[Barely Solved] Computer to Receiver then to TV over HDMI - No output!

[EmmB]

This is a real puzzler, since I've successfully done this with other hardware previously. I eventually want to set up an HTPC via a computer's HDMI through an HDMI switch (because the TV I will be using doesn't support enough HDMI inputs) to my receiver (which also doesn't support enough HDMI inputs) and then to my TV.

But before I start using the HDMI switch, I'm struggling to make the setup work just with the computer connected to the receiver and then to the TV. Whatever I try, I get no output at all -- no video and no audio! Here's a list of the hardware that will become the HTPC:

TV: Sony Bravia HDTV Model # KDL-32ML130
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-821-K
Computer: Home-built with MSI NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (includes HDMI output), running 64-bit Windows 7 Pro


Here's a list of the things I've tried:

Tried using several different HDMI cables (all high-quality)
Tried different input and output ports to and from the receiver and the TV
Tried different startup orders (e.g, TV first, computer first, receiver first, etc)
Tried two different computers (both running the same OS) but with different HDMI graphics cards
Tried changing NVIDIA control panel output ports/settings, but it reported that only one output was connected (the HDMI)
Tried using an HDMI spitter to circumvent HDCP

But none of these attempts worked!

Note that I confirmed that the receiver HDMI I/O ports used, and the TV HDMI port used, work correctly by using a different HDMI source (BluRay player, Fire TV, etc). I really thought that HDCP was the problem and that the splitter would confirm that, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Here are some screen shots of the relevant Windows 7 control panel settings:
(NOTE: these were captured while the NVIDIA HDMI port was connected to the Pioneer receiver and the NVIDIA VGA port was directly connected to the PC port on the TV -- otherwise no video would ever be seen):

Sound Control Panel Main:



Formats supported by the Pioneer receiver:



NVIDIA high-def audio page:





Please help!!

[usually_quiet]

Did you try connecting the HTPC directly to the TV via HDMI as part of your trouble-shooting tests?

[EmmB]

Did you try connecting the HTPC directly to the TV via HDMI as part of your trouble-shooting tests?

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I did check that. When I do that, I get full video, but, of course, no sound (because the TV doesn't have any built-in speakers). That's why I need the HDMI chain to go through the receiver before going on to the TV.

[usually_quiet]

I had a reason for asking. If the TV didn't display a picture when connected directly to your PC, then the TV would be the problem. In this case, it appears the receiver is probably the problem.

Where have you tried adding a splitter and what splitter did you use? Adding a splitter which removes HDCP as a side effect can sometimes correct an HDCP handshaking problem (a ViewHD VHD-1X2MN3D splitter worked for me for connecting an existing cable box to a new TV), but not all splitters remove HDCP.

[EmmB]

Barely adequately SOLVED: It was an extremely frustrating and extremely irrational process, but here's what finally worked acceptably (but far from ideally!):

As a desperate move since nothing else worked, I replaced the NVIDIA card with an AMD card.

I'm not certain that replacing the NVIDIA card with the AMD card was a key part of the solution or not, but now that it's finally working okay I'm not going to spend another hateful day experimenting some more. But both video and audio worked IF and ONLY IF I connect the AMD card's HDMI port to the receiver AND connect the AMD card's VGA port directly to the HDTV! If I try without the VGA port connected, it never, ever works.

Furthermore, if I try to increase the video resolution above 1280 x 720 on either port, the HDMI port ALWAYS goes blank and will not show any video until the auto-restore feature returns it to 1280 x 720. Yet the receiver's HDMI resolution is full 1080p, and the HDTV's is 1360x768, if you try even for the latter, it NEVER works. I suspect this may be related to the fact that I have to "duplicate" both display outputs for this to work at all, and obviously VGA has lower resolution capabilities.

And getting the HDMI audio to work was an exercise in horrible frustration because when I tried to get the sound working, I kept getting the dreaded "This device is in use by another application..." message! I tried many suggested fixes, but the only one that worked was to roll back the AMD HDMI audio driver.

