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HDMI-Sound without Video?

C

C-Otto

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 26, 2004
Messages
95
Hi there,

I'd like to buy a NVIDIA card with HDMI support and use the HDMI connection to play music on my AV system. Is it possible to use the DVI output for video (attached to my computer display) while at the same time using the HDMI output for audio only? Cloning the video signal is no possible solution, because I need a resolution of 2560x1600, which is not possible with HDMI.

Thanks,
Carsten
 
doesnt 2560x1600 require dual link dvi?

i dont know how you'd run an extra cable to you AV receiver...


i do exactly what you are talking about but i have a matx motherboard with 9400 igp. i use the hdmi output from my motherboard for video and sound to my living room tv/receiver and use my gtx 285 for playing games on my main monitor.
 
NVidia cards only support a link to SPDIF audio for audio over HDMI, so why not feed SPDIF/optical or analogue directly to the amp instead of going through HDMI?
 
2560x1600 needs Dual Link DVI, yes. But that has nothing to do with HDMI. I was just saying that I cannot simply clone the signal to both outputs.

I do not want to use two cables. HDMI has this nice feature of providing video and audio over the same cable and I'd like to use it.

The question remains: Can I use my DVI output for my computer screen and, at the same time, use the HDMI output for sound transportation without video?
 
I know with ATI cards (if you have one with an hdmi output) you can set your primary sound outpit (via windows) as HDMI. The primary display DVI should remain normal and sound will be routed through the HDMI. However, when two cables are plugged into the card and both are active, it defaults to cloning/extending the screen. Disabling the secondary display device in the CCC should disable video on the HDMI and allow you to set resolutions beyond the confines of HDMI.

I don't have a card with HDMI output so I can't test it, but I do know the ATI sound driver is mainly controlled by windows. I'd assume the nvidia control panel can do the same thing.
 
I have done that with my nVidia card (8500gt/9800gt).

There is a sound output for the nVidia card, (for me) I have to set the Realtek Digital Audio device as default, and I use DVI as my main output (through a VGA converter, my signature explains this).

Just plug in the DVI and set the Digital (or HDMI, depending on your sound device name) as the Windows Default output. (I haven't tried XP with this...)
 
Thanks, that sounds good. I do not use windows, though.

PS: I think I'll buy a GTX 260 from Gainward.
 
Crispy002 said:
I know with ATI cards (if you have one with an hdmi output) you can set your primary sound outpit (via windows) as HDMI. The primary display DVI should remain normal and sound will be routed through the HDMI. However, when two cables are plugged into the card and both are active, it defaults to cloning/extending the screen. Disabling the secondary display device in the CCC should disable video on the HDMI and allow you to set resolutions beyond the confines of HDMI.

I don't have a card with HDMI output so I can't test it, but I do know the ATI sound driver is mainly controlled by windows. I'd assume the nvidia control panel can do the same thing.
Click to expand...
You can do that with all ATI 4x00 cards, even when they only have DVI. Just use the DVI to HDMI adapter that comes with the graphicscard and you will get 7.1 LPCM, if your receiver supports it.
 
C-Otto said:
Thanks, that sounds good. I do not use windows, though.

PS: I think I'll buy a GTX 260 from Gainward.
Click to expand...

you forgot to mention in your original post that the card you wanted would have seperate hdmi output port...yes, it should work fine for sound.
 
I'm struggling to understand this.
I recommended to use SPDIF/optical or analogue earlier but the op said he doesnt want an extra cable.
If HDMI is going to be used for audio only, then it is an extra cable.

Am I missing something?
 
It is not used audio only the whole time. I'd like to use the HDMI connection for video or video+audio. This thread states the question: is it possible to use this HDMI connection also (!) for audio without video?
 
The only solution to this problem is to buy a dedicated HDMI sound card such as the Auzentech X-Fi HTHD, and feed it with a dummy video input such as from a VGA to HDMI converter. It would then merge the dummy video input with the PC audio. You can't output just audio from any GPU over HDMI.
 
