Question Audio problems connecting laptop to TV

[kkilgore]

I purchased a new customized 14" laptop recently from the Scandinavian company SKIKK. I'm pretty satisfied with it, but have recently encountered some problems when connecting to my TV. Typically, I connect my laptop to the TV using an HDMI cable and both the audio and video appear on the TV as it does on the laptop. However, for a few weeks now, I am no longer receiving the audio through the TV speakers, only the laptop, to the point where I have to connect external speakers via an audio jack cable. I've fooled around the sound settings, but when I go to display in settings, the second monitor (the TV) doesn't appear. I uninstalled and reinstalled the laptop's sound drivers to no avail. When I am in my home office, I keep the laptop connected to an external monitor, but I plug in an external sound card for sound.

Next, I purchased and connected a VGA - HDMI cable so that I could connect the laptop to my TV using the PC port in the back of the TV. However, nothing appears on the TV screen. I tried using my old laptop and there was no problem, so the cable is okay. Tried again with the new laptop and something more bizarre occurs. If I select 'project-->duplicate' nothing appears on the TV. However, if I select 'project -->extend' the extended screen then shows up on TV. Why the latter and not the former, I have no idea. Just for kicks, I opened my browser and dragged it over to the extended screen and played a video, and once again, the sound doesn't come through the TV speakers, only the laptop speakers.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated, specifically in terms of how I can get the laptop audio to automatically transfer to the TV when I connect via an HDMI cable.

The laptop? Windows 10 Pro
Processor 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1195G7
32 GB RAM
64 bit

 

[jojesa]

I uninstalled and reinstalled the laptop's sound drivers to no avail.

Does the HDMI output option is available under Sounds>Playback tab?
Connect your laptop to the TV via HDMI.
Right-click volume icon in the lower right corner, next to the time.
On pop up menu select Sound and click the Playback tab.
Select HDMI , or Digital Output Device . Click Set Default and click OK.

If I select 'project-->duplicate' nothing appears on the TV. However, if I select 'project -->extend' the extended screen then shows up on TV. Why the latter and not the former, I have no idea. Just for kicks, I opened my browser and dragged it over to the extended screen and played a video, and once again, the sound doesn't come through the TV speakers, only the laptop speakers.

Try installing the latest drivers for your graphics adapter.

 

[kkilgore]

I already tried that with the output option. When I go to sounds->playback, all I see when connected to the TV is one option - speakers --Usb advanced audio device. Nothing for the HDMI option.

When I connect to my external monitor, however, two options appear - (1) speaers usb advanced audio device and (2) usb audio device (default).

For my TV's sound settings, there is an option 'HDMI input.' I've tried both 'auto' and 'digital' options, but it has no effect with the laptop sound.

I don't get it.

 

[kkilgore]

Just as an update. I tried Google Chromecast and when I streamed something, the audio came out of the TV speakers. So that was a success, but the audio, as is often the case with casting, had an irritating, regular blip.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Have you tried the above without the external sound card?
With the external sound card you will need to connect it to the TV or remove it.

 

[kkilgore]

Just to be clear - I only use the sound card when I connect the laptop to an external monitor in my home office. What I've been doing to get sound when I connect my laptop to the TV is to just plug in to the laptop an audio cable that is connected to two external speakers. I can continue like that, but it's two more cables (one is for a remote volume switch) to connect and to trip over when I'm walking around. It was a lot easier when I could just get the sound from the TV when I connect the laptop with an HDMI cable.

 

[jojesa]

The Iris Xe Graphics HDMI-out on your system might need an update, have you tried updating the graphic drivers from Intel website?

 

[kkilgore]

I tried updating the graphic drivers from device manager. I'll give Intel a shot. Thanks.

 

[kkilgore]

No change, although I didn't expect one, given I can't see how the graphics card would impact the sound. I'll just have to accept that the sound is screwed up, and hope that the problem will be resolved once I upgrade eventually to Windows 11.

 

[jojesa]

... I can't see how the graphics card would impact the sound. ...

The HDMI out sound is controlled by the graphics chip and its drivers.
When you connect an HDMI cable to the HDMI port, the sound is handle by the graphics device on your system.
That means you have two sound controllers on your laptop,...one built into the motherboard (Realtek ALC256) and another into the Intel Iris Xe graphics.

If there is a conflict or corrupted drivers, then the Intel Display Audio or Intel HDMI Display Audio should to be fully uninstall and that might need to be done manually, in Device Manager.

It could be an issue with the "customized laptop", which looks pretty standard to me...or the HDMI cable, or the TV.
Have you tried contacting the manufacturer for support?

 

[kkilgore]

Thanks - I didn't know that about the graphics chip.

Tried a few different cables, nothing.

Yes, I contacted the manufacturer first thing for support. Here is their answer. No comment.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience caused, but there are many reasons why it's not working and some of these reasons is not necessarily a hardware fault.

You can try a complete Windows reinstall otherwise a advice you to send the laptop to us for further investigation via www.skikk.eu/repair"