Video Card with HDMI - both video and audio?

[BoboKatt]

Hey all,

I was at my local computer retailer the other day and he had both ATI based and nVidia based video cards from Asus that show on the box that they can both send out Video and Audio through an HDMI out.

I believe that it was an ATI2600 and Nvidia 8600GT.

Are any of the higher end cards that can do this? I assume somehow these cards allow you to feed in your audio from your audio card and then the video card can somehow combine the video and audio, which is pumped out through its HDMI. This is exactly what I want for my HTPC.

Would anyone know of other cards that can do this or is anyone actually running a card like this using HDMI out for both audio and video? How is the card quality wise while watching DVD's or movies etc on your TV?

Are there higher end cards that also support this feature? 8800GT or GTX etc.?

Are both ATI and Nvidia at this stage as good in video quality?

Thanks

 

[onlyCOpunk]

I didn't know that video cards could handle sound? Either way if you were using it a HTPC setup you would want a sound card to do the sound work. If the video card could output sound I don't really think it would be in a true HD format. I could be wrong though. Would be interesting to know if video cards can do this.

 

[Rhoxed]

i have the 8600GTS and it is not possible to recieve sound from it. While HDMI does support sound, you will probably never get audio through it from a video card in the near future. Use optical cables from sound card, or even alot of newer on-board sound cards support SPDIF and Optical cables.

 

[Binky]

Some (but not all) ATI 2x00 and Nvidia 8500-8600 cards can pipe the audio through the HDMI cable. An HDMI cable is basically DVI+audio. ATI 2x00 (e.g. 2600xt) cards can actually do the audio processing on the video card itself. The Nvidia 8x00 cards cannot do this, but some can accept the audio input via spdif from the motherboard or sound card. The end result is about the same - digital audio and video get to your TV/receiver/preamp via a single cable.

My suggestions for an HTPC would be to look at the 8500GT, 8600GT, 2600pro, and 2600xt cards if you have the spdif output on motherboard or sound card. If not look at only the 2600pro or XT cards. Don't bother with the 8400 cards. The 8500GT is also subpar, as is the 2400pro/XT but they can work fine too. Be sure to buy a card with the HDMI adaptor included. This can be very important. Spend a few more minutes researching and a few more dollars to get the card with the adaptor included. Also, make sure the card is HDCP compliant.

 

[taltamir]

its an HDMI plug that only sends video... to connect to HDMI only TVs....

the only cards with the circuitry needed for that are the 8600, 8400, and 8800GT... everything else was manufactured too early and doesn't support it... But the GT is not gonna have it for a while now, since those a specialty cards and currently they can even keep the normal ones in stock.

It is all pointless anyways cause in about a month or so they are gonna start making "DisplayPort" video cards...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_port

well ok, probably not, I bet it will be pushed back...

 

[Peter]

Some of the latest ATI cards have an integrated digital audio output engine themselves, no need to borrow an SPDIF-out from the mainboard's sound.

 

[taltamir]

which cards?

 

[Ylurien]

Ok, I don`t know much about this stuff at all, but I have a 2900Pro that supports HDMI sound. I am currently using a Soundblaster Audigy 2, but would it be possible to take that out and just use my 2900Pro with HDMI for audio instead? What would the difference in sound quality be? Also, how do I use the speakers that I have been plugging into my sound card with HDMI?

Thanks!

 

[taltamir]

I think your video card is only forwarding the sound, it is not processing it. So it wouldn't work without a sound card. If you take it out it will just have the onboard driver take care of things...

 

[Binky]

Like I said in my original post...and Peter seconded...some ATI cards can do the audio processing on the video card itself. It's not really processing though, since it is only sending a digital signal out for something else to process. To use this single-cable-HDMI solution, you must feed it into an audio receiver, TV, or preamp. It's a digital signal...just like your DVD player outputs to your audio receiver. Some Nvidia cards can also pass this signal into the HDMI cable but they can't do the audio part without the help of a soundcard.

So to answer your question in your second post Ylurien - you can't feed your speakers without a sound card (that outputs analog audio) or without feeding the digital audio signal (coax cable, optical cable, or HDMI) into an audio receiver for processing (into an analog signal).

 

[dmb60614]

Originally posted by: taltamir
which cards?

use newegg's power search and search for cards with hdmi support. it should list the ones with hdmi that include audio.

from what i have seen though, the integrated audio on those cards is 5.1 whereas some sound cards are 7.1.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: taltamir
I think your video card is only forwarding the sound, it is not processing it. So it wouldn't work without a sound card. If you take it out it will just have the onboard driver take care of things...

And no multichannel audio in games at all. This is only for movies and TV etc.

 

[saiga6360]

So only for cards with a dedicated HDMI output? Sound cannot carry over DVI-HDMI cable? I tried it on my 3870 to the LCD TV but got no sound.

 

[bigsnyder]

It would be worth a try since some of those ATI cards with audio pass-through have DVI connectors
(The HDMI is provided via included adapter). They are cheap enough at Monoprice that it would be
worth the gamble.

 

[saiga6360]

I tried it last night and did not get sound, just video. I use a 4 ft. DVI-HDMI cable. I will try again tonight on a different HDMI port on the TV but it looks like the DVI port does not transmit audio, and I think this is within spec. I wish someone else can confirm this. It would have been nifty to have this feature usable now but I think we may have to wait for cards with HDMI out, probably at a higher cost due to licensing and such.

Oh well, I was aiming to buy another card for my desktop but it looks like I will have to do it for my HTPC instead. No biggie.

 

[secretanchitman]

Originally posted by: saiga6360
I tried it last night and did not get sound, just video. I use a 4 ft. DVI-HDMI cable. I will try again tonight on a different HDMI port on the TV but it looks like the DVI port does not transmit audio, and I think this is within spec. I wish someone else can confirm this. It would have been nifty to have this feature usable now but I think we may have to wait for cards with HDMI out, probably at a higher cost due to licensing and such.

Oh well, I was aiming to buy another card for my desktop but it looks like I will have to do it for my HTPC instead. No biggie.

dvi only carries video.

for now, the best solution is to use a dvi-dvi/dvi-hdmi for the video card, and use optical/coax for sound.

 

[saiga6360]

Yep, I figured as much. It's a shame as I am dying to test this feature out. Newegg should fix their search tab for HDMI as it appears not one of the 3000 series cards out there have HDMI output, unless their pics are lying.

EDIT: I looked over past AMD cards and found only the lower end HD2400Pro with HDMI out. I hope they don't consider the 3000 series cards too high end for this feature to be useful. Maybe it just never worked right but then why advertise the feature?

 

[saiga6360]

Doh, I got the audio to work. You have to use the HDMI adapter that comes with the card. Apparently it is special. Now I feel like an idiot wasting money on a separate cable.