Multiple display sound issues.

[Bungral]

Ok so I've been using my 24" monitor as primary and my 32" inch HDTV as a secondary for ages when I want to watch any videos on my TV that are on my computer. Worked fine on my old 8800GT and my recent 4870X2 but now I've gone to a GTX280 I can't get it to work properly.

It's setup so that I have L & R phono leads coming from the back of my TV's HDMI line out and into a single 3.5mm jack adaptor and plugged into the headphones port on the front of my computer. This is needed as the connector is HDMI to DVI so doesn't carry the sound.

Why would this suddenly stop working? And I just can't get it back!!!!!!

I'm not sure if this covers all of the information you would need so if there is anything else just ask me.

 

[Bungral]

Anybody? No?

 

[Rastalovich]

Absolutely no idea.

All I know is that whenever I've got it working in the past, it's gone soon after.

I have had DVI->hdmi pass through sound with a 8600 and vista 32. Worked on 1st install of 64bit, then went never to return. Tried a few 8400 etc.

Never managed to get audio->hdmi without either delay or pauses, blips, ever since.

I didn't think a simple headphone output would work tbh cos I thought it was spdif.

However, what the fudge would I know, I've had it working perfectly ages ago and never ever since. Keen to see if u get anywhere.

 

[Bungral]

Well I'm not great at this stuff either.

All it's doing is permanently outputting from the headphone jack. Same as if you plugged in a headset and had the volume up you'd hear it on your main speakers plugged into your motherboard/soundcard and the headset.

What I got was that if on the right channel and my speakers were turned up, I'd hear them and the TV with like 0.05 second delay. All I'd then do is turn the speakers down and listen to the TV. Now it's just not playing the sound. What has caused the change is swapping from my X2 to this GTX280. It worked fine with the 8800GT though.

If I plug my headset in though it does still play sound through them.

Pah... Crap.... Spose I could go through component rather than DVI->HDMI. Wonder if that would work. Means buying some component extension leads though.

 

[Rastalovich]

What beats me is that there's little support/advise out there really. I mean in terms of this works. The manufs sites generally just say "it works".

Some kind of procedure, what to make sure of, what u should disable/enable.

Never got it working with a 8800GT, pretty sure that was a blipping effort too, work ok for like 5s, then a jump, then 5s, too annoying to pursue. Did play with the delay and jump by changing hertz settings for the audio output, but as I said I always used spdif for hdmi. (onboard audio and soundcards)

It's a poor show tbh.

 

[Bungral]

Ok so like I said I'm really not very advanced when it comes to the audio side of things... SPDIF I really don't have much of an idea about. What are my other options?

 

[Rastalovich]

I would have thought the ASUS mobo u have would have an onboard spdif header. Normally 4 pins long with 1 pin broken off - only 2 pins required.

Similarly a spdif phono socket on the rear, it should output the same thing. Controls for it would be in whatever crappy ASUS software u have or realtek or who-ever.

 

[Bungral]

Ok yeah found the 4 pin header as per this (which only shows 2):

Which two are the ones that are needed? Man do I need help.

I've got the lil two pin lead plugged into my GTX280 and then it needs to go into the back of the lil Supreme FX riser card SPDIF bit on two of the four pins.

Then I need to set the SPDIF as default in the sound management thing yeah?? will the second image below are the only options I get and as you can see when I click properties of that connection it says it's the read optical out port:

I'm well lost!!

 

[Bungral]

Holy ****.... I was seriously just contemplating topping myself and I've just got it working.

Seriously it was about the 20th thing I've tried over the last 3 - 4 hours and I'm about to go out to the gym so my very last idea worked. How dumb **** stupid are Asus!

They have this stupid soundcard that you have to plug your front panel audio leads into (no place for them on the motherboard) and also just next to it on the card is the S/PDIF connection. You wouldn't then assume that there is also a S/PDIF connection on the motherboard itself would ya? I couldn't get anything to work but then the lovely sound came through and made me so happy.

Now... On to the next problem. Why Nvidia drivers stop my wireless card from connecting to the internet when using my TV as 2nd monitor... Random but there ya go.

 

[Bungral]

Arrrrrrgh Rast you are right about the delay... It sucks!!!

How did you combat it? What are the options?

 

[Rastalovich]

If the supreme fx ii doesn't have anything in it's settings, u would be at the mercy of the tv's internal settings to delay it for u.

Have no experience of the supreme fx ii fortunately/unfortunately.

Sometimes changing the output frequency can have an effect mind u. It could make the difference between ur tv decoding the signal or not.

 

[Bungral]

Ok well the delay just seems to have sorted itself out now I have just checked to see if I could do anything with the frequencies.

As for my TV having any settings... You must be kidding. While I got VERY lucky in that my el cheapo TV has a amazingly good picture, the options are laughable.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway this means that the two problems I've experienced since switching out my X2 (which worked flawlessly) and installing the GTX280 I now have fixes for.

1: This stupid audio thing... Found a work around so it's just now up to me whether I buy a new sound card for the fun of it. (so long as it stays in sync)

2: Internet issues when switching to 2nd monitor (TV) (remember this one Rast). Funny how it only happens with Nvidia.... Figured the drivers must **** about with my PCI slot or something. Just nicked my mates cheapest of the cheap USB adaptor I bought for him recently and it worked fine on multiple monitors.

Looks like I gotta buy a USB adaptor. Are there any good ones out there do we know?

Reason I've been trying so hard to solve these issues is that if I change to the GTX285 or 295, I will expect the same issues to be there as the drivers wont be much different.

 

[Bungral]

Never mind... Bought this one as it's twice the price everywhere else.

The Ebuyer reviews don't say much for it but it's had a new version and driver release since then. Give it a bash and if it's cack either RMA it or sell it for profit on Ebay.