[SOLVED] High quality PC audio with hi rez monitor

[Ace of Sevens]

I have a multi-PC switching system. This lets me dock my laptop & use my desktop in the same set-up. I use a USB switch for keyboard & mouse and a Sony STRDH550 receiver for audio & video. It all worked great until today, when I upgraded from 1080p to a new 2560x1440 monitor. My computer sees the receiver as the video output device & won't allow me to select any resolutions above 1080p. Here are my questions:

Is there some way to use DisplayPort for video out and HDMI for audio out? This would only address the issue on my desktop, but that may be good enough. I have GTX 1060 graphics.

Would a newer receiver that supports later HDMI standards resolve this? If so, what are some cheaper models that would work?

Why doesn't anyone make receivers that support DisplayPort? I'd think there'd be demand in the high end PC audio sector.

Is there some way of splitting the audio from a DisplayPort signal & running the video to the monitor & audio to the receiver. This would probably be the most cost-effective solutions without a bunch of compromises.

 

[Lutfij]

The HDMI on your receiver is a passthrough, so that means the issue might very well be on your OS/GPU end. Can you check and see what your OS version is? You should ideally be on version 21H1. Next thing is to check and see what BIOS version you're currently on for your motherboard(+make and model of your motherboard). Lastly, I'd use DDU and uninstall GPU drivers, reboot, reinstall GPU drivers with the latest sourced from Nvidia's support site, and install it manually in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

 

[Ace of Sevens]

The HDMI on your receiver is a passthrough, so that means the issue might very well be on your OS/GPU end. Can you check and see what your OS version is? You should ideally be on version 21H1. Next thing is to check and see what BIOS version you're currently on for your motherboard(+make and model of your motherboard). Lastly, I'd use DDU and uninstall GPU drivers, reboot, reinstall GPU drivers with the latest sourced from Nvidia's support site, and install it manually in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

Turning on pass through on the receiver has no effect. The card still detects the receiver as the display and can't select resolutions over 1080p. I'm not clear what reinstalling graphics drivers is supposed to do. Multiple computers are behaving the same way.

 

[hang-the-9]

The receiver likely has an audio aux in, run an audio cable from the sound card to the receiver aux in, and set the default audio to the sound card not HDMI.

 

[Ace of Sevens]

The receiver likely has an audio aux in, run an audio cable from the sound card to the receiver aux in, and set the default audio to the sound card not HDMI.

Aux can only do stereo, though. At that point, my audio system would have no advantage over regular PC speakers. Potentially, I could do DTS 5.1 over optical. I think that's supported. The would be compressed, but at least be multi-channel. However, this solution only works for the desktop.

Ideally, I want to be able to use HDMI or DisplayPort audio because it's higher quality than any other output method, can be put out by any vaguely modern computing device & is easily switchable along with the video. When I was running a 1080p system, it just worked. I think there are receivers that will handle a 2560x1440 60Hz signal. I just don't know which ones & this info doesn't seem to be readily available.

 

[hang-the-9]

Aux can only do stereo, though. At that point, my audio system would have no advantage over regular PC speakers. Potentially, I could do DTS 5.1 over optical. I think that's supported. The would be compressed, but at least be multi-channel. However, this solution only works for the desktop.

Ideally, I want to be able to use HDMI or DisplayPort audio because it's higher quality than any other output method, can be put out by any vaguely modern computing device & is easily switchable along with the video. When I was running a 1080p system, it just worked. I think there are receivers that will handle a 2560x1440 60Hz signal. I just don't know which ones & this info doesn't seem to be readily available.

If you look for a 4k capable receiver, that should work for you for the higher resolution. I doubt any will list if they work at 1440, but 4K for sure would be listed since it's such a looked for feature.

 

[Ace of Sevens]

If you look for a 4k capable receiver, that should work for you for the higher resolution. I doubt any will list if they work at 1440, but 4K for sure would be listed since it's such a looked for feature.

My current receiver is 4K capable. It's not there. This may be because it doesn't support 4K 60, but not sure.

 

[hang-the-9]

My current receiver is 4K capable. It's not there. This may be because it doesn't support 4K 60, but not sure.

The 2560x1440 should not need a full 60hz at 4k to work. Have you checked with Sony support? Although it's not likely you will get much from them, most support for products is pretty bad with questions like this.

 

[Ace of Sevens]

Update on this, I realized video games can see the higher resolutions fine. It's just the display settings that can't. I want to be able to use Lightroom in full resolution, so need to figure this out, but seems like there's no technical reason it shouldn't work. Two different computers have the issue where display settings can't see resolutions over 1920x1080, though they are a GeForce 1060 and Intel HD 4400, both of which should be capable of higher resolutions.