Question Only 2 channel audio over HDMI

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mcgge1360

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Oct 3, 2017
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I'll start off by paying my TV IS capable of surround sound passthrough. (Vizio p65) The TV is plugged into the computer, which is plugged into the receiver for audio (SPDIF optical). (previously an xbox was connected the same way and gave 5.1 audio). The receiver does NOT have an HDMI input and the computer does NOT have optical. This is the only way I can connect them. Only 2 channel audio is currently working. I've tried buying a cheap optical sound card but that was a waste of time and kept clicking and still only worked with 2 channels on optical.

I have tried using a few different drivers, none of which seem to work. I have turned on surround on the TV, tried multiple ports including the ARC one, and set audio to bitstream. No matter what I do, it will ALWAYS support a MAX 2 channels (under the audio control panel, not "it's only playing 2 channels because i'm playing audio with 2 channels")

GPU (and what's running audio) is RX 480 over HDMI.

Somewhere I heard that it's because windows is trying to push atmos and windows sonic (whatever those crappy virtualized audio systems are) so they're not giving good support for it. Can I force windows to send 5.1 audio? or are there any drivers that will do it for me?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Windows doesn't compress pcm Dolby/Dts HD audio over optical like consoles do and TV is only capable of passing audio that it is given be it via live compression or content with already compressed encoded audio. Optical's bandwidth limit of raw audio is 2.1 channels.

If you have a dvd player in your pc and a 5.1 dvd movie, play it to test and should see 5.1 passthrough.

Some expensive TVs may have compression hardware to encode on the fly but generally not because of Dolby/Dts licensing.

There may be sound cards with live compression but aren't aware of any. Some Asus Xonar claim 5.1 but only via speaker wire, they don't do 5.1 over optical.

What analog inputs does your avr have? Is it possible to run audio jacks from pc to fronts, centre and rears like pc speakers?
 
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boju said:
Windows doesn't compress pcm Dolby/Dts HD audio over optical like consoles do and TV is only capable of passing audio that it is given be it via live compression or content with already compressed encoded audio. Optical's bandwidth limit of raw audio is 2.1 channels.

If you have a dvd player in your pc and a 5.1 dvd movie, play it to test and should see 5.1 passthrough.

Some expensive TVs may have compression hardware to encode on the fly but generally not because of Dolby/Dts licensing.

There may be sound cards with live compression but aren't aware of any. Some Asus Xonar claim 5.1 but only via speaker wire, they don't do 5.1 over optical.

What analog inputs does your avr have? Is it possible to run audio jacks from pc to fronts, centre and rears like pc speakers?
Click to expand...

Absolutely no surround is working. Whether it be a stream, game, dvd, ect. The speakers are all plain wire and require amplification, which is why i'm using the receiver. Buying an optical sound card makes it more difficult as well as the TV is used for more than just the computer and I would like to have surround all the time when I can. The receiver only has optical as an input that supports surround. the others wouldn't work (USB, AUX, and ipod)
 
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Well if you cant run motherboard audio jacks to your avr for analogue surround sound then sadly the avr is too dated.

You wont get uncompressed HD surround Hdmi audio passing through the TV. Optical cable doesn't have the bandwidth.
 
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boju said:
Well if you cant run motherboard audio jacks to your avr for analogue surround sound then sadly the avr is too dated.

You wont get uncompressed HD surround Hdmi audio passing through the TV. Optical cable doesn't have the bandwidth.
Click to expand...
I don't need it to be uncompressed. Either way, it supports dts digital surround and dolby digital pro logic, so those encodings should be able to send
 
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boju said:
Well if you cant run motherboard audio jacks to your avr for analogue surround sound then sadly the avr is too dated.

You wont get uncompressed HD surround Hdmi audio passing through the TV. Optical cable doesn't have the bandwidth.
Click to expand...
I managed to swap out the receiver for one with HDMI in. Dolby digital content plays at 5.1, but i'm still only seeing 2 channels in the sound panel. The receiver would not connect on my second HMDI on the RX 480, but on intel HD it is, any playing TWO channel and DD content fine. How do I get it to send 5.1 over HDMi now? No optical cables are involved. HDMI from PC to TV, and HDMI from PC to receiver.
 
