Not getting Dolby Digital and DTS from my 290x HDMI out for 5.1

Marine-RX179 · 23 Jun 2015 at 10:00

At the moment I am using a Yamaha RX-V2600 receiver. But because it would only support video passthrough up to 720p/1080i, to use with my FullHD TV, on my 290x I use a DVI to HDMI adapter and a HDMI cable connecting to the TV directly for video, and another HDMI cable from my 290x's HDMI port to my receiver for sound.

No the problem I'm having is I am only getting 2 channel audio source from the HDMI port of my 290x.

If I leave the windows sound setup for my receiver as stereo, my receiver will display the source as PCM, and with the indication of front speakers led up. With this I will be able to send the 2 channel source to the receiver, and let it upsample to surround 5.1...but obviously isn't the appropriate way to do it, if the source itself is already 5.1/7.1.

If I switch the windows sound setup for my receiver as 5.1, in the testing part by clocking each individual speakers icons, I can get sound for each speakers, and the receiver clearly has the 5.1 speakers indication led up (while still displaying source as PCM). Not the problem is when I play 5.1 audio, I am still only sound from my front speakers as stereo...and I tried switching to MPCM, it still the same only stereo sound from the front speakers.

So anyone has any idea what I need to do get my receiver to receive multi-channel source and output it as such? Like DD and DTS?

Marsman · 23 Jun 2015 at 11:01

Not sure if this can be done, as you are using 2 outputs from the GPU. I've seen some other people say the same thing when they have their receiver connected to the GPU and also a projector. Because the GPU is seeing two displays, for some reason it's disabling the multi channel output.

I'm guessing if you removed the DVI/HDMI cable it will work fine?

Tried searching for an older thread where someone had this issue with 2 displays, but because the search function is currently borked, that's a no go. :/

Marine-RX179 · 23 Jun 2015 at 11:19

Marsman said:
Not sure if this can be done, as you are using 2 outputs from the GPU. I've seen some other people say the same thing when they have their receiver connected to the GPU and also a projector. Because the GPU is seeing two displays, for some reason it's disabling the multi channel output.

I'm guessing if you removed the DVI/HDMI cable it will work fine?

Tried searching for an older thread where someone had this issue with 2 displays, but because the search function is currently borked, that's a no go. :/

Haven't tried that yet, but I till do that tonight and see if I can get multi-channel source with my DVI/HDMI connection to the TV removed, leaving only the HDMI to the receiver.

Would it be possible...say use the HDMI from my motherboard to receiver for audio, and my 290x to my TV for display at the same time?

Marsman · 23 Jun 2015 at 12:33

No, as HDMI has to carry video. You can have video without sound, but not sound without video.

Shame it's like that, as I'm sure that would solve many an issue people have.

Marine-RX179 · 23 Jun 2015 at 12:39

Marsman said:
No, as HDMI has to carry video. You can have video without sound, but not sound without video.

Shame it's like that, as I'm sure that would solve many an issue people have.

So basically I'd have to upgrade my receiver...or I'd have to be stucked with 2 channel upconvert surround?

I can alternatively connect to my receiver from my STX with spdif, but I keep hearing people saying Dolby Digital Live's compression is quite poor and affect audio quality?

Between Dolby Digital Live through spdif from my STX, and HDMI from my 290x 2 channels to my receiver and let it upconvert to 5.1, which one would be a better option?

Marsman · 23 Jun 2015 at 13:13

Dolby Digital Live, by a long chalk I'd say. I did use it for a time some years ago now, but I never had any issue with it. Better than using Dolby Pro Logic to upmix stereo when gaming.

That's got to be worth trying before deciding to spend money on a new AVR that can support 1080P pass through.

sven256 · 23 Jun 2015 at 13:23

What will work is use your hdmi from your motherboard for your tv connection and a hdmi from your r290x for your amp connection. Assuming your sig specification is up to date.

Marsman · 23 Jun 2015 at 13:54

So the onboard HDMI can be used at the same time a GPU is being used? I assumed the onboard video was disabled once a GPU was fitted.

