Question 5.1 Surround sound audio through Nvidia GPU HDMI port.

[HaplessNerd]

I am attempting to set up a home theater with 5.1 and eventually 7.1 surround sound with my PC. My preferred connection is an HDMI through my GPU directly to an AV receiver with 7.1 capabilities. I also have a sound card installed, which may be causing the issue. However, disabling the device seems to have no effect. Unfortunately I can't seem to get this to work at all and I am at my wits end. Here is a list of the hardware I am working with.

AV Receiver: Pioneer VSX-LX101
GPU: RTX 2080 Ti
Sound Card: STRIX SOAR (I think this is the only strix sound card model)

I have tried many set ups, none of which have worked. I found some evidence that I may need to create an edited EDID file, but I have not been able to find clear instructions on how to do so. Here is an overview of what I have tried so far.

> Display Port to HDMI through GPU. Set audio to 5.1 both through windows and STRIX app.
> HDMI to HDMI through GPU. Still using STRIX
> HDMI to HDMI with STRIX disabled
> HDMI to HDMI with STRIX enabled and Nvidia sound disabled
> Display Port to HDMI through Integrated Graphics with STRIX sound
> Disabled all audio devices except for on board HD audio

none of this worked. I am having an aneurysm. Please help.

 

[boju]

Usually it's pretty simple, I've ran Nvidia 1080Ti through Yamaha Rx1800 7.1 amp.

In playback devices in Windows do you have Nvidia high definition audio device with Tv icon to set as default?

When installing Geforce driver there are audio components, usually ticket by default, might want to try reinstall and check.

 

[HaplessNerd]

Usually it's pretty simple, I've ran Nvidia 1080Ti through Yamaha Rx1800 7.1 amp.

In playback devices in Windows do you have Nvidia high definition audio device with Tv icon to set as default?

When installing Geforce driver there are audio components, usually ticket by default, might want to try reinstall and check.

The correct audio device is selected in the windows settings.

To be clear, I am getting audio, it's just stuck in stereo. My surround sound speakers are not being utilized at all. I can technically hear all the audio that's being played, I just can't get surround sound to function.

I just did a clean install of the latest "game ready" drivers, and that has not helped.

 

[boju]

The correct audio device is selected in the windows settings.

To be clear, I am getting audio, it's just stuck in stereo. My surround sound speakers are not being utilized at all. I can technically hear all the audio that's being played, I just can't get surround sound to function.

I just did a clean install of the latest "game ready" drivers, and that has not helped.

Oh ok. So the speaker configure window for Nvidia High Def entry in playback devices doesn't give surround sound 5.1/7.1 options? Or it does and your Amp is picking it up? If it's the latter, Windows side of things should be working if surround channels are selectable, means Amp side a setting like surround decode. On my Amp remote has surround decode button which puts it into PCM mode.

 

[dwd999]

Try this: open up the old Control Panel Sound app. Select the Default Device and click the Properties button. Select the Supported Formats tab and look at the Encoded Formats dialog box. You should see a list of Dolby and DTS formats, as many as 9 of them. If you don't see that list then its a Windows problem. Also you may have to consider totally removing your Strix card from your motherboard to ensure that its not interfering with the process.

 

[HaplessNerd]

Oh ok. So the speaker configure window for Nvidia High Def entry in playback devices doesn't give surround sound 5.1/7.1 options? Or it does and your Amp is picking it up? If it's the latter, Windows side of things should be working if surround channels are selectable, means Amp side a setting like surround decode. On my Amp remote has surround decode button which puts it into PCM mode.

The speakers are set to 5.1 on both windows and the soundcard. I believe the setting is also correct on the AV Receiver. When using other input sources (such as bluetooth) all speakers operate.

 

[HaplessNerd]

Try this: open up the old Control Panel Sound app. Select the Default Device and click the Properties button. Select the Supported Formats tab and look at the Encoded Formats dialog box. You should see a list of Dolby and DTS formats, as many as 9 of them. If you don't see that list then its a Windows problem. Also you may have to consider totally removing your Strix card from your motherboard to ensure that its not interfering with the process.

