- Regarding HDMI and SPDIF, page 2-26 of the mobo manual shows that there is a BIOS option for SPDIF Mode Setting (SPDIF Output), with a choice between HDMI Output and SPDIF Output. It seems I could help my situation by choosing SPDIF Output, as this would prevent the HDMI signal from going into the SPDIF cable.... Only problem is that this entry is not showing in my BIOS. I am guessing this is because I don't have a SPDIF cable connected, but I'm not sure. You would help me if you told me if the BIOS entry disappears when you remove the SPDIF cable.

--- Last thing is something I found in the Asus Support Forum. It is found There

Here is the Microsoft page that refers to the supposedly required patch:

kb835221

I'm reluctant to apply this patch to my Windows SP3 installation that's otherwise kept up-to-date through Windows Update. You are welcome to try it :evil:

At this point I have decided to run audio to the TV using analog cables. It works well-enough as a temporary workaround.

My next steps are to register on the Asus Forum and register for Asus VIP Membership and send a query to Asus Support.

 

[shackrock]

Ok well, I FINALLY got my S/PDIF optical out to work. Turns out, the HD Audio VIA control panel that comes up when windows starts actually has a setting that you have to select HDMI OR S/PDIF. There's a checkbox, and a short sentance, and then an arrow - that arrow changes to HDMI or S/PDIF. Man that was well hidden. Also, my Bios is set to Internal+External, HD Audio. My NVIDIA audio driver is disabled, but installed.

Now, since I don't care enough anymore to make the HDMI work, perhaps some combination of things would make it work. Although I never had much luck before this anyway. haha. Did you try disabling the VIA driver completely, and just using the NVIDIA Audio codec?

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: shackrock
Did you try disabling the VIA driver completely, and just using the NVIDIA Audio codec?

Yes. The result is I have no audio at all. I had seen the sneaky way the SPDIF/HDMI checkbox works. Great that you solved your problem.

 

[nervegrind3r]

did you get this working? try heading over to avsforums and ask there about this issue in the htpc section, they are pros

 

[BernardP]

I might eventually register on AVS forum to ask about my specific problem. They have a very long thread about audio on the GeForce 8200 chipset, but I found no solution in it.

My next step is to write to Asus Support ...Hope springs eternal... I was waiting for the Holidays to end before doing that.

 

[BernardP]

I finally found the solution.

I managed to talk to a Level 2 technician at Asus Support and with his help I was able to enable audio through the HDMI output.

The first thing I have to point out is that my computer is usually connected to a regular LCD monitor through the DVI output. I also have a HDMI cable going from the computer to the TV set, but I generally leave it unplugged at the TV end. When I want to watch a movie from the computer on the TV set, I do the following:

--- set the computer resolution to 1280 x 720
--- turn the computer off
--- plug the HDMI at the TV end (it is always plugged-in at the computer end)
--- turn the TV on and select the proper HDMI input
--- restart the computer

Upon restart, the computer detects the TV and the picture appears on the TV. There is no picture on the computer monitor, because the GeForce 8200 chipset has only single-link DVI. It can't drive the DVI and HDMI output at the same time.

I can then launch the movie after selecting it with the mouse. When the movie is over, I disconnect the HDMI cable and restart the computer. The picture then reappears on the monitor. I revert to my normal desktop resolution.

The problem was that there was no audio coming through the HDMI cable. I had fiddled endlessly with drivers and configurations to no avail.

What the Asus technician told me is that the HDMI cable has to be the only active audio/video connection during audio driver installation. So he had me do the following:

--- uninstall the Nvidia and VIA audio drivers
--- unplug the analog audio cable
--- (as above) select 1280 x 720 resolution, turn the computer off, plug the HDMI cable at both ends, turn the TV on and select the proper HDMI input
--- restart the computer

Then, with HDMI active, install the NVidia HD Audio driver, restart and then install the VIA HD Audio driver.

At that point, there is still no audio through HDMI. To enable it, I must go into Control Panel / Sounds, select the Audio tab and from the pull-down window chose "NVidia HD Audio". Please note that when I am not using the HDMI/TV, but the DVI/LCD monitor, this option is not available.

So, to my regular routine to get a movie playing on the TV screen, I must add the previous step before launching the movie. And...Yes! audio now works through the HDMI cable.

A couple more observations:

--- After installing the NVidia HD Audio driver, but before installing the VIA HD Audio driver, HDMI audio works automatically. The installation of the VIA driver disables it. That's why it's necessary to go into Control Panel to select the NVidia HD Audio driver when using the HDMI connection

--- The VIA HDeck configuration panel is confusing regarding SPDIF and HDMI. You have to click on the little green triangle for unseen options As I'm not using a SPDIF cable, I have disabled SPDIF and HDMI in the VIA configuration panel. I understand the SPDIF pane in the VIA configuration panel is used to send (or not) the HDMI signal into the SPDIF cable. I will have to experiment with this when I get a discrete video card and connect a SPDIF cable from the motherboard to the videocard to send audio through the card's HDMI output.

