AMD 7970 strange HDMI audio issue

Originally Posted by tornadog 

I have had several video cards in this same setup over the past few years, and have never seen this issue before. My setup is basically this; AMD 7970 video card->HDMI->Pioneer VSX 920 AVR->HDMI->Samsung PN50C7000 TV. I use MPC-HC and VLC and setup both to pass through uncompressed audio to the AVR. It used to work fine before I got this card 2 days ago. When I play a HD audio source, my AVR detects what it is and displays DD, DTS or DTS HD appropriately, but with this card, there is no audio coming out. Its almost like the audio is not being passed through. Also when I run the windows sound wizard, switch it to 5.1 and test the speakers, it shows its testing one by one but nothing comes out.
Now heres where it gets stranger, I actually found a workaround. If I play anything in in Powerdvd 12, it works fine. I have powerdvd set to send audio undecoded to the AVR. And after I play something in Powerdvd, everything starts working again in MPC-HC and VLC. The issue again happens if I change the input source on the AVR to watch TV or play the 360/ps3. And then I have to go through this whole routine. I have tried changing the drivers, went from 12.1 to the latest 12.6 beta, tried different inputs on the AVR and TV, but saaame thing. Did I get a bum card?

Originally Posted by ferrisg 


I've encountered a similar issue that started in the last couple of revs of CCC. I have a 6950, but it sounds very similar (in both cases it sounds like an HDCP issue). If I switch my AVR away from my PC and then back, my PC decides the HDMI on my card is no longer connected to anything and switches over to the analog on-board audio. To get around this I can turn my receiver off and back on and I'm guessing cause it to go through the whole HDCP handshake again. Then everything is great. I'm not entirely certain it's HDCP as I wouldn't think that would be normally used for PC output, so it may just be a standard part of the HDMI handshake process going wrong.

This used to work absolutely fine on l think 11.3 (although that might have been the first to break it, I honestly can't remember). One of the early 11.x releases, and everything before, worked just fine for being able to switch the AVR inputs and continue to have audio working via HDMI on my card.

Originally Posted by Flash676 

Catalyst 12.6 fixed this for me, but the driver is still only available as a beta download from AMD.