Setting up my first HTPC, audio not working

[sharadsri]

Hi All,

I am setting up my first HTPC and I have run into a real fix now. I have
 A Creative 2.1 Speaker system,
 A Panasonic TH L42E6D Led TV,
 My PC
Windows 7,
AMD Phenom II X3,
6GB RAM,
Motherboard- BioStar TA 790GX A3+
Realtek High Definition audio on board sound card,
ATI Radeon HD 6670 (approx. tot memory 3829MB) with HDMI
 A comparatively older Philips FWv28 - 5in1 hi-fi system (The speakers are in excellent condition but work only with the analog red and black wire combo)
 A digital set top box.

So, here is what happened,

The Panasonic guy came over and installed the TV, plugged in the set top box to the TV, audio(red and white) and the video(yellow) cables and left. The TV works perfectly well on input from the STB.

The TV plays movies from my USB quite fine, but there is very low audio even at the max volume output (100%).
This is why I wanted to set up the HTPC.

I hooked up My PC to the TV via a HDMI cable, made the TV the PC s monitor, Connected it to the HDMI port 1.

Now I can switch between the TV inputs from STB to my PC, so I have no issues with the display.

Also when connected to the STB, the TV plays the audio quite fine.

Next I connected the Creative 2.1 speaker system to the Green slot on the PC, shown in the image below, this is the port I had been using while using my PC for the past three years.

Third, I connected the Philips system to my PC, using the Black port as the AUX input (connected via a 3.5 mm jack) to the Philips system.

I open the Realtek sound manager and test the system, the Creative speakers are interconnected with the subwoofer, so when I click on the subwoofer, all the three (left right and subwoofer) play sound.
I click on the front left and the Philips Left speaker plays sound.
I click on the front right and the Philips right speaker plays sound.
I click on the center left and the creative left speaker alone plays sound.
I click on center right and the creative right speaker alone plays sound.
So far so good.
Finally I play a sound file, standard MP3 using Windows Media Player and I get no sound output from any of the speakers. I run the sound test again and the speakers respond.
My aim is simple, I want all the four speakers and the subwoofer to play sound when I play media on my PC, additionally, I’d also like to play the STB audio via the speakers but I have no idea how to do that either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance…

 

[alyoshka]

Firstly, the sound plays from all the speakers the way you want it to play, but only during the Configurations....That's a good sign.
The thing is, the Default Audio Device is set to the HDMI Port on the Radeon....
Simple
Change the default setting in the Audio / Multimedia Options to the Realtek card.....

AND I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ASKED THIS ON YAHOO TOO.....
http/in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131028234846AA8y5c0

 

[sharadsri]

I am really desperate alyoshka. its been kinda my dream project for quite sometime now.
I am at work now. I will try out your suggestion as soon as i get back home. Thanks a lot

just a doubt, if the default is set to the HDMI port, then shouldnt i get sound output from the TV speakers? is it a problem with my HDMI cable?

 

[sharadsri]

Firstly, the sound plays from all the speakers the way you want it to play, but only during the Configurations....That's a good sign.
The thing is, the Default Audio Device is set to the HDMI Port on the Radeon....
Simple
Change the default setting in the Audio / Multimedia Options to the Realtek card.....

AND I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ASKED THIS ON YAHOO TOO.....
http/in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131028234846AA8y5c0

I tried what you said. The default setting was actually set to Realtek speakers only. I tried changing it to HDMI and i could receive the audio output from my pc through the TV speakers.

Switched it back to Relatek audio and no sound.

really confused :-(

 

[alyoshka]

Have you checked in the Windows Media Player Setting what is the Default Audio Device it is using to play content??

 

[sharadsri]

Have you checked in the Windows Media Player Setting what is the Default Audio Device it is using to play content??

Found it, I was using the black color jack, it is supposedly to be used only for digital outputs. I got the creative speakers working. the philips speakers are still not picking up the sound. Also I had to update the driver. Strange cos I had updated it a week back..

 

[sharadsri]

Is there some kind of component that can receive audio inputs from my stb and my pc and outpt it through my speakers? Kind of like an audio hub?

 

[alyoshka]

I don't exactly get what you mean by that..

 

[sharadsri]

I am asking if there is a device that can accept audio inputs from many sources (my pc, the stb and hopeully a future blue ray player ) and send all these inputs to one speaker system...

Something like an rca splitter but which works in reverse...

http/ask.metafilter.com/168497/Splitter-as-a-merger

 

[alyoshka]

An A/V Network Receiver...... that will work out pretty expensive.....

Or the cheaper option would be something like this
http/www.ebay.com/itm/4-Port-Input-1-Output-Audio-Video-AV-RCA-Switch-Box-4-Ways-Selector-Box-/190692841738
or
http/www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-8-Input-Speaker-Source-Audio-Selector-Switcher-Inputs-Sound-System-Wiring-/150973976905

But as long as you're not an audiophile these should do.