[Solved, kinda] NO video or audio from computer to receiver to HDTV via HDMI. Help?

[ambush]

This is a real puzzler, since I've successfully done this with other hardware previously. I eventually want to set up an HTPC via a computer's HDMI through an HDMI switch (because the TV I will be using doesn't support enough HDMI inputs) to my receiver (which also doesn't support enough HDMI inputs) and then to my TV.

But before I start using the HDMI switch, I'm struggling to make the setup work just with the computer connected to the receiver and then to the TV. Whatever I try, I get no output at all -- no video and no audio! Here's a list of the hardware that will become the HTPC:

TV: Sony Bravia HDTV Model # KDL-32ML130
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-821-K
Computer: Home-built with MSI NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (includes HDMI output), running 64-bit Windows 7 Pro

I've confirmed that there is definitely audio coming from the NVIDIA HDMI port.

Here's a list of the things I've tried:

Tried using several different HDMI cables (all high-quality)

Tried different input and output ports to and from the receiver and the TV

Tried different startup orders (e.g, TV first, computer first, receiver first, etc)

Tried two different computers (both running the same OS) but with different HDMI graphics cards

Tried changing NVIDIA control panel output ports/settings, but it reported that only one output was connected (the HDMI)

Tried using an HDMI spitter to circumvent HDCP


But none of these attempts worked!

Note that I confirmed that the receiver HDMI I/O ports used, and the TV HDMI port used, work correctly by using a different HDMI source (BluRay player, Fire TV, etc). I really thought that HDCP was the problem and that the splitter would confirm that, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Here are some screen shots of the relevant Windows 7 control panel settings (these were captured while the NVIDIA HDMI port was connected to the Pioneer receiver and the NVIDIA VGA port was directly connected to the PC port on the TV -- otherwise no video would ever be seen):

Sound Control Panel Main:

Sony TV supported formats (note HDCP IS supported and multi-channel audio):

NVIDIA high-def audio page:

Please help!!

 

[alexoiu]

How are you connecting the receiver to the tv?

 

[americanaudiophile]

Did you try bypassing the receiver and switch going straight into the TV. That will tell you whether the receiver or switch is the problem.
Also try booting the computer after you have turned on the receiver and TV, and selected the correct input for the PC on the switcher. It may take 10 seconds for the TV to handshake with the TV. If you don't get anything try selecting a different input that has an active source, wait for it to lock, and then switch back.

 

[ambush]

Thanks for your response! I was a bit worried that my OP would be too long...

How are you connecting the receiver to the tv?

Using an HDMI cable. The receiver has one HDMI Out port.

 

[ambush]

Thanks for your reply as well! I'm grateful.

Did you try bypassing the receiver and switch going straight into the TV. That will tell you whether the receiver or switch is the problem.

Yes. When I connect the computer directly to the TV via HDMI, I get video but, of course, no audio. (The TV doesn't have any internal speakers). So I have to have the HDMI path pass through the receiver first for the audio and then on to the TV. (The TV doesn't have something like an HDMI pass-through).

Also try booting the computer after you have turned on the receiver and TV, and selected the correct input for the PC on the switcher. It may take 10 seconds for the TV to handshake with the TV. If you don't get anything try selecting a different input that has an active source, wait for it to lock, and then switch back.

Well, I've tried changing the power-on / startup sequence that way and other ways without success. But I'm willing to try again and wait even longer to see if anything comes through.

By the way, I took the computer at issue to another HTPC with a different receiver and TV, and it worked perfectly. I'm not sure what that tells us, though.

 

[ambush]

Since it's still not working, I'm about to try an experiment. The computer at issue here uses a NVIDIA graphics/audio card. Almost all of my computers use NVIDIA as well, but one of them uses an AMD card, which I'm going to swap in to replace the NVIDIA.

The reason I suspect this might be useful is that when booting up, all of the NVIDIA machines initial display shows a very fuzzy, green/gray screen until you either enter the BIOS or when Windows finishes booting. The machine with the AMD card does no such thing: it's always a clean, clear, high-quality display right from power-on...

 

[ambush]

Barely adequately SOLVED: It was an extremely frustrating and extremely irrational process, but here's what finally worked acceptably (but far from ideally!):

I'm not certain that replacing the NVIDIA card with the AMD card was a key part of the solution or not, but now that it's finally working okay I'm not going to spend another hateful day experimenting some more. But both video and audio worked IF and ONLY IF I connect the AMD card's HDMI port to the receiver AND connect the AMD card's VGA port directly to the HDTV! If I try without the VGA port connected, it never, ever works.

Furthermore, if I try to increase the video resolution above 1280 x 720 on either port, the HDMI port ALWAYS goes blank and will not show any video until the auto-restore feature returns it to 1280 x 720. Yet the receiver's HDMI resolution is full 1080p, and the HDTV's is 1360x768, if you try even for the latter, it NEVER works. I suspect this may be related to the fact that I have to "duplicate" both display outputs for this to work at all, and obviously VGA has lower resolution capabilities.

And getting the HDMI audio to work was an exercise in horrible frustration because when I tried to get the sound working, I kept getting the dreaded "This device is in use by another application..." message! I tried many suggested fixes, but the only one that worked was to roll back the AMD HDMI audio driver.

All in all, a dreadful experience and a less-than-ideal solution.