Question Laptop>soundbar>projector. I get image but no sound

rerpente

Great
Dec 24, 2021
10
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60
I am desperate. My setup is
Laptop> (HDMI cable)> JBL 9.1 Soundbar> (HDMI cable)> Epson Projector
Everything worked fine until I got a 4K projector, also an Epson. Since then, the soundbar decided not to play the sound, but to send the image to the projector (!)

I have tried 2-3 different HDMI cables (all support 4K), I have tried various graphics card and sound card drivers (rollback, update to new ones) and nothing worked. The new projector simply does not appear in the device manager under Audio inputs and outputs, nor in Sound>Playback. When I plug the HDMI on the old projector, it immediately appears as EPSON PJ on my laptop. The laptop refuses to recognise the new projector. The sound bar and the projector have the latest firmware.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
 

rerpente

Great
Dec 24, 2021
10
0
60
Just to confirm, you have HDMI out from the laptop to the sound bar's HDMI In and from the sound bar's HDMI Out (ARC) to one of the HDMI inputs on the projector

Yes, that is correct.

Have you tried both HDMI inputs on the projector? I honestly would have thought one of them would have the Audio Return Channel.

Yes, I have tried both HDMI inputs on the projector.

:(
 

rerpente

Great
Dec 24, 2021
10
0
60
I understand and I appreciate it. Soundbar has minimal to no settings. I borrowed 1-2 other laptops from friends and guess - everything works fine, soundbar plays the sound. That's why I'm so desperate and I think there has to be done something to my laptop. Which is why I tried the several sound and graphics drivers, to no result :disrelieved:
 

rerpente

Great
Dec 24, 2021
10
0
60
Sorry. my bad.
Yes, the other laptops are older than mine, maybe 6-7 years old so they can't have HDMI 2.0.
The whole situation just does not make any sense at all, that's why I decided to ask the wise people on this forum