Can I get 5.1 from my PC to TV via HDMI?

[dreamagain]

So I am currently running:
HDMI from GTX 980 -> 4k TV
Optical from TV -> Receiver

the only option I can select in Windows is stereo.

The reason I have to run it this way is because my receiver is not a 4k receiver. Is there any way to get 5.1 out of this situation?

If there is no way to salvage it, I am assuming Optical from PC - > receiver would work right? Only problem is I need to go out and buy a 20-30 foot long optical cable.

Thanks for help

 

[i7Baby]

Stereo out is enough. The receiver will emulate 5.1. That's what surround sound is - emulation.

 

[boju]

Optical from TV to AVR will be compressed audio as optical doesn't have enough bandwidth for uncompressed surround. Your AVR should have Dolby/DTS decoder as long as your TV has real time encoder to outsource compressed Dolby/DTS tracks via it's optical out.

If your TV can do this, its not letting your PC know hence the limited audio selection. AVRs can still emulate using techniques such as pro logic but wont be 100%.

Im wondering if you have two hdmi outputs on your GPU, could use two hdmi cables, one for each the TV and AVR, or even DP to HDMI adapter might work.

 

[mrmike_49]

wow " two REALLY wrong answers!
Dolby 5.1 has 6 discrete audio tracks encoded , see this http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital

Optical has plenty of bandwidth for audio: up to 125Mbs http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK

Answer: optical from pc to recr would work: IF your MB has that option,and you select that in Audio set-up of Windows

 

[dreamagain]

Optical from TV to AVR will be compressed audio as optical doesn't have enough bandwidth for uncompressed surround. Your AVR should have Dolby/DTS decoder as long as your TV has real time encoder to outsource compressed Dolby/DTS tracks via it's optical out.

If your TV can do this, its not letting your PC know hence the limited audio selection. AVRs can still emulate using techniques such as pro logic but wont be 100%.

Im wondering if you have two hdmi outputs on your GPU, could use two hdmi cables, one for each the TV and AVR, or even DP to HDMI adapter might work.

I have 3 GPU's so I'm assuming I have all 3 HDMI ports available to me. I was considering running 2 HDMI cables it's just I'm running out of connections on my receiver, this might be the only way though.

 

[boju]

wow " two REALLY wrong answers!
Dolby 5.1 has 6 discrete audio tracks encoded , see this http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital

Optical has plenty of bandwidth for audio: up to 125Mbs http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK

Answer: optical from pc to recr would work: IF your MB has that option,and you select that in Audio set-up of Windows

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK

TOSLINK does not have the capacity to carry the lossless versions of Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM

Optical cable cant do lossless (uncompressed audio) which hdmi does, thats what i was getting at. Its true optical from the motherboard will have all the encoders necessary to compress and send 5.1/6.1 audio tracks down the wire to the AVR. But op said he'll have to buy a 30ft long cable for this.

 

[boju]

Optical from TV to AVR will be compressed audio as optical doesn't have enough bandwidth for uncompressed surround. Your AVR should have Dolby/DTS decoder as long as your TV has real time encoder to outsource compressed Dolby/DTS tracks via it's optical out.

If your TV can do this, its not letting your PC know hence the limited audio selection. AVRs can still emulate using techniques such as pro logic but wont be 100%.

Im wondering if you have two hdmi outputs on your GPU, could use two hdmi cables, one for each the TV and AVR, or even DP to HDMI adapter might work.

I have 3 GPU's so I'm assuming I have all 3 HDMI ports available to me. I was considering running 2 HDMI cables it's just I'm running out of connections on my receiver, this might be the only way though.

Either that or your 30ft long spdif cable, its a pickle no doubt about it. Your next 4k avr in the future make sure have plenty hdmi's ;D

 

[dreamagain]

Optical from TV to AVR will be compressed audio as optical doesn't have enough bandwidth for uncompressed surround. Your AVR should have Dolby/DTS decoder as long as your TV has real time encoder to outsource compressed Dolby/DTS tracks via it's optical out.

If your TV can do this, its not letting your PC know hence the limited audio selection. AVRs can still emulate using techniques such as pro logic but wont be 100%.

Im wondering if you have two hdmi outputs on your GPU, could use two hdmi cables, one for each the TV and AVR, or even DP to HDMI adapter might work.

I have 3 GPU's so I'm assuming I have all 3 HDMI ports available to me. I was considering running 2 HDMI cables it's just I'm running out of connections on my receiver, this might be the only way though.

Either that or your 30ft long spdif cable, its a pickle no doubt about it. Your next 4k avr in the future make sure have plenty hdmi's ;D

Yea I'm just gunna go with dual HDMI. Will give better uncompressed audio too. Waiting for UHD blu ray player and receivers to catch up in compatibility before dropping a load of chunk on that.

 

[boju]

Im in a similar boat myself. A 4k TV would be nice, but then id have to replace my 1080p avr and bluray player, not anytime soon.

 

[jurrabi]

I understand people being ignorant... what I don't understand is how ignorance can be so dare as to give lessons...

VERY WRONG AFFIRMATIONS IN THIS THREAD:
"That's what surround sound is - emulation" Oh my God! I can only assume this is a joke.
"Optical cable cant do lossless (uncompressed audio)" It can, but only 2 channels (it says so in the toslink link you provide) and also lossless is not equal to uncompressed audio. Lossless is a type of compression that guarantees that when uncompressed the end is the same as the origin. For example ZIP files are a form of lossless compression (important for not audio or video files). The not lossless compression is used for files that can be changed a bit after decompression without the user noticing or even if it notices is bearable. MP3 will be an example of not lossless compression.

 

[boju]

This is an old thread and also you have no idea what you're on about. The original question was about bypassing the AVR using the TV as a pass- through for surround as TVs can have optical outputs.

Optical can do lossless audio but not surround, the whole subject is based on surround. Go take out the pineapple that's left in your behind.

 

[jurrabi]

True it is an old thread. Sorry if that's not nice here.

I don't know why you say I don't know what I talk about. I read the whole thread and know what it is about. Thats the issue why I got to this thread.

I understand the issue of wanting to pass surround sound through the TV. It's a common issue nowadays with people having 4k tvs but only 1080p sound systems.

That doesn't mean that I said anything incorrect (or at least you didn't show it, of course I'm not perfect and am wrong many times).

I understand it's very rude of me to come here and in my first post behave like such a knowitall a****le. I'm sorry for that.

But then again you are being again imprecise in your last post, as you where before:
"Optical can do lossless audio but not surround": in fact optical can do lossless audio and can do (encoded) surround. Maybe I'm being to picky as you probably intended to say "Optical can do lossless audio but not (lossless) surround". But the point, as you remarked, in your last response in the surround part and not the lossless... so optical (encoded) surround would be a good solution if possible...

Anyway, sorry for my a** manners...

Be well.