Audio from HDMI and Analog?

[ptcolombo]

Hello,
Just built a HTPC around the GA-A75M-UD2H mobo and using HDMI for the vidio and audio out. I want to feed a second zone the audio also from the home theater, but my amp (most amps) won't pass digital. I've tried to use the analog front speaker outs, but the mobo won't do both at the same time. Either the HDMI works or the analog, but not simultaneously. Can this be done?

 

[Paperdoc]

This seems "normal" to me. In the card I have (a Diamond based on an ATI 4670), audio on the HDMI output is provided by a sound chip in the video card, and it has NO connection to the audio output connectors of the mobo - those outputs are fed from a mobo-based chip. Since you can't activate BOTH audio chips simultaneously, you get one or the other.

If you are comfortable with feeding an analog signal to the second site, does your amp at the first have any Line Out ports you could take an analog signal from?

 

[ptcolombo]

Paperdoc, thanks but the Pioneer AV I'm using doesn't do DAC to any outputs. My old Shuttle system would let me simultaneously use an optical and analog outputs. Was hoping this might andni was just missing how to do it. Just using mobo services for video and audio-no add on boards. I'll have to explore the line out option but that kills using separate sources fornthe two zones.

 

[Wolfshadw]

If I remember correctly, you could do both analog and digital audio out with Windows XP, but no longer with Windows 7.

-Wolf sends

 

[ptcolombo]

Since I'm using on board services, do you think if I got a separate cheapo audio card I could run both. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Wolfshadw]

As I understand it, Windows 7 will only output via a single device. Adding a discrete sound card won't do anything.

-Wolf sends

 

[ptcolombo]

Best answer selected by Ptcolombo.

 

[fibber2]

New here, and thought I try the search function before posting a new thread (I know, what was I thinking???).

I too am trying to defeat the Win7 "one audio out at a time" restriction.

The box is a year old Dell XPS x8300-5215NBK (Best Buy special edition). Core i7 / 8gig / integrated audio / ATI Radeon HD 5770 two slot graphics card with DVI & HDMI outputs / Win7 64bit OS.

The PC is some distance away in the kitchen with a Dell 23” monitor (DVI jack on the ATI card) and basic PC speakers (mini phono jack from the motherboard). We recently added a new 55” smart-TV to the family room, but quickly discovered that the Yahoo-based interface lacks a real browser. In the quest for more choices, I added a 50’ HDMI cable between the PC and the 3rd input on the TV to get a more Google-TV like experience. I know that the video card HDMI carries audio per the ATI site, so it should have worked. And a wireless keyboard like the iPazzPort kp-810-10a makes remote show selection possible. Well, almost…

The picture quality is really very good. What looks great on the 23” monitor still looks fine on the 55” panel. But no sound! I found in Control Panel the “Manage Audio Devices” page, and a gentlemen over on the Dell board confirmed what I had already figured out - you can only have one "default" audio playback device at a time, either your "Speakers" (PC Sound) or HDMI output. Win7 doesn’t seem to allow both concurrently.

I know that the ATI card had it's own audio processor chip set, and so should be able to produce sound on HDMI and Display Port independent of what the onboard audio or a separate audio card is doing. If that’s so, is there a way to turn the HDMI audio output on permanently thru some ATI interface to have sound concurrently in both rooms, and bypass this Win7 limitation?

Question #2: Right now the HDMI sound output is a variable level output matching the way the PC speakers side works. Any way to fix this to a full line level (1v p-p) output so that the TV & 5.1 receiver sees it just like the Bluray or TiVo in terms of input audio level? I can see the kids cranking the receiver up because the PC output is low, and then switching over to the TiVo and frying a speaker! And of course ideally I’d like the PC side to retain it’s variable output for driving the desktop speakers.

Silly limitations are making the creation of a remote HTPC more difficult than it should be! Thanks in advance for any ideas.