Solved! Can HDMI port on laptop be connected to a receiver?

[dav567]

Can the HDMI port on my laptop be connected straight to a receiver for audio only (not routed through a video source and all just straight to the receiver)? Has anyone does this? I'm only looking to play the audio from the laptop through my receiver if its possible. Thankkkkkks

 

[frozenlead]

I don't know. Why not try it?

If it doesn't work, I'm sure your receiver has analog inputs, or an SPDIF input. Use those instead.

 

[dav567]

it doesnt work the way im trying.. HDMI-out on the laptop to DVD-in on the receiver... my receiver does have RCA and SPDIF inputs but my laptop only has an HDMI connection so i have no way of connecting it?

 

[frozenlead]

You have a headphone jack? How about a digital out jack? Those can be used to output to your receiver via RCA or SPDIF.

 

[dav567]

yes i have two headphone jacks.. how do i know if its digital and if it is what kind of cable would connect to this? it just looks like a 3.5mm jack? arent digital audio jacks only coax? btw is coax the same as spdif? thankkkkkks

also isnt rca analog not digital? thanks

 

[frozenlead]

RCA analog is not digial...hence the analog. Also, RCA is only 2 channels (in general, at least. You can have 5.1 over RCA...it just takes a lot of cables.)

SPDIF is a type of format/interface for digital audio. It does not specify what kind of cable to use. Traditionally, SPDIF is done over a "coax" cable, which simply means that two wires carry the same axis, hence co-axial or coax. Really, though SPDIF signals can be sent over any type of cable that has two leads, but the coax cables are better, as the main lead is shielded be the second. Additionally, SPDIF can be sent over optical cables, which use light to transmit data instead of electricity. Your notebook will probably sport a non-optical SPDIF interface if indeed it does support SPDIF at all. Check your manual to find out.

If it can do SPDIF, you'll need a 3.5mm mono male to RCA male cable. If it can't do SPDIF, you're stuck with 2 channel analog audio with a cable that's 3.5mm stereo male on one side, and dual RCA on the other.

More:
on SPDIF- http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spdif
cable to use with analog audio - http/www.installer.com/photos/ipod-rca.jpg
cable to use with SPDIF (not optical) - http/yfrog.com/4yspdifrca35mmrn7j

I should note that the analog audio cable (dual RCA to stereo headphone) can be used as an SPDIF cable if you select the right RCA header to use in the connection (one will remain unused).

 

[dav567]

i gotcha.. so currently i have it connected via analog and i couldnt find anything in the manual referring to SPDIF at all but this is what my 'playback devices' window looks like:

http/yfrog.com/59prscr4j

so it seems like it will support SPDIF but over the hp dock which i have to buy seperately.. i just thought since the laptop has an HDMI port that it meant it already had integrated support for digital video+audio. Oh well, I guess my next step is to look for some type of adapter that adds just the SPDIF port to the laptop so i dont have to get the HP dock with all those other ports I would have no use for.. You're very helpful.. Thank u.