Connect HDMI Out directly to a speaker

I am finding myself with a possible solution to use my HTPC as an audio device for whole home audio.

However, in order for me to test any further, I need to take an HDMI out from an HTPC and have that connect directly to a speaker, or set of left and right speakers. So, no receiver inbetween, just direct from hdmi out of computer to speakers (with a converter inbetween of course).

Does such a converter exist?

I'm thinking if I could go HDMI to component left and right, then I can splice the wire to go to the speaker itself also.

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-RCA-VGA-C...4004832&sr=1-1

Would that cable work? I'd connect the red and white cables to the speakers.

Ok, what will this 14 dollar cable do then, adn what cable will do what I want

My ultimate goal is to use my existing HTPC's throughout the house as whole home audio solutions, without having to buy any expensive / bulky hardware (minus speakers and cabling).

I have an HTPC, little ZBox's on the main floor, and bedroom (basement has a theater room and a dedicated small htpc build that is capable of 3D, just a little more powerful than little ZBox's). All run XBMC and are controlled via remotes on our iPhones.

What I had envisioned, in hopes of wife proofing as much as possible, was setting the HDMI out from our zbox to an hdmi splitter (I already have one for testing). Then, a simple remote press would send the signal either to the TV, or to the speakers. Regardless of where it is being sent, the iPhone will control what is played.

I am not aware of an easy way to switch between audio outputs of the little zboxes, and am not aware of a way to dual output audio. So, that is why I came up with this solution.

The other solution is to just go to the zbox and plug in a cable to the headphone jack, which would go directly to a speaker. This is less than ideal, but will work.

So, ultimate goal is to use xbmc box to control audio to external speakers via one app in the iphone. As soon as multiple remotes, physically moving cables / plugging them in, and multiple apps are involved to accomplish this, then this becomes un-wife proof.

Edit - 3 of the 4 htpc's have xbmc live, so linux based.
The theater room AVR has zone 1 and 2 spoken for alredy (11.2 surround), so I can't use that. And, I problably wouldn' use that one anyway, I have 2 other computers in the basement I'd use in it's place.

You don't need an amplifier to drive the speaker, it's the same way headphones work. However, instead of having the headphone speaker, you have your speaker. Aka, computer speakers. Quality takes a hit, but for outdoor audio, I don't care.

I don't plan on using it as a large scale hdmi backbone, I just wanted to strip the audio from one output of my htpc, and that audio was in the hdmi. From there, I will create a network of speakers as I see fit (probably just two, one in kitchen, one on deck, they can play same stuff at same time).

Correct, computer speakers have power, but I'm pretty sure headphones don't have power, last time I checked. If they have power, then I do need advice.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...t=1#largeimage work for what I am talking about? For 40 bucks, I'd consider this a solution, and it is small in size and has a remote.

I don't understand what is so hard to accept. Take a pair of headphones, splice the wire, hook it up to a speaker, it works. I'm not sure what is difficult to understand here.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...-to-35mm-jack/

Maybe he will do a better job of showing how to hook up a speaker to a 3.5mm.

ya, the device has power, sending the sound. The powered unit here would be my htpc.

What is so difficult here? I asked if you can go from hdmi directly to a speaker, that isn't possible, I accept that. Now, looking for alternatives, I posted the hdmi splitter that has the 3.5mm out, asking if that will work. I would like to know a response, not banter on why I can't hook up a speaker to a 3.5mm out.

That would work I think, and is cheap, and is small in size. Thanks for that link, I'll do some research on that to see if it will work (size constraints, price, wife usability, etc). Thanks!

Good idea, but I would like the ability to send my sound to my TV for when I stream movies, and then to external speakers when I play music. So, HDMI for movies, whatever else for music. Unless I'm not understanding you correctly.

And, these boxes have XBMC installed with an embedded linux os, so no windows. however, I do have options to change the audio to differnt outputs, and change it to analog, it just isnt' as robust as windows.