Disabling HDMI audio output on a nvidia 8800 GTS - How is it done?

[BobLoblaw]

Here are my specs:

eVGA GeForce 8800GTS, Windows XP SP3 Home Edition, ASUS P5N-E mobo, Pioneer VSX-925 Home Theatre Receiver


For the past month, I have been successfully listening to my PC through my home audio receiver via a SPDIF cable (mobo output to receiver input). I have had no problems at all with this.

Obviously, I want audio AND video to work from my PC to my receiver (and ultimately, my TV). So I bought a DVI-HDMI cable. I plugged it in and the video worked but it immediately cut the SPDIF audio off. I believe that for some reason, my 8800GTS is trying to send video and audio down the DVI-HDMI cable, which is impossible. I simply want to permanently disable HDMI audio output on 8800. The drop down arrow option in nvidia Control Panel doesn't even appear for me (even though all my software is fully updated), and the people that do have it report that it is not a proper fix and continuously resets itself.

I have tried the fix found here: http://currysauce.or...graphics-cards/

Sadly, it does not work for me. Win 7 users seem to have success with it though, but I'm using XP.

BOTTOM LINE:

How can I disable the HDMI audio output on my 8800 so that my DVI-HDMI cable carries only the video signal, and the SPDIF carries the audio to my receiver?



This is among the most frustrating glitches in nvidia software I have seen and, unless corrected, would prevent me from buying an nvidia product again. I have tried everything.....please, for the love of all things good and sacred in the world, help me!

Thanks

[redwudz]

Those settings should be in your audio or 'Sounds' setup for your motherboard. (Look in 'Control Panel'.) I have a couple of PCs that defaulted to HDMI audio and I just set up my PC to direct all audio out to S/PDIF to my surround sound amplifier. I use a DVI>HDMI adapter for my projector and there is no audio there with that adapter.

But most times, you just need to redirect the audio output to where you want. That would not be in the Nvidia settings, but instead in your audio card settings.

[BobLoblaw]

Thanks for your help. In Windows XP, I don't seem to have those options, at least in control panel/sounds and audio devices. The only option is each drop-down arrow is Realtek HD Audio

Here's what I see:

[Nelson37]

Do you have an HDMI output on that card? I have a very similar card, and there is no HDMI output on it. DVI output DOES NOT send any audio whatsoever, and using a DVI-HDMI cable does not change this, I use the same setup.

Are you going HDMI into a Receiver? If so, there is where the problem lies. The Receiver will expect audio thru the HDMI cable, and most likely use that instead of the SPDIF. Change the settings on the Receiver, and/or run the HDMI cable directly into the TV.

[MatyBsAs]

This is an old thread but I think it worth the Reply:
DVI can carry audio!
I just bought a standard DVI to HDMI cable (just a cable) and it carry the SPDIF audio to whatever i connect the HDMI
I needed to connect the motherboard SPDIF internal pins to my video board SPDIF internal input. (geforce 8600GT in my case)
What you need to do is conect pin 3 of the mobo spdif to the pin that has a triangle in your ideo card and the pin 4 of the mobo to the othe rpin in your card (GND). You should not connect your MoBo PIN 1, and PIN 2 is just a space.
After that, set the Digital as your default audio device and have fun!
Regards

[pandy]

This is an old thread but I think it worth the Reply:
DVI can carry audio!

DVI can't carry audio - but DVI and HDMI are similar and HDMI is backward compatible with DVI and this is mandatory - more likely your video source was in HDMI mode than DVI mode. Don't be confused with plugs and cables - DVI plugs and cables can work in HDMI as there are same (signals are identical - only different plugs).

[hello_hello]

This is an old thread but I think it worth the Reply:
DVI can carry audio!

DVI can't carry audio - but DVI and HDMI are similar and HDMI is backward compatible with DVI and this is mandatory - more likely your video source was in HDMI mode than DVI mode. Don't be confused with plugs and cables - DVI plugs and cables can work in HDMI as there are same (signals are identical - only different plugs).