--- People who have the motherboard connected only to a TV set (no DVI/monitor) through HDMI are most likely having no problem, as all their driver setup has already been made while an active HDMI connection was present. That might explain why there are people who report no problem with HDMI audio. The problem arises when one has installed audio drivers while only the DVI video and analog audio connection were in use. Any attempt to subsequently get audio through HDMI is doomed.

That's it. I hope it helps others with the same problem.

 

[erwos]

Wow... that sounds horrifically awkward.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: erwos
Wow... that sounds horrifically awkward.

It looks worse than it is. I guess I should have thought about this myself, knowing about the capricious nature of HDMI audio in general. For example, it often happens that there is no audio when connecting a HDTV decoder to a TV through HDMI. The solution is similar: Disconnect everything but the HDMI cable, disconnect the decoder and TV (turning off is not enough) to reset everything, then reconnect the decoder and TV. Then, the TV will be able to detect the HDMI audio and video signal.

Of course, once HDMI audio is properly set up, I still have to deal with the computer restart routine each time I want to watch a movie on the TV. I expect to remedy to this by adding a dual-link DVI-HDMI videocard to the computer.

 

[MRMILSTAR]

I have a slightly different twist to this problem. I have partial HDMI sound. I have a dual-tuner TV card (Avermedia 780). One tuner is digital and one is analog. If I tune to an analog station, I get the HDMI picture and HDMI sound. If I tune to a digital station, I get an HDMI picture but no HDMI sound. If I attempt to play a DVD, I get an HDMI picture but no HDMI sound. My TV displays a message something like this when I get no HDMI sound: "incompatible audio format, check output source". In summary, this is what I get:

Analog TV station: HDMI picture and HDMI sound
Digital TV station: HDMI picture and no HDMI sound
DVD Playback: HDMI picture and no HDMI sound
Playback of recorded analog TV program: HDMI picture and HDMI sound

I have already uninstalled and re-installed the sound drivers as a previous poster suggested to no avail. Tomorrow I will have a look at the BIOS options. Does anyone have any other ideas?

 

[eatmeimadanish]

So just got this board working the way I want it. There are some details I need to correct so people understand how this board works. This system has a VIA chipset which controls the back (colored inputs) audio outputs as well as the SPDIF. HOWEVER, the HDMI output is controlled strictly by the NVIDIA video chipset via HDMI Audio Passthru. Which means you can essentially configue the VIA chipset to do anything (Select SPDIF/HDMI, turn them off, etc) and audio will still passthrough the NVIDIA HDMI port if NVIDIA HD AUDIO is selected as the output in Windows. (I am using the VISTA 1.00.0.37 driver in XP)

I did run into a problem however, the HDMI output would "break" occasionally and a very annoying static would crush my will to live. It did this with any combination of all the drivers I could find. I did two things that appear to have resolved it.

1) I turned off Hardware Acceleration (under the Advanced / Performance tab) and slid the bar completely to the left.
2) upgraded WM9 to WM11. I noticed that WM9 would immediatly cause the HDMI static issue. I believe this is because of Direct X (DirectSound) muxing up the signal. WM11 seemed to work perfectly fine. (I still need to put this through rigorous testing)

There was no performance hit when I lowered Hardware Acceleration, probably because HDMI is simply passthru and not actually processing audio.

I have not tested Dolby Digital or DTS yet, though front, left, and middle speakers were working. The back speakers just seemed to mimick the front speakers (this could be a setting in my reciever) and but again, I still haven't fully tested this solution.

 

[heymrdj]

Wow all that sounds down right shitty

My HP DV9500:

Plug in HDMI cable between laptop and monitor/tv.
Right click and launch Nvidia panel.
Enable whatever mode of display i want (normally extended desktop).
Right click my little audio icon in my tray and select Playback Devices. Change default from speakers (or realtek analog if i have headphones/speakers plugged in) and switch it to Realtek Digital Out.
Launch my playing application and do whatever, all sound and video is now through HDMI to whatever, i can also have my laptop monitor still going as well if wanted.

DV9550t with Nvidia GeForce 8600GS.

 

[quadi]

this thread is a little old now and seem the problem stay

I have a P5QL-EM asus with HDMI out
I plugged a 50 feet HDMI cable from the graphic card directly to my HDMI Panasonic

picture is great (many told me I will maybe need a booster, but it was not the case even if my cable is not monster)

the problem I have is same as eatmeimadanish
the HDMI output would "break" occasionally and a very annoying static would crush

Before I connected the same cable to my LCD screen Dell
this one have RGB-digital and HDMI in and audio output
I was never be able to get a sound out, even with a shorter HDMI cable (3 feets)

Few users here recommend to uninstall audio drivers, disconnect the HDMI, disconnect TV power cord, and then connect TV, HDMI cable and reinstall the audio drivers.

I will try this solution as this one seem the best solution I have now
but I wonder wht a motherboard provider don't find something more simple with real instruction to the how to and why counsumer have alway the dirty task to search all over to find the solution.

I will do this process this week and will (as alway) probably fall in another trouble.

I appreciate this topic is on this forum and can help peoples to enjoy their TV.