Intel 5000-series NUC with Sony Bravia - no 4K UHD

TwoDigital

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Jan 2, 2008
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I have an Intel NUC (BOXD54250WYK1) with the Intel 5000-enabled Core i5-4250U CPU. I've connected it to an otherwise great Sony Bravia 42.5" 4K UHD TV via HDMI cable. Specifically, a brand-new XBR43X830C.

The TV does 4K UHD wonderfully on its own, but when I try to use the NUC in any graphic mode higher than 1080p, I just get a blank screen on the display (like what you'd get when you're out-of-range.)

I've tried 60hz, 59hz, 30hz, and 29hz in the NUC control panel and the Intel graphics control panel with no luck. It works great at 1080p and it's an "hdmi 2.0 certified" mini to standard HDMI cable. I've tried several version of the Intel 5000 graphics driver software (cleanly removed and installed each time, with reboots) right up to the 5000 driver that was just released a few weeks ago.

Everything above 1080p produces a blank picture on the TV... which claims to support 4K UHD all the way up to 60hz... (the salesman at BestBuy claimed it does 4K @ 120hz, but I think that was a lie... and wasn't expecting that work.)

Am I missing something?
 
That NUC is only HDMI 1.4a compliant so the most it can push is 4k @ 30Hz. I am reading Intel's product information which says "The Intel NUC comes complete with Intel® HD Graphics 5000 to ensure a brilliant HD experience, Intel® Quick Sync Video for fast video encoding, and DisplayPort 1.2* for driving 4k displays." I am trying to verify if it is only the DP that supports 4k.

Here is the site I got that information on: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/nuc-kit-d54250wyk.html

Edit: On page 22 of this document:
http://downloadmirror.intel.com/23089/eng/D54250WYB_D34010WYB_TechProdSpec06.pdf
Lists for HDMI "The maximum supported resolution is 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz, 24bpp."
While Mini DP is "3840 x 2160 @ 30 Hz, 24bpp." So it looks like you will need to use a DP to HDMI converter.
 
I'd be okay with 30hz if that's what the NUC drives... It's a tiny little thing anyway and any content it would play is probably only 24/30 fps anyway.

As mentioned, though, 29/30 didn't work either through HDMI (though it SHOULD, if it's 1.4a certified.) I did also try 24hz with equal failure.
 
I did, yes, and thank you for checking into that. I guess I'd assumed that if it says HDMI 1.4a-compliant that it would at least do 30hz. I'll mark you as the solution in just a bit. I'll pick up a miniDP to HDMI dongle... seems strange they capped it at 1920x1200@60 instead of at least enabling higher at lower framerate.

[strike]Crud - I just realized that with that solution I'd lose the audio to the TV as well... DP outputs usually don't mux the audio into the displayport digital out. Boo.[/strike]

They claim digital audio in their DP output as well. Cool.