Issues with outputting 5.1 Surround through HDMI

[kittybooze]

My two options are as follows and they both are possessing big hurdles I can't manage to get through

1. While trying to setup my computer through a passthrough on my Onkyo HT-r557 Receiver, my computer fails to recognize the monitor I'm trying to connect to. It will display the monitor just fine on startup but when windows is loaded, my main monitor just starts blinking off and on and not showing up at all on the monitor I'm trying to use. The receiver has the proper port selected as a DVD on Hdmi port 1. I'm wondering if some sort of limitation on this older receiver may be causing this but I'm unsure.

2. While outputting through hdmi straight to the monitor, and using an optical cable to connect the tv to the receiver, I do not get the option to use anything but stereo. 5.1 is not present. I made sure all of my drivers were up to date and I see no reason I wouldn't be able to. I see that there are options within my sound settings called "Nvidia output". There is two of them, I don't know if those are related but they say "Not plugged in." For your reference, I'm using a Z-170A asus motherboard.

Ultimately I just want the best sound with any added convenience.

 

[boju]

Whats your setup again? You've mentioned TV and Monitor, are they the same thing you've just worded it different?

So you have

PC -> AVR -> TV ?

Not,

PC -> AVR -> TV
& -> Monitor

 

[kittybooze]

Sorry about that! To be more clear I was explaining that to just show while attempting a passthrough on the receiver my main monitor was working but blinking throughout.

I have 1 computer monitor and 1 55 inch TV.

So PC -> Monitor
PC -> Receiver -> Tv

 

[kittybooze]

Whats your setup again? You've mentioned TV and Monitor, are they the same thing you've just worded it different?

So you have

PC -> AVR -> TV ?

Not,

PC -> AVR -> TV
& -> Monitor

But also I'm currently running the
PC -> TV -> Receiver. Using the optical cable as I described to connect the tv to the receiver. This offers decent stereo sound but no 5.1 as far as my computer is telling me.

 

[kerberos_20]

with optical 5.1 is possible only when u passtrough dts/dolby encoded audio
pcm is capped with stereo, that cable isnt strong for more channels on pcm

 

[boju]

So you're running dual displays. AVR will be picked up as a 2nd monitor from computer, have you set windows to duplicate display or separate? If Duplicate, check resolution matches to your monitor and AVR. Assume 1080p across everything?

Optical is only 2.1 stereo so thats expected.

What happens if you connect your monitor via hdmi out of the AVR instead of the TV?

--

Should have asked what connection does your monitor use?

 

[kittybooze]

So you're running dual displays. AVR will be picked up as a 2nd monitor from computer, have you set windows to duplicate display or separate? If Duplicate, check resolution matches to your monitor and AVR. Assume 1080p across everything?

Optical is only 2.1 stereo so thats expected.

What happens if you connect your monitor via hdmi out of the AVR instead of the TV?

Try PC

Both screens are 1080p. I have seperate monitor displays. I can try the monitor idea.

 

[boju]

I edited my last post

 

[kittybooze]

I edited my last post

I have now also routed the video to my regular computer monitor, the video comes through just fine but the sound is still not cooperating at all. I've tested my ps4 on the passthrough and the sound only comes through with an optical cable connected.

To put it simply, I want my hdmi cable to carry the sound throughout to achieve convenience and quality, but my receiver seems to have no option to do so, so I suppose I'm left with the optical cable option. I don't see why my receiver would have two HDMI ins and one out and not manage to shove sound through it but it just might not have that capability.

 

[americanaudiophile]

Since your receiver is supposed to handle the sound from sources connected to it that audio isn't sent to the TV over the HDMI connection. The optical cable from the TV will send audio only from the TV tuner and apps. Optical will handle 5.1 but not lossless audio like Dolby TrueHD.
The simplest solution is to connect the PC directly to both the TV and monitor. Your other sources connect to the TV. Optical audio will now carry the audio from all you sources to the receiver. Set the TV to output in bitstream and you will get surround sound.

 

[kittybooze]

Since your receiver is supposed to handle the sound from sources connected to it that audio isn't sent to the TV over the HDMI connection. The optical cable from the TV will send audio only from the TV tuner and apps. Optical will handle 5.1 but not lossless audio like Dolby TrueHD.
The simplest solution is to connect the PC directly to both the TV and monitor. Your other sources connect to the TV. Optical audio will now carry the audio from all you sources to the receiver. Set the TV to output in bitstream and you will get surround sound.

My only issue now is getting windows to output the 5.1 surround through HDMI. I have updated the drivers and everything yet it refuses to send anything but stereo. I know full well my motherboard is capable. I know my receiver and tv is capable of course. So I'm looking for anything perhaps in motherboard settings or any strange glitches caused by problems with windows 10 or nvidia's hd audio driver. I haven't the faintest idea what to do. The only things that appear capable to send 5.1 surround is my analog outputs and the wireless usb headset I have.

 

[kerberos_20]

check sound settings, click there on your hdmi out, and see supported formats in there, that will tell you what u can use, if u have pc to tv hdmi connection, it will usualy stick with stereo

 

[kittybooze]

check sound settings, click there on your hdmi out, and see supported formats in there, that will tell you what u can use, if u have pc to tv hdmi connection, it will usualy stick with stereo

DTS Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital

Are listed, despite not being able to output anything other than stereo.

Max number of channels: 2

 

[kerberos_20]

so here u go, 2 channel pcm, and sourround dts/dolby with passthrough

 

[kittybooze]

so here u go, 2 channel pcm, and sourround dts/dolby with passthrough

But how do I get 5.1 surround sound properly.

 

[kerberos_20]

oh thats easy, first u need some sort of video like dvd/bd or ac3 audio which has dts/dolby encoded audio
then u need player which can passthrough those codecs (vlc media player can do)
and thats pretty much it

the other option would be to use analog surround (5.1/7.1)

and another option would be to get soundcard which can encode 5.1 pcm to dts/dolby (lets say sound blaster z)

 

[kittybooze]

oh thats easy, first u need some sort of video like dvd/bd or ac3 audio which has dts/dolby encoded audio
then u need player which can passthrough those codecs (vlc media player can do)
and thats pretty much it

Is the implication that, I don't need to enable 5.1 surround sound in windows. That the individual program is the only thing that matters?

 

[kerberos_20]

yep

 

[kerberos_20]

here looks settings for vlc

 

[boju]

Windows audio playback devices where you set the default audio device to Nvidia, click configure speakers. Is it set to 5.1 here?