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HDMI Splitter and multichannel audio

post #1 of 7
1/26/13 at 11:06am
Thread Starter 
I have searched and searched and can't find the answer to this question.

Goal: Feed one TiVo HDMI into two TVs in two rooms.
Room 1: Onkyo Receiver with 5.1 sound
Room 2: Just stereo sound needed.

Every splitter I've tried splits the video just fine, but drops the audio down to stereo on both outputs. This may be some sort of HDCP thing. Is there anyway around it? Would a Matrix switch solve the problem?

There must be a solution. I imagine a receiver with dual HDMI output might fix it, but the receiver is pretty new and i don't want to replace it.
Other options?

Thanks greatly in advance.

Jay W
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post #2 of 7
1/26/13 at 4:51pm
This is how HDMI switches work which would also include dual HDMI monitor outputs on an AVR. Pony up and just get another TiVo.
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post #3 of 7
1/26/13 at 5:06pm
TV's (some .... a lot of the new ones????) have audio options on them to turn on "surround sound effects" even though they have just 2 speakers. The option sometimes causes the HDMI system to then "recognize" that the TV will "like" multi channel sound and thus allow your splitter to keep multichannel sound outputs "alive and well" as opposed to just "downshifting" to stereo only. Check your TV setup... you might get lucky.
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post #4 of 7
1/26/13 at 5:34pm
Good point ... worth a try for sure. smile.gif
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post #5 of 7
1/26/13 at 5:39pm
I've been using this 4x2 matrix splitter for about a year and I'm able to watch the same thing in our theater in 5.1 while watching the same thing in the family room in stereo. The key is that the "A" HDMI output is multichannel while the "B" HDMI is stereo, so the "A" feeds the theater while the "B" feeds the family room. Also both outputs can do multichannel it's just that they can't do it at the same time. If they are both trying to do multichannel "B" always defaults to stereo while "A" is always multichannel.

http://www.hdtvsupply.com/hdmi-matrix-switch.html#axzz2J8RZCqXo
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post #6 of 7
1/26/13 at 7:38pm
??? sounds like a box issue.
Edited by budwich - 1/26/13 at 7:49pm
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post #7 of 7
1/27/13 at 9:11am
Thread Starter 
I found an acceptable solution for now. On my Onkyo HT-RC360 receiver I turned on HDMI passthrough to send the TV/CABLE input through when it's off. Then I put an HDMI splitter on the cable between the Onkyo HDMI OUT and the input port of the TV. So, when the receiver is on, HD Video, but no audio goes to the exercise room. No biggie. But when the receiver is off I get sound just fine in the exercise room. That fits the bill for most scenarios. And jdsmoothie, I already have two TiVos. One upstairs and one downstairs. Trying to share the downstairs one in high def.

I actually do split the downstairs TiVo several ways at different levels of resolution.

HDMI OUT -> Receiver ->TV1 and TV2
Component -> Slingbox -> Projector (rarely watch TV on PJ in theater) (Slingbox let's you connect another component out which I send to to the PJ)
SVideo -> RF Modulator for small tv in workshop on channel 3.

So I'm sort of driving four tvs plus using a Slingbox Solo to send out component 720p quality video that can be watched in/out of house on Macs/iPhones/iPads etc.


I think I will try the Matrix switch for dual simultaneous sound - 5.1 in main room, 2.0 in exercise room.

Thanks,
Jay W
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