Some video cards will output audio over DVI. I don't know how it works exactly (probably a proprietary adaptor), but with a DVI to HDMI adaptor you end up with HDMI with audio. It's mentioned here and even appears as though it might be part of the HDMI spec.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#DVI_and_HDMI_compatibility

This is, I assume what MatyBsAs is referring to.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-convert-an-Nvidia-Video-card-DVI-output-to-/?ALLSTEPS

[pandy]

Some video cards will output audio over DVI. I don't know how it works exactly (probably a proprietary adaptor), but with a DVI to HDMI adaptor you end up with HDMI with audio. It's mentioned here and even appears as though it might be part of the HDMI spec.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#DVI_and_HDMI_compatibility

This is, I assume what MatyBsAs is referring to.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-convert-an-Nvidia-Video-card-DVI-output-to-/?ALLSTEPS

Nope - HDMI can carry audio, DVI not, HDMI is backward compatible with DVI (so cables/plugs can be DVI but signal HDMI). If video source is equipped with HDMI transmitter it can work as DVI or like HDMI. That's all. All depends from EDID and Sink capabilities.

[Cornucopia]

AFA disconnecting the audio output, but not the video from HDMI, IIRC in Win XP you would go to Device Mgr and Disable (NOT uninstall) the listing for HDMI - in the Audio/Soundcard section only. It's not just a matter of making another device the default, you have to not have HDMI as an alternative, as it expects to be the default when the HDMI (video) is plugged in and tries to force the issue.

Scott

[hello_hello]

Nope - HDMI can carry audio, DVI not, HDMI is backward compatible with DVI (so cables/plugs can be DVI but signal HDMI). If video source is equipped with HDMI transmitter it can work as DVI or like HDMI. That's all. All depends from EDID and Sink capabilities.

I'm referring to video cards with only a DVI output that can be converted to HDMI including audio. Many cards are effectively HDMI with a DVI connector anyway. Mine is. It only has a DVI connector but it supports HDMI features such as YCbCr 4:4:4.
I thought they required a proprietary adaptor to convert the DVI connector to a HDMI connector with audio, but MatyBsAs said he used just a standard DVI to HDMI cable.

[pandy]

Nope - HDMI can carry audio, DVI not, HDMI is backward compatible with DVI (so cables/plugs can be DVI but signal HDMI). If video source is equipped with HDMI transmitter it can work as DVI or like HDMI. That's all. All depends from EDID and Sink capabilities.

I'm referring to video cards with only a DVI output that can be converted to HDMI including audio. Many cards are effectively HDMI with a DVI connector anyway. Mine is. It only has a DVI connector but it supports HDMI features such as YCbCr 4:4:4.
I thought they required a proprietary adaptor to convert the DVI connector to a HDMI connector with audio, but MatyBsAs said he used just a standard DVI to HDMI cable.

Once again - DVI is standard on PC world, where HDMI is standard in consumer world, HDMI is backward compatible with DVI (it may work in DVI mode), DVI don't carry audio and there is few other limitations, card can have DVI type of socket and can produce HDMI signal - don't confuse physical connector with organization of data (as DVI and HDMI have same signals to carry a same data only organized in a different way and DVI don't send audio).
Constantly in this topic people confuse physical connectors and cables with video standard - this is wrong.
Assume that all PC graphics card are HDMI but some of them use DVI physical connector as more robust and universal (at same time the can produce analog VGA video and digital video where HDMI have no pins to provide analog component video).
Form card vendor is more convenient to reduce number of connector available on bracket.
However it is also more convenient from vendor perspective to implemented full HDMI transmitter instead plain DVI - so finally in one connector card may have analog/DVI/HDMI.

[hello_hello]

I thought my previous post made it reasonably clear I wasn't confusing the physical connector with organisation of data.

[pandy]

I thought my previous post made it reasonably clear I wasn't confusing the physical connector with organisation of data.

Well... IMHO not - if source is only DVI (i.e. only DVI mode is implemented in silicone) there is no way to change this to HDMI (i assume very early pre-HDMI cards may be only DVI).
If card is DVI/HDMI then everything depends from software, some cards have no audio part and you need to inject audio signal trough S/PDIF connector.
By lack of audio part i understand no separate audio device visible from operating system perspective - modern video cards are virtually audio card so they accept audio data over same bus as video data.
Easily any video card can be forced to work in DVI mode by using EDID 1 block long (i.e. DVI EDID).