DVI to HDMI cable help - Maximum resolution?

Ben97 · 21 Apr 2021 at 19:07

I'm in a more unusual situation where I use my monitor for so many different things that I use a 5 way HDMI switcher. This is handy as it has a remote that i can easily use to switch to any HDMI input. My main one is my PC though.

I have recently been getting more and more bothered by a popping and crackling sound just after I switch inputs from something else back to my PC and I think I've worked out what may be the issue.

I am now guessing it is related to the fact that HDMI carries audio (that I never want to use) and when I switch inputs on the switcher, my PC will maybe get confused with the audio output device for a while when I switch back. My main audio device is a USB DAC, but when I switch back to by PC input on the HDMI switch, I usually get popping and crackling for quite some time through certain applications. I also get a brief cut out when switching. As I use USB for audio which is always connected, I don't see why the HDMI should be doing anything related to the audio, but it does seem to interfere unless i never switch inputs on my switcher during the whole pc session.

I've tested a DVI cable from my graphics card to my monitor, and switching inputs on my monitor to my HDMI switch (PC HDMI unplugged) no longer introduces this annoying sound. But it messes up the limited amount of cables i want in my monitor and then i can no longer use a remote to change the inputs.

Right, first part out of the way!

What I'm guessing my solution could be to get a DVI to HDMI cable that goes from my graphics card (using DVI) to the same input on my HDMI switcher that I use my PC with currently. This hopefully then won't interfere with the audio when switching inputs as DVI does not carry audio.

I thought I knew a reasonable amount about computer video cables, but I'm seeing different information about DVI all over the place. At some stage in the near future, I likely will want a monitor that is 2560x1440 and certainly no more than that. 1020x1080 is ideal for most things, I just often want a little more space. I only have space for a 24 - 25 inch monitor and I want to avoid doing any scaling up so 4k is just overkill.

What I'm puzzled about is what resolutions DVI can handle up to. I'm seeing some say 2560x1600, some 1920x1080 and some between that. It may only be worth getting a DVI to HDMI cable if i know it will be able to manage 2560x1440. Interestingly, my HDMI switch rated only for 1080p handled a 2560x1440 monitor that i had briefly no problem. And I've seen quite a few monitors at this resolution that have DVI ports which to me suggest it should be possible.

With 1080p stuff I should be fine, I'm just hoping it will also be able to handle the higher resolution too if and when i get a better monitor.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks.

adrichardson81 · 22 Apr 2021 at 16:09

Does your gpu let you disable hdmi audio? Is your dac set as your preferred audio device?

pp111 · 22 Apr 2021 at 16:15

Try uninstalling digital audio drivers for your video card. For NVIDIA this is the NVIDIA HD Audio Driver.

Ben97 · 22 Apr 2021 at 17:07

I use Linux and Ubuntu 20.04. It uses a program called pulseaudio to control the audio configuration.
Can't take a screen shot when i open the selection menu so had to do a photo instead:

I always have this set to off. HDMI 2 is the one I need to select if I want to receive audio through my monitor speakers. What I'm guessing is happening is when i change inputs on my HDMI switch and then change back, it possible briefly tries to select HDMI as the audio source which seems to send crackling and popping to the USB audio for some time after. I would have though off is disabled. But I suppose what I need is a way to disable HDMI audio altogether, not just have it off.

Anyway, I should also be able to get hold of a DVI to HDMI cable tomorrow which may be a solution that is good enough for me for now.

Ben97 · 23 Apr 2021 at 18:34

pp111 said:
Try uninstalling digital audio drivers for your video card. For NVIDIA this is the NVIDIA HD Audio Driver.

I think this will have to be my next step. I've tried an DVI to HDMI cable and it still carries the audio - or allows the noise of the HDMI switch changing inputs to be fed back to my PC and to the USB output which i then hear in my DAC. My thoughts are that none of this would happen if there was somehow something I could do to the cable such as modify it and have less pins so no audio can pass though and I think think my problem will be solved.

If you can explain how to remove the Nvidia audio drivers for HDMI, I would much appreciate it.

However, I'm still unsure if this would help as it literally is turned off in pulse audio the whole time, but it is maybe when it briefly doesn't see HDMI when i switch inputs on my switch, then it does when i switch back again that could be what causes this crackling for some time after. Though it makes no sense.

If I use a DVI - DVI cable directly to my monitor, I do not get this issue, even when changing inputs on my monitor. If I use an HDMI cable directly to my monitor even with pulseaudio appearing to have hdmi audio off, this crackling interference happens for quite some time after i plug it in - or reinsert it again later which is the same as changing inputs on my HDMI switch.

Thanks.

pp111 · 24 Apr 2021 at 02:59

Ben97 said:
I think this will have to be my next step. I've tried an DVI to HDMI cable and it still carries the audio - or allows the noise of the HDMI switch changing inputs to be fed back to my PC and to the USB output which i then hear in my DAC. My thoughts are that none of this would happen if there was somehow something I could do to the cable such as modify it and have less pins so no audio can pass though and I think think my problem will be solved.

If you can explain how to remove the Nvidia audio drivers for HDMI, I would much appreciate it.

However, I'm still unsure if this would help as it literally is turned off in pulse audio the whole time, but it is maybe when it briefly doesn't see HDMI when i switch inputs on my switch, then it does when i switch back again that could be what causes this crackling for some time after. Though it makes no sense.

If I use a DVI - DVI cable directly to my monitor, I do not get this issue, even when changing inputs on my monitor. If I use an HDMI cable directly to my monitor even with pulseaudio appearing to have hdmi audio off, this crackling interference happens for quite some time after i plug it in - or reinsert it again later which is the same as changing inputs on my HDMI switch.

Thanks.

Go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, and you will see a group of NVIDIA drivers. Click on the NVIDIA HD Audio Driver to remove it. Reboot and hopefully it will make a difference. It is easily reinstalled if you ever need it, you just tick that option in the NVIDIA install software.

Ben97 · 24 Apr 2021 at 10:40

So far, I can only find "Control Center" In that, I can find NVIDIA X Server Settings. Or there is Additional Drivers which allows me to see several different drivers (of which i have a separate issue at the moment) but I can't find the list that includes audio.

My other issue is Nvidia causing other issues such as tearing and display output lag which I created another thread for in the Linux and Open source forums. Not sure if this could be related.