DVI Audio Output?

1405 · Mar 16, 2015

Up to now, I was under the impression that DVI output on graphic cards could not pass audio to a monitor's or HDTV's speakers. But I connected my gfx card to my HDTV via a DVI to HDMI cable...
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-DVI-Adapter-Cable/dp/B001TH7T2U
...and am getting Audio through my TV's speakers.

So, why? The pin-outs of the DVI connections we normally are shown, show no audio pins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#/media/File

VI_pinout.svg
I've got my guesses, but no hard facts.

dark_lord69 · Mar 16, 2015

AMD (and perhaps nvidia [not sure]) has made some unoffical changes to a standard DVI out port that will output sound via HDMI. Typically they required special adapters but if that cable works then, I'm not too surprise...

SO.. Yeah..
The general DVI cable standard doesn't not include room for audio but AMD has altered that standard so people could use the adapters and an HDMI cable to connect to TV's or other screens with HDMI inputs.

I know because I used the adapter to HDMI in the past to connect to my TV.
Also, because I did the same reading and digging you did before I found an answer.

FreshPineApples · Mar 16, 2015

Dvi D has sound it is DVI-I and DVI-A that doesn't

junkeymonkey · Mar 16, 2015

that above is incorrect seeing I only use dvi-I

read 2ed to last post

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/342657-33-sound-port-hdmi

with my amd card some drivers will some will not [sometimes I don't install the amd cards hidef audio driver and that maybe why??]

Wolfshadw · Mar 16, 2015

DVI-A : Analog Only
DVI-I : Integrated (Both analog and digital)
DVI-D : Digital Only

"A", "I", or "D" has nothing to do with audio.

-Wolf sends

clutchc · Mar 16, 2015

I'll add to that with the fact that my R9-290X also is connected to an HDTV via DVI to HDMI. I normally use a 2.1 speaker system, but if I switch to the TV speakers in Windows/Sound my TV speakers produce the audio. So dark_lord69 may be correct. But it isn't a recent thing. My old(er) GTX 570 would do that too.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

DVI to HDMI-- that's the key to it all plus driver support

aylafan · Mar 17, 2015

This is nothing new. Even my old ATI HD 3850 (2007) came with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter for video & audio. The OP probably threw his DVI-to-HDMI adapter away by accident or stored it somewhere. HDMI was a lot more expensive back then and not many people took advantage of it.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

I thought you needed the full wired cable for this and the adaptor did not support that audio ??? [no need to go into detail cause I really don't care why use crap tv speakers to start with ?? unless its a emergency ]

FreshPineApples · Mar 17, 2015

My point is you can't convert analog dvi to hdmi it has to support digital ._.

1405 · Mar 17, 2015

I guess what I really wanted to know, was how can the typical DVI-D port on my graphics card supply audio? Over what pins? if you look at the typical DVI-D pinout, I don't see any audio pins: http://pinouts.ru/Video/dvi_pinout.shtml
Is it superimposed over the video pins?

@ aylafan
I am using an adapter. It's in the form of a cable; HDMI at one end, DVI-D at the other end. See link above.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

I think if you read the thread I gave its that with AMD they use the unused pins in the dvi to hdmi to carry the signal over the hdmi port -- the best I can see it as described and this maybe due to digital output cause I never had a analog system that used hdmi
but now I think you can only do sound from eather the sound card from off the board or through the card but not both at the same time seems like if my speakers are hooked up to the mother boards ports the hmdi to the tv don't work but if I unhook the speakers it wiil then come through the tvspeakers [????]

another example of what I said here in the best answer

this may also be card dependent on weather it will do this or not it seem so like this 7850 may and this other 7850 may not ????

http://www.tomsguide.com/forum/57735-6-audio

clutchc · Mar 17, 2015

junkeymonkey :

You may be right. But from what I can see in the pin-out diagram, there are no spare pins.
BTW, I just found out that I can switch between the TV speakers and my external speakers (connected to the mobo) in Windows/Sound. So it would appear the external speakers are using the mobo's integrated sound and the TV speakers are using the graphic card's sound output.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

ya, I don't know all the details as well but I do know what all I said goes on here [i'll check out what you said on that windows thing ] interesting ..

ok its there never looked at that [lol]

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

ha. just to add this 6850 has it listed [hdtv] but not showing its connected nor can I make it , but I do know for a fact my 7850 puts out from the hdtv so i'll take it as the [ or this] 6850 don't support it ?? wait I don't think I installed the amd hidef audio driver on this 6850 card as well so that maybe the issue there as well for this test of that???

1405 · Mar 17, 2015

I've been Googling the question and find that no one seems to have a concrete answer. In fact, the most common thinking is that it can't be done. So maybe I need to contact my graphic card manufacturer and ask them. But junkeymonkey may be on the right track if any of those pins are unused.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

well ya' cause it works just fine for me if I were to use it with the 7850 card - so do I need to install them amd hidef drivers to check out this 6850 as well ???

only thing as I said above is I only use the DVI- ''I'' so I don't know about how or what DVI-''D'' will do [ dvi-I has the 4 little pins around the flat bladed part for analog support that is not in use on this hdtv due to its digital ] so it maybe traveling on them ???

clutchc · Mar 17, 2015

junkeymonkey :

No, because I'm using DVI-D (with no analog pins) and it works. But yes, you have to have the HDMI portion of the gfx driver installed to allow the audio chip in the card to function.

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

that's cool I just don't use dvi-d so I could not say yes or no to that ... but what I did see when looking is how they say for AMD is how they cheat the interface some how .. so i'll just take it as that ??? cant find no diagram or schematic [for lack of a better word] on how its really done it may just jump on random lanes as needed ?????

then I wonder if NVidia does things the same way ??

junkeymonkey · Mar 17, 2015

if you got to the pin out deal at the winki site on this dvi look at pin 8 and 15 there analog support that should not be in use for the digital use ?? maybe on that ?? plus the flat bar pin

Pin 8
Analog vertical sync

Pin 15
Ground Return for pin 18 and analog sync

clutchc · Mar 17, 2015

junkeymonkey :

Ya got me. But I would think audio would take at least 3 pins. Left, right, and common. And maybe the analog vert. sync signal is still needed even with digital video. That's a bit out of my expertise.

junkeymonkey · Mar 18, 2015

I cant find anything solid . so i'll just take it as it works if or when needed and be happy with that... I guess

DVI Audio Output?

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