combining audio and video from 2 different sources

FatherH

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Oct 20, 2012
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My PC has the RealTek, 7.1 audio system via the motherboard. The video source for my monitors comes via a GTX 660-Ti graphics card. I plan to use this system as part of a home theater that I've just built (and all the cables are already buried in the walls, and were done so after being assured that I could pass the appropriate signals from the PC to the receiver, using one HDMI cable, using my current hardware).

The flow will be: PC to receiver (via an HDMI cable), to projector (via another HDMI cable).

In order for both the audio and video to flow along the same HDMI cable, I must switch from the RealTek audio to the 7.1 digital audio coming from the graphics card. Unfortunately, when this change is made, only 2 channel audio is available (a problem that wasn't foreseen when I did my research before building the room).

The RealTek "card" has several individual RCI outputs (one for each type of audio out set-up, i.e., one for right and left front speakers, another for right and left surround speakers, etc), but it also has a digital optical port out, which combines all of the other ports into a single line out.

I believe, that in order to do as I planned (send both the 7.1 Audio and HD Video over a single HDMI line), I would need a device that will accept "input" from the optical port plus "input" from the video card (via HDMI or dvi cable), and then output to my receiver via HDMI cable.

Does anyone know of such a device (so far, I've only been able to find the opposite, i.e., HDMI in and optical, plus HDMI, out)??

If not, does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on how to make this work??

Thank you.
 

FatherH

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FatherH

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Thanks, Kanewolf. Unfortunately, this thread didn't help. One of the major problems (and one I spent almost 90 minutes working with a NVIDIA tech trying to solve), is that the receiver isn't showing up in the Windows "sound" window, so I have to select one of the monitors as my default device. He, the tech, is investigating the possibility that the card isn't permitting the digital sound to pass through, and I'm trying to ascertain why the receiver isn't being seen by the computer/Windows sound...
 
Connecting a PC with HDMI can drive you crazy.
The order that you boot the PC and select the HDMI input on the receiver can affect whether the two "handshake". On my system you have to select the HDMI input and then boot the PC.
Also try removing the HDMI cable and reinserting it at either end with both on.
Once you get the two to see each other I suspect that will solve your problem.
 

FatherH

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Grandmaster:
Thank you for your suggestions. I gave them a try. Still no change. I agree with your statement about connecting the PC's A/V to a receiver can drive a person crazy, and am coming close to concluding that it's impossible with today's current technological solutions. For some strange reason graphics cards only offer 2 channel audio out on all their dvi and hdmi connections - and I haven't been able to find a way to merge the audio coming from the on-board optical out plug with the video coming from the graphics card so the two signals will sync and flow to the receiver as an HD video file with 7.1 audio.

Thanks again for your input.