[corkyo4]

Quick question,

Connecting a HTPC to my TV using an HDMI cable. Will this transfer audio as well as the video signal? Or is this dependent on the motherboard of the HTPC.

Basically I am buying an ITX motherboard and need to know whether I should get one with an optical connection to connect audio to my TV or whether the HDMI cable would do it. Not sure whether this relies on the motherboard having this functionality, or whether HDMI as a minimum transmits audio and video.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Lils Roro]

An HDMI out of a motherboard should pass both video & audio, as this is the only way to get HD audio and the point of having an HDMI out vs DVI out. Some motherboards will also have a digital audio out in case you want to hook up to both a TV/monitor and soundbar/receiver.

 

[Andrew Hornfeck]

REALIZE, of course, the sound on a TV is 2-channel STEREO, not AC3 or HD-Audio... or are you wanting to pass AC3 out of the TV to an external audio system?

 

[MrBobb]

Unless you have like the first generation HDMI, several years ago, current HDMI will pass audio.

 

[Niagara]

Also, you might have to configure your PC to send audio out the HDMI.

On Windows 7:

Start >> Control Panel >> Hardware and Sound >> Manage Audio Devices

Right-click HDMI in the list and make sure it is enabled and set as your default device

 

[sawfish]

Quick question,

Connecting a HTPC to my TV using an HDMI cable. Will this transfer audio as well as the video signal? Or is this dependent on the motherboard of the HTPC.

Basically I am buying an ITX motherboard and need to know whether I should get one with an optical connection to connect audio to my TV or whether the HDMI cable would do it. Not sure whether this relies on the motherboard having this functionality, or whether HDMI as a minimum transmits audio and video.

The optical ports on every TV I've seen are output ports, not input.

HDMI is all about combining video/audio, so it should work fine. That said, I would always want a motherboard to have S/PDIF output, because if you ever wanted to connect your PC to an AVR, HDMI is fraught with sometimes intractable problems. At least S/PDIF will give you the lossy multichannel audio formats, and it will do it reliably. Then you can connect HDMI directly to the TV for video only, and that too should "just work".