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running 2 HDMI video cards - Can video ouput be turned off on one of them so only audio passes to...

post #1 of 14
6/18/12 at 6:42pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry if this question has already been answered but I couldn't find a clear answer.

I want to set up a HTPC that is capable of 3D. The problem is that my Onkyo receiver does not support HDMI 1.4 so it will not handshake with a 3D signal. What I was thinking of doing is installing two video cards each having HDMI 1.4 outputs. I would like the first video card to send video directly to one of my tv's HDMI inputs and the other video card to send AUDIO ONLY to my reciver so I can take advantage of HD audio.

Will this work or are there any better options? I may be looking at this all wrong so I'd really appreciate help with this dillema.

Thanks for any help!!
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post #2 of 14
6/18/12 at 7:55pm
HDMI does not carry audio unless there is video. Your Onkyo should be fine being driven from the 1.4 card, as it will inform the HTPC not to send it 3D video. This assumes the PC can service each HDMI card with what it needs.
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post #3 of 14
6/18/12 at 8:12pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply. I'm a little confused because whenever I try to play a 3d bluray from my bluray player and pass it through my Onkyo TX-SR606, it drops both video and audio. Regular non 3D bluray will pass just fine. I'm assuming the same thing would happen with a HTPC? Would it not?
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post #4 of 14
6/18/12 at 9:11pm

Yes, it works. "AUDIO ONLY" is not a correct expression. HDMI has to carry video. You will choose extended the desktop mode and send the unused second half of the desktop along with HD audio to AVR.

 

If you choose a NVIDIA card, you dont' have to buy another card as it supports dual audio stream. You will need two AMD cards, however. Look at this post.

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post #5 of 14
6/18/12 at 10:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx View Post

Yes, it works. "AUDIO ONLY" is not a correct expression. HDMI has to carry video. You will choose extended the desktop mode and send the unused second half of the desktop along with HD audio to AVR.

If you choose a NVIDIA card, you dont' have to buy another card as it supports dual audio stream. You will need two AMD cards, however. Look at this post.

Thank you renethx!! Can you suggest to me a motherboard/cpu combo that will work good for this purpose? Maybe the Intel route is best?
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post #6 of 14
6/19/12 at 1:36am

If you are going to buy new CPU and mb, choose Intel Core i3-2100 or higher and a H77 (or H61, H67, Z68) chipset mb (for example, ASRock H77 Pro4-M); then you even don't need a graphics card. Connect HDMI port to the display and DVI to AVR (or vice versa). Yes, DVI port (with a DVI-HDMI adapter) supports audio, at least in ASRock mb.


Edited by renethx - 6/19/12 at 1:50am
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post #7 of 14
6/19/12 at 8:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx View Post

If you are going to buy new CPU and mb, choose Intel Core i3-2100 or higher and a H77 (or H61, H67, Z68) chipset mb (for example, ASRock H77 Pro4-M); then you even don't need a graphics card. Connect HDMI port to the display and DVI to AVR (or vice versa). Yes, DVI port (with a DVI-HDMI adapter) supports audio, at least in ASRock mb.


is the H77 Pro4-M HDMI 1.4 to support 3d? Or does it matter?
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post #8 of 14
6/19/12 at 8:18am
Thread Starter 
sorry just saw in the specs it is 1.4a
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post #9 of 14
6/19/12 at 8:45am
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much renethx!! I just ordered the MB you reccomended. That's rreally cool, I never heard of audio via DVI. IS it bitstream or lpcm as far as the HD audio?
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post #10 of 14
6/19/12 at 8:58am

Whichever. TMT/PowerDVD can bitstream TrueHD/DTS-HD as well as decode it to LPCM. But people usually bitstream TrueHD/DTS-HD.

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post #11 of 14
6/19/12 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
One quick question, I will be running an Intel I5-2500 cpu with this board. No plans to overclock. I have an Antec 350w power supply. Do you think this will be ok?
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post #12 of 14
6/19/12 at 11:59pm

Yes. Core i5-3570K is a better choice.

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post #13 of 14
6/20/12 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
I was looking at the manual for the ASrock MB and it did say that DVI port supports all HDMI features with DVI to HDMI adapter. However it makes no mention whether the adapter should be single link or dual link. I have this adapter but I'm not sure if I need a dual link for audio.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2
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post #14 of 14
6/20/12 at 12:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitsu2k View Post

I was looking at the manual for the ASrock MB and it did say that DVI port supports all HDMI features with DVI to HDMI adapter. However it makes no mention whether the adapter should be single link or dual link. I have this adapter but I'm not sure if I need a dual link for audio.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2


HDMI is compatible only with single-link DVI. Every DVI-HDMI adapter supports only single-link DVI. The Monoprice adapter should work.

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AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › Home Theater Computers › running 2 HDMI video cards - Can video ouput be turned off on one of them so only audio passes to receiver?