Laptop sound to home theater through TV not working

[brianbussie]

Okay, first off, let me specify that I had this working at one time for video gaming but I don't know what has happened to make it stop working. I'm not good with A/V stuff, so it might be something really simple. I've searched here and on other sites and haven't found my exact scenario as best I can tell. So if I missed it in my searching, please point me to the answer and accept my apologies up front. Below is the scenario I'm encountering and I very much appreciate your help.

Whenever I watch TV, I get surround through my home theater with no problem. But when I hook up my laptop, I get nothing through my home theater. I have to turn up the volume on my TV and that's all I get.

I have what is now a bit of an older HP Pavilion g7 laptop running Windows 7 and 1 HDMI ports. If you need more information on the laptop setup, let me know. My TV is a Mitsubishi 65" DLP WD-65837 with 3 HDMI ports. The TV doesn't have an optical digital audio jack, but it does have a regular digital audio output jack. My home theater system is a Panasonic SC-BTT370 with Blu-Ray player. And the final variable in the equation is a Motorola DCT6416 III cable box.

I've got the laptop connected via HDMI to HDMI 1 on my TV. HDMI 2 on my TV connects to my cable box. I have a digital audio cable (output) running from my TV to a converter. Then, from the converter I have an optical digital audio cable running to my home theater system. I also have other regular red, white and yellow audio/video cables connecting my TV and my home theater system.

I hope I've explained this well and given you all enough to work with; but if not, let me know and I'll add any information you might need.

Thank you very much!

 

[ssddx]

it looks like your receiver/dvd combo unit has 2x hdmi inputs.

is there a reason why you dont have your pc and cable box connected to your receiver via hdmi cables and then a single hdmi from the receiver output to your tv?

 

[brianbussie]

ssddx - Hey, thanks for taking the time to respond. Well, first, the reason my setup wasn't like you mentioned is because I simply am audio/video illiterate! I've never been good with hooking up audio/video components.

But anyway, I took your advice and hooked it up that way. I plugged the cable box into HDMI 1, and the PC into HDMI 2 on the back of the blu-ray receiver. Then, I ran the third HDMI cable from the blu-ray output to HDMI 1 on the TV.

The problem is, now I can't even get the PC to show up on the screen at all. All I'm getting now is a blue screen. Before, I was at least getting a picture and sound, even though it was only through the TV. It seems like it's trying to work, because when I have HDMI 2 selected and I unplug the HDMI cable from the PC, the TV screen flashes at the same time as the PC. But then the TV screen goes blue again. But still, nothing.

Any further suggestions are more than welcome; thank you!

 

[ssddx]

both your cable and pc are hooked up to the "inputs" correct?
the cable going from receiver to tv is also going from "output" to "input" correct?

is the source on your tv set to "hdmi1" ?
is the source on your home theater set to the correct source (you would need to use your HT remote control for this not the tvs)

 

[brianbussie]

both your cable and pc are hooked up to the "inputs" correct?
the cable going from receiver to tv is also going from "output" to "input" correct?

Yes, the cable and PC are connected to the inputs and the receiver to TV line is connected to the output on the receiver. There is nothing on the TV that specifies input, so I just have it connected to HDMI 1.

is the source on your tv set to "hdmi1" ?
is the source on your home theater set to the correct source (you would need to use your HT remote control for this not the tvs)

Yes. And no matter what source I select, nothing happens for the PC. I only get the blue screen. Before I changed everything around, I was getting the picture from the PC but only sound from PC to TV.

Just out of curiosity, I checked my home theater's firmware version and it's up-to-date.

Thanks.

 

[ssddx]

swap the hdmi inputs around. sometimes only a certain input works for computers (it should be the one in the manual which is specified as an input for video game systems and/or pc. sometimes its labeled hdmi/dvi

 

[brianbussie]

Since there were only two inputs and one output, and one was specifically labelled Cable Box, I had the cable box plugged up there and the PC plugged up in the remaining input jack. I tried swapping them, to no avail.

In the meantime, in an attempt to get it back to at least the way I had it before when I could at least see and hear it through the TV without the home theater system and play my video games on it, I swear I've got it back the way I had it but all I'm getting is a blank blue screen. Surely I've got something wrong, but I'll keep trying.

This is insane, I can't believe it's so difficult, but I very much appreciate your help.

 

[ssddx]

well to try getting things back to how they were you can try disconnecting everything... and just have the hdmi from pc to tv. thats it (well and the power cables to the tv and pc). then start the tv first, make sure the tv input (in the menu) is on the correct input channel.

if it doesnt work try using the other hdmi cable.

you dont happen to have a spare monitor around do you? if so test with that to see if you have picture. are you using a video card or integrated video?

----

honestly it shouldnt be this complex.

it *should* take 2 minute with everything working fine.

however.... there are some times where things just give you a hard time.

addition:

i forgot to mention you should have your computer powered off before you change the connections!

 

[brianbussie]

Hey ssddx, thanks for all your help. I finally just decided to give up. I can't even get it to work like it was before and I KNOW I have it set up the same way. Maybe it's my HDMI cable but 12' cables aren't cheap and that's what I use to reach across the room from my TV/Home theater setup to where I sit.

Again, I appreciate it but it's making my blood pressure so high messing with it that I'm just going to give up.

 

[ssddx]

well..

if hooking a hdmi up from pc to tv only with nothing else hooked up doesnt work.... that would have me a bit worried (however for some reason the pc doesnt work on hdmi 1 on some tvs only hdmi 2 (my parents laptop and their new tv) mine works fine on any. odd. perhaps that is the issue?

i know its frustrating. been there done that and normally its something so stupid you feel rediculous afterwards. its easier to fix such things in person however obviously i cant do that so all i can do is offer some pointers to help you figure things out.

anyways good luck. dont stress out too much.

 

[brianbussie]

Hey, I have good news. I didn't have another cable to test it out with, so I borrowed one from my brother as a test. I didn't want to buy another 12' cable if that wasn't the issue. We tested it out this evening... it WAS the cable after all that! lol Geez...

So this morning, the Best Buy store my brother works at opens at 7am and I'm going to be there with bells on to get a new 12' cable.

Once again, thank you very much! Do I need to mark this thread solved like on some other forums? I can't find where to do that.

 

[ssddx]

big green button underneath all of the response you get in the thread.... you just click on "pick as the solution" for one of them and it marks a thread solved.

...yes.... a bad cable can do that. i would try hooking things back up how i said (to the receiver first with one hdmi out to tv) and it should work.

 

[brianbussie]

Yes, that's exactly how it worked when I had the other cable to try.

Thanks again... and I should have known the 'Pick as the solution' button would do the trick.

You get high marks in my book, my friend. I know, as you mentioned, it really was a simple thing, but let me tell you, I spent a lot of days really ticked off at why it wouldn't fall into place for me.

One last show of gratitude for me, and I hope I get the opportunity to have you help me out with something in the future.