I believe that bit is working. Here is a list of the available formats

DTS Audio
Dolby Digital Plus
DTS-HD
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital

 

[boju]

The speakers are set to 5.1 on both windows and the soundcard. I believe the setting is also correct on the AV Receiver. When using other input sources (such as bluetooth) all speakers operate.

When you do sound test in playback devices do you get individual speakers then? In speaker setup after selecting 5.1, click a speaker in the picture.

 

[HaplessNerd]

When you do sound test in playback devices do you get individual speakers then? In speaker setup after selecting 5.1, click a speaker in the picture.

Yes I get individual speakers. As far as I can tell, left, right, and center channels all work. But back left and back right just come out the front.

 

[boju]

Yes I get individual speakers. As far as I can tell, left, right, and center channels all work. But back left and back right just come out the front.

That is with Nvidia selected as default playback device set to 5.1 or is this the sound card?

That sound card only does virtual surround, the avr will only detect native 2.1 channels from it. Sound cards with Dolby Digital Live where channels are encoded and compressed on the fly would avr then pick up and decode multi channels over optical since optical's bandwidth is restrictive, can only do 2.1 uncompressed. This can't be helped.

Nvidia surround should work if that is set to default playback. Surround test should work and get all channels, nothing else is needed to be done. Assuming it works then actual surround sound from the content you play will vary. Usually games support surround but YouTube no. Think Netflix does?

 

[HaplessNerd]

That is with Nvidia selected as default playback device set to 5.1 or is this the sound card?

That sound card only does virtual surround, the avr will only detect native 2.1 channels from it. Sound cards with Dolby Digital Live where channels are encoded and compressed on the fly would avr then pick up and decode multi channels over optical since optical's bandwidth is restrictive, can only do 2.1 uncompressed. This can't be helped.

Nvidia surround should work if that is set to default playback. Surround test should work and get all channels, nothing else is needed to be done. Assuming it works then actual surround sound from the content you play will vary. Usually games support surround but YouTube no. Think Netflix does?

I am using the built in window utility to test each speaker individually.

Also, I'm fairly confident the sound card I have supports actual multi-channel surround up to 7.1. I bought it for that express purpose when I bought a Razer Tiamat headset back in the day (do not recommend). The card has individual 3.5 mm jacks for all 7.1 channels. I would simply but the AUX cables and use those if my AV Receiver had the ports for it.

Nvidia is definitely set to default playback in the audio control panel. I don't have a dedicated surround sound test downloaded other than the built in window one, and the one that came with the sound card. Both give the same results.

 

[boju]

Sound card's analog jacks there no problem with surround, it was only optical i meant which is the typical connection to an avr.

Does avr actually say it's receiving PCM signal from computer/ graphics card? It should, as it'll be decoding the signal. Do you have anyone or yourself with a ps3/4 or 5 to try Bluray/DVD movie on, just to fiddle with receiver side of things if there is a setting missed. Hdmi audio from graphics cards is quite simple to have working, im curious why that isn't the case here.

 

[HaplessNerd]

Sound card's analog jacks there no problem with surround, it was only optical i meant which is the typical connection to an avr.

Does avr actually say it's receiving PCM signal from computer/ graphics card? It should, as it'll be decoding the signal. Do you have anyone or yourself with a ps3/4 or 5 to try Bluray/DVD movie on, just to fiddle with receiver side of things if there is a setting missed. Hdmi audio from graphics cards is quite simple to have working, im curious why that isn't the case here.

It seems to work with my phone's bluetooth, but it's hard to tell as phones aren't exactly configured for this sort of thing. I'll see if I can track down a known good device and test it with that. I have a switch and I think it has a surround sound mode, so I'll see if I can get that working tomorrow.