If you are using multiple outputs it drives your video card to 3d base clocks, just remember that, so your idle temps will be halfway between full gaming load and 2d idle. So if you idle at 35C, gaming load 70C, using multiple outputs will result in constant idle probably in 50+C range.
 
Worse yet if you have a 2560x1600 monitor and a 3D Vision monitor there is no way to get HDMI audio through the GPU.
 
KurianOfBorg said:
The only solution to this problem is to buy a dedicated HDMI sound card such as the Auzentech X-Fi HTHD, and feed it with a dummy video input such as from a VGA to HDMI converter. It would then merge the dummy video input with the PC audio. You can't output just audio from any GPU over HDMI.
Click to expand...

RISE! RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!
 
Good lord, how many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Yes, it's perfectly possible with any Nvidia GPU from the 500 series and up.

1. Connect your display device via DVI.
2. Connect your AV receiver to the card via HDMI.
3. Either manually set the default audio device to the Nvidia output via the windows control panel, OR just go into your BIOS and disable your motherboard's onboard audio.

It's pretty goddamned simple.


OP, you mentioned in the middle of the thread that you were planning to buy a GTX 260. I advise against that, look instead for something in the GTX 500 or 600 family. The reason for this is that previous to the 500 series cards, Nvidia cards did not have dedicated audio streaming capability. Instead they used an optional SPDIF passthrough cable that would run from your sound card's internal SPDIF header to a special 2-pin connector on the edge of the Nvidia card. This cable is hard to get hold of, and the solution as a whole is a general pain in the ass to use.

Get a GTX 500 or 600 series card and enjoy digital audio goodness over HDMI - even with only an AV receiver connected to that HDMI port.
 
Last edited:
Is there a way to do the above without telling windows I have a 2nd monitor?

I have a 560 TI connected to a Dell u3011 via dual link DVI, and to a receiver via HDMI. It works great except I have to tell windows it is an extended desktop. (Duplication option doesn't want to do full 2560x1600 res). If I disable the 2nd display it no longer seems to send sound.

Not a huge deal but I wonder how much extra overhead the card is doing to render the extra pixels, even though I set the 2nd "screen" red as low as it would go.

Am I missing something I should try/set?
 
Blue Falcon said:
Good lord, how many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Yes, it's perfectly possible with any Nvidia GPU from the 500 series and up.

1. Connect your display device via DVI.
2. Connect your AV receiver to the card via HDMI.
3. Either manually set the default audio device to the Nvidia output via the windows control panel, OR just go into your BIOS and disable your motherboard's onboard audio.

It's pretty goddamned simple.
Click to expand...

You have to keep the second monitor enabled in Windows for this. It causes bug in applications, dialog boxes randomly open on the second monitor with no way to access them and causes a performance hit. Not to mention the GPU runs much hotter and louder while on the desktop.
 
Blue Falcon said:
Yes, it's perfectly possible with any Nvidia GPU from the 500 series and up.

1. Connect your display device via DVI.
2. Connect your AV receiver to the card via HDMI.
3. Either manually set the default audio device to the Nvidia output via the windows control panel, OR just go into your BIOS and disable your motherboard's onboard audio.

It's pretty goddamned simple.
Click to expand...

Tried this months ago on my GTX 680 and it didn't work for me. If I remember right, the nvidia control panel required the display to be enabled with video sent to it. I didn't want that because it was messing up the 120Hz overclock of my overlord monitor.

So essentially you can't do audio only.
 
Even with an HDMI sound card such as the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD, you NEED video going through the sound card with a small jumper cable in order for HDMI to activate on your receiver.

It's HDCP BS that requires an audio and video signal before it allows the connection to be made.
 
djoye said:
Even with an HDMI sound card such as the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD, you NEED video going through the sound card with a small jumper cable in order for HDMI to activate on your receiver.

It's HDCP BS that requires an audio and video signal before it allows the connection to be made.
Click to expand...

You can use a dummy HDMI video source such as a VGA to HDMI adapter and leave it unplugged. The sound card doesn't require HDCP on the input video. The output is still HDCP protected and you can bitstream HD audio from PowerDVD etc.
 
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