Well if that will work, that might be a way around it, although using the onboard HDMI for video isn't going to much use for gaming. That connection would have to be used for audio, as Marine questioned before. The only question is, can the the onboard HDMI output multi channel PCM?

If it can't, then the GPU would have to be used for audio, but that leaves the onboard HDMI for video, which again, is no use for gaming.

sven256 · 23 Jun 2015 at 14:00

Yes they can both be used at the same time.

The on-board can output anything the GPU can i.e DTS HD master, Dolby TrueHD etc

My way was just a suggestion, you can just as easily use the GPU to the television and the on-board to the amplifier.

Marine-RX179 · 23 Jun 2015 at 14:26

sven256 said:
Yes they can both be used at the same time.

The on-board can output anything the GPU can i.e DTS HD master, Dolby TrueHD etc

My way was just a suggestion, you can just as easily use the GPU to the television and the on-board to the amplifier.

Gonna install the Realtek drivers (never did install them since I always have had soundcard) and give that a good. If it doesn't work out, I'd probably just use Dolby Digital Live through spdif from my STX to my receiver.

I use my desktop speakers more for my music than my 5.1 setup anyway.

sven256 · 23 Jun 2015 at 14:31

Install sharky codecs as well. Just make sure you read all the install stuff, as these days it installs other things as well if you do not untick boxes.

This does all the sound stuff for you.

Marine-RX179 · 23 Jun 2015 at 14:49

Actually I just remember something...does the audio from the motherboard's HDMI reply on the Realtek or Intel driver?

sven256 · 23 Jun 2015 at 21:28

Marine-RX179 said:
Actually I just remember something...does the audio from the motherboard's HDMI reply on the Realtek or Intel driver?

You should not even need to have a soundcard activated, I take it you will just be doing pass through?

james.miller · 26 Jun 2015 at 10:59

Marine-RX179 said:
At the moment I am using a Yamaha RX-V2600 receiver. But because it would only support video passthrough up to 720p/1080i

Surely not ?? :confused:

how would you ever get 1080p out of a bluray player or a console if it didnt support 1080p passthough? i suspect you're mixing up passthrough and the reciever's upscaling capabilities?

If I switch the windows sound setup for my receiver as 5.1, in the testing part by clocking each individual speakers icons, I can get sound for each speakers, and the receiver clearly has the 5.1 speakers indication led up (while still displaying source as PCM). Not the problem is when I play 5.1 audio, I am still only sound from my front speakers as stereo...and I tried switching to MPCM, it still the same only stereo sound from the front speakers.

all speaker icons lit, receiver says PCM....that's multi channel, so the card is sending multi channel audio but it's not receiving multi channel audio from the software you are using.

From what you've described the receiver and gpu are behaving correctly, it's just dd/dts bitstreaming you are having issues with which although could be the card, it's probably the software you are using.

what are you using for playback?

Marine-RX179 · 26 Jun 2015 at 11:31

james.miller said:
Surely not ?? how would you ever get 1080p out of a bluray player or a console if it didnt support 1080p passthough? i suspect you're mixing up passthrough and the reciever's upscaling capabilities?

all speaker icons lit, receiver says PCM....that's multi channel, so the card is sending multi channel audio but it's not receiving multi channel audio from the software you are using.

From what you've described the receiver and gpu are behaving correctly, it's just dd/dts bitstreaming you are having issues with which although could be the card, it's probably the software you are using.

what are you using for playback?

The receiver is a product from 2006 I think. I got this receiver from my dad when he upgraded to a Marantz SR6008.

Regarding the passthrough, up to 720p it is fine, but when I change the resolution to 1080p, the TV while can display that resolution, it is show as some weird grey colour for the entire screen (720p doesn't have this problem, and display the colour perfectly fine).

Anyway I'm not bother with trying to get HDMI to provide 5.1 channel audio more (there's also the issue or how the receiver is being treated as a display, and windows of programs going to the screen- the receiver with no display). I just gone with using Dolby Digital Live from my STX via spdif and spare the complications.