HTPC HDMI Sound and Video Card

[danieljcary]

I want to build a HTPC. Im going to use a radeon HD video card. Will the hdmi output of this card provide the audio for it? By providing the audio will it use resources from the GPU? If I add a sound card will the card provide the audio and still route it through the hdmi output? Just curious...

 

[MothMusic]

I want to build a HTPC. Im going to use a radeon HD video card. Will the hdmi output of this card provide the audio for it? By providing the audio will it use resources from the GPU? If I add a sound card will the card provide the audio and still route it through the hdmi output? Just curious...

We can't help you unless you state the specific parts and what machine there going to go on.

 

[danieljcary]

well what parts might you suggest so that the sound travels through the hdmi cable, without using resources from the GPU?

 

[danieljcary]

GIGABYTE GV-R489UD-1GD Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
ASUS Xonar D1 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Thermaltake EVO_Blue W0308RU 750W ATX 12V 2.3 / EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
A-DATA Plus Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1333PB2G7-3P - Retail
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
LG Black 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Combo LG Blu-ray Reader & 16X LightScribe DVD±R DVD Burner - Retail
Moneual LAB Black Aluminum 972B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail

this is what im thinking... any suggestions? im not too sure how to setup the sound... help would be appreciated!!!

 

[MothMusic]

GIGABYTE GV-R489UD-1GD Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
ASUS Xonar D1 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Thermaltake EVO_Blue W0308RU 750W ATX 12V 2.3 / EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
A-DATA Plus Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1333PB2G7-3P - Retail
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
LG Black 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Combo LG Blu-ray Reader & 16X LightScribe DVD±R DVD Burner - Retail
Moneual LAB Black Aluminum 972B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail

this is what im thinking... any suggestions? im not too sure how to setup the sound... help would be appreciated!!!

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/29-132-007-S09?$S640W$

Look closely at the image: "Connecting VGA card Via new S/PDIF header for HDMI output"

 

[danieljcary]

ok so would the video card have to have a s/pdif input on it?

 

[MothMusic]

ok so would the video card have to have a s/pdif input on it?

I believe whatever is playing the file, so either your gpu, or your motherboard.

Other people have similar problems/questions:
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS354US354&aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=S/PDIF+HEADER

 

[MothMusic]

This article will tell you what you need to know:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/600

 

[MothMusic]

Also take a look at this:
http://thedigitallifestyle.com/cs/blogs/members/archive/2009/06/23/be-carefull-when-choosing-a-graphics-card-for-your-htpc.aspx

 

[howardp6]

No if you use a DVI to HDMI adapter and a HDMI cable to connect to your Television you can get audio through the HDMI cable. You may have disable the PC speaker and or the s/pdif to get the audio to work correctly. Blu-ray disks require a HDPC DVI monitor or a HDMI television. You have to swap the displays and have the TV as the default display or have not monitor connected to get the Video feed to the TV to work or feed it into a receiver witha HDMI HDPC compliant connection. HDPC is problematic since the entire chain has to be HDPC compliant .

 

[MothMusic]

No if you use a DVI to HDMI adapter and a HDMI cable to connect to your Television you can get audio through the HDMI cable. You may have disable the PC speaker and or the s/pdif to get the audio to work correctly. Blu-ray disks require a HDPC DVI monitor or a HDMI television. You have to swap the displays and have the TV as the default display or have not monitor connected to get the Video feed to the TV to work.

Is there any noticeable difference in sound after all this work?

 

[danieljcary]

i want full hd sound and at least 1080p hd video. so will that do it?

 

[danieljcary]

So from what im reading it looks to me that the radeon HD cards transmit the spdif signal across the pcie without the use of a spdif cable. The Nvidia cards need the spdif cable from either the mobo or the sound card. Is there any ATI documentation that anyone knows of that can back this up?