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What avr is it and does it have hdmi out? If it's got an hdmi out why not connect pc directly to the amp?

When ive connected gtx770 to my amp (Yamaha Rx1800) all i had to do was change amp to surround decode, set 7.1 in Windows audio playback for Nvidia high definition device and that was it.
 
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boju said:
What avr is it and does it have hdmi out? If it's got an hdmi out why not connect pc directly to the amp?

When ive connected gtx770 to my amp (Yamaha Rx1800) all i had to do was change amp to surround decode, set 7.1 in Windows audio playback for Nvidia high definition device and that was it.
Click to expand...
HT904SA. Windows audio playback only shows 2 channel option. Receiver only supports 1080p/60, TV is 4K/60 or 1080p/120.
UYZ2WRr.png
 
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That lg only has an optical input, of course it wont play surround sound from TV or PC. You're back to square one again with the source "Windows" does not compress audio. Perhaps look at Windows sonic audio software (free) and see how you go with that, have never used it so not sure how effective it is.

Hdmi from Windows is in wav format, it is not compressed. Optical uncompressed audio "natural audio" is only 2 channels digitally.

Systems like the Lg are restricted to what you can put through it. The media that you play via disc is already in the format the lg player can decode. Same thing with a console. Console's audio can be set to compressed dolby digital to fit multi channel through an optical cable. I mean the source is already 'prepared'. Window's audio is not, it is uncompressed HD digital audio. It's bitstream is too large to fit through an optical cable hence why Hdmi has replaced optical.

This is what i mean about an avr. An avr that can connect via Hdmi directly and process HD audio with no compression. This is what Windows playback device surround sound is looking for.

VSX-933%28B%29_MDC_MMA_MMB_MMP_LS%40171013%40L.jpg
 
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boju said:
That manual is for other models as well so probably one of the other ones.

So your pc is connected via Hdmi directly into the avr. In windows click the device and then configure.

Window should look like

484159.image1.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes, the PC is connected to the receiver DIRECTLY via HDMI (If i have to show you a picture of it I will, but trust me). Still only have the option for stereo audio.
nOyKm4Z.png
 
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boju said:
No i believe you i said the manual covers various models and im looking through it.

Have you tried using the graphics card? I'm not sure if Intel's igpu does surround.
Click to expand...
I have tried, but It doesn't seem to connect. I'm not sure why. I have 2 HDMI ports, so I SHOULD be able to use them both at the same time with nothing else. (Unlike my old 5750 that would only allow 3 monitors if one was DP) No adapters are being used. I'm not exactly sure why it's not working, but i'll keep trying. This GPU has done 3 monitors before (only using one now, plus the receiver)
 
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Power down both pc and avr. Disconnect both hdmi cables. Connect only graphics card to avr.

Power on avr first then pc. Or try reverse order. Tv may be in this order as well. Trying to establish an Hdmi handshake.

Need to try get gpu audio through the avr. I have my doubts with Intel. Gpu's for the longest time equipped with Hdmi have an audio chip for surround pcm.
 
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boju said:
What resolution is your gpu set at? The lg passes 1080p, wondering if resolution may be the reason there's no picture?
Click to expand...
It's completely not detected when plugged into the RX 480. On Intel HD, I can set the resolution to 4K and it be perfectly fine, but I set it to 600x800 to reduce GPU usage (after all it's not actually being used for video, only audio). Both work fine. I can't really change the resolution, as it's not even detected as a monitor on the RX 480.
 
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boju said:
What resolution is your gpu set at? The lg passes 1080p, wondering if resolution may be the reason there's no picture?
Click to expand...
So... update after screwing around a bit. Left HDMI from receiver in RX 480, changed setting on main display to 1080p, magically connects. But now the main is only allowing 4K/30 and... I'm still only able to select 2 channel audio.

Update: 4K/60 is allowed with HDR off. Still trying to get 5.1 channel audio instead of 2 though
 
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