All in all, a dreadful experience and a less-than-ideal solution.

[Cornucopia]

Have you tried swapping the display out with one that does true 1080p? That one is a bit passe'.

I'm guessing that while the card + display combo can handshake and scale down to 1366x768, the receiver can only do simple non-scaled passthrough and it seems like it may not be passing the EDID along properly, a common issue in HDMI.

Another suggestion: get a 2nd HDMI card to output separately to the rcvr. A splitter may not tranfer edid properly either, and splitters CANNOT scale.
Or in the interim, you can always connect direct hdmi from card to tv and then connect spdif toslink from the tv to the rcvr. Won't get all the full surround benefits that way, but most of them.

Scott

[usually_quiet]

The manual says the TV has coaxial digital audio out rather than spdif/toslink digital audio out. The audio receiver appears to accept both kinds of digital audio connections.

[Ennio]

Did you try this?

1 Connect the HTPC's output on a free HDMI input on your tv
2 Connect TV and receiver through the ARC (audio return channel of both devices)?

[usually_quiet]

Did you try this?

1 Connect the HTPC's output on a free HDMI input on your tv
2 Connect TV and receiver through the ARC (audio return channel of both devices)?

ARC didn't exist until mid-2009. The TV dates from 2007, so the TV cannot have ARC as a feature.

[jagabo]

According to the manual that TV doesn't support 1080p input. When you connected the computer directly to the TV it negotiated 1080i or 720p for the transmission -- so you got a picture. When you connect to the receiver it negotiated 1080p for the transmission. It appears the receiver can't convert 1080p to 1080i for the TV. What you should do is force the output of the computer to 1080i. The receiver should accept that and pass it along to the TV.

[pandy]

+1 to jagabo, TV and AV receiver support limited set of video modes - in NVidia driver should be present check mark to activate TV video modes (mostly interlace 1080) - set one of working TV modes on computer (assume 1080i should work).

[jagabo]

Or force the computer to 720p. That will probably look better on the low res screen.

[usually_quiet]

Or force the computer to 720p. That will probably look better on the low res screen.

I think that is what EmmB ended up doing, but it only works when the card is connected to the TV with both VGA and HDMI. Odd to say the least.

Barely adequately SOLVED: It was an extremely frustrating and extremely irrational process, but here's what finally worked acceptably (but far from ideally!):

As a desperate move since nothing else worked, I replaced the NVIDIA card with an AMD card.

I'm not certain that replacing the NVIDIA card with the AMD card was a key part of the solution or not, but now that it's finally working okay I'm not going to spend another hateful day experimenting some more. But both video and audio worked IF and ONLY IF I connect the AMD card's HDMI port to the receiver AND connect the AMD card's VGA port directly to the HDTV! If I try without the VGA port connected, it never, ever works.

Furthermore, if I try to increase the video resolution above 1280 x 720 on either port, the HDMI port ALWAYS goes blank and will not show any video until the auto-restore feature returns it to 1280 x 720. Yet the receiver's HDMI resolution is full 1080p, and the HDTV's is 1360x768, if you try even for the latter, it NEVER works. I suspect this may be related to the fact that I have to "duplicate" both display outputs for this to work at all, and obviously VGA has lower resolution capabilities.

And getting the HDMI audio to work was an exercise in horrible frustration because when I tried to get the sound working, I kept getting the dreaded "This device is in use by another application..." message! I tried many suggested fixes, but the only one that worked was to roll back the AMD HDMI audio driver.

All in all, a dreadful experience and a less-than-ideal solution.

The manual lists 640x480, 800x600, and 1024×768 as the only supported resolutions for VGA, which is too bad. It means VGA by itself won't allow the TV to function well as a 16:9 PC monitor since the only resolutions allowed are 4:3 aspect ratio.