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 Post subject: HDMI Questions
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:54 am 
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Location: Rapid City, SD
I am looking to build an HD system and I am wondering if having HDMI output from the computer is worth it. Or should I just go with a DVI->HDMI cable? Any advantages of one over the other?

I was looking at the ASUS M3A78-EMH, it has HDMI on the motherboard, not sure if anyone has any experience with this motherboard.

Also anyone have any experience with the Antec Fusion cases?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 5:47 pm 
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I could be wrong, but I believe the only 'advantage' to hdmi is it transmits audio and video on one cable. Though, depending on your stereo/tv, that may or may not be a good thing!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 5:51 pm 
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What Gibble said. With Windows, it has the additional "advantage" that HDMI allows for playback of DRMed HD discs to certain monitors, but obviously that's not applicable for MythTV.

I'm also not sure that all HDMI-equipped cards or motherboards are set up to send digital audio, or if they are, if Linux drivers allow it. There was a recent discussion about this in another thread here on the forum.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:13 pm 
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Location: Farmington, MI USA
ceenvee703 wrote:
What Gibble said. With Windows, it has the additional "advantage" that HDMI allows for playback of DRMed HD discs to certain monitors, but obviously that's not applicable for MythTV.

I'm also not sure that all HDMI-equipped cards or motherboards are set up to send digital audio, or if they are, if Linux drivers allow it. There was a recent discussion about this in another thread here on the forum.
I believe that Linux drivers don't have the audio capability *yet*, but folks are working on it - See http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthr ... dio&page=3 for nVidia and https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/148097 for ALC833 chipsets. There are other posts indicating Intel-hda may be supporting audio over HDMI in the (near?) future as well, try Googling for your specific hardware.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:52 am 
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Location: Rapid City, SD
Thanks for the info, that's what I was looking for. I wasn't sure if Linux had the ability to send the audio over HDMI or not. I will stick with the DVI->HDMI solution for now and keep an eye on things.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:09 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 8:08 am
Posts: 25
Location: Nashville, TN
There ARE solutions out there that let you take a DVI + SPDIF from 2 streams, and put them into 1 stream out an HDMI Cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... escription

Something like this would do the trick as well I believe.

-Paul

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:23 pm 
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Location: spencerport, ny (USA)
Mnemic wrote:
Something like this would do the trick as well I believe.
-Paul

Wow - that's pretty cool. I didn't believe you had the right part, looking at the first picture. There's audio on the output side, so it seemed more like a splitter. But then the "input" side has audio as well - must be a pass-thru on the audio. Which is awesome, as it would seem to allow you to pass the audio on the HDMI to the TV, and also to send directly to a 5.1 receiver. i.e. a "movie mode" and "just watch TV" mode, using the TV speakers.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:19 am 
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Location: Nashville, TN
thornsoft wrote:
Mnemic wrote:
Something like this would do the trick as well I believe.
-Paul

Wow - that's pretty cool. I didn't believe you had the right part, looking at the first picture. There's audio on the output side, so it seemed more like a splitter. But then the "input" side has audio as well - must be a pass-thru on the audio. Which is awesome, as it would seem to allow you to pass the audio on the HDMI to the TV, and also to send directly to a 5.1 receiver. i.e. a "movie mode" and "just watch TV" mode, using the TV speakers.


I am considering getting one because my TV has an Optical Out, that passes the Audio stream from HDMI back out, so I can have my Audio Receiver use 1 Input for Anything the TV is doing, long as I feed the TV via HDMI.

So Rather then my Current Setup:
Video
...Xbox360->HDMI->TV on "Input4"
...MythBox->DVI-HDMI->TV on "Input5"
Audio
...TV->S/PDIF(Optical)->5.1 Receiver set to "TV/SAT"
...MythBox->S/PDIF(Coax)->5.1 Receiver set to "DVD"

I can Leave the 5.1 Receiver set to "TV/SAT" no matter what I'm doing,
Rather then the Minor inconvenience of switching my Audio Source :D
Video
...Xbox360->HDMI->TV on "Input4"
...MythBox->DVI & S/PDIF->HDMI->TV on "Input5"
Audio
...TV->S/PDIF(Optical)->5.1 Receiver set to "TV/SAT"

Once I get my hands on a HD-PVR, I'll be one step closer to the true purpose of MythTV for me.... a Mythical Box that can do Everything I want for my TV Viewing in HD. Mwaahhahahahah

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:01 pm 
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Location: Virginia, USA
Mnemic wrote:
I am considering getting one because my TV has an Optical Out, that passes the Audio stream from HDMI back out


Are you sure about that? TVs that have optical out _don't always_ pass through things like Dolby Digital. They'll output Dolby Digital 5.1 from their OTA tuner (so that digital broadcasts received by the tuner can be played back properly by an AV receiver), but I thought many of them drew the line at that.

I know my co-worker had a Sharp TV that he was planning on doing what you're describing (run everything into the TV, then pull the audio out of the TV) but he discovered that his DVDs and Xbox were not registering as 5.1.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:14 pm 
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Posts: 25
Location: Nashville, TN
ceenvee703 wrote:
Mnemic wrote:
I am considering getting one because my TV has an Optical Out, that passes the Audio stream from HDMI back out


Are you sure about that? TVs that have optical out _don't always_ pass through things like Dolby Digital. They'll output Dolby Digital 5.1 from their OTA tuner (so that digital broadcasts received by the tuner can be played back properly by an AV receiver), but I thought many of them drew the line at that.

I know my co-worker had a Sharp TV that he was planning on doing what you're describing (run everything into the TV, then pull the audio out of the TV) but he discovered that his DVDs and Xbox were not registering as 5.1.


My TV is a Sharp Aquos.

I've got a sony Reciever, and it has a blue light that comes on when It gets a Dolby signal.

When I was watching TV via the ATSC tuner the first time... the blue light didn't come on when I was watching lost. So I started hunting around, and there is an Option in the Menus (forget where ATM) that is Defaulted to PCM, but the 2nd option is Dolby(? I think). After changing that the blue light came on, and I had 5.1

Now come to think of it, i have NOT tested 5.1 via the Xbox yet, so I'll do that tonite, and report my findings as well. I know I get Audio from the Xbox via HDMI, so I'll test if the tv will pass 5.1 to the reciver as well. I think it will work though.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:20 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:35 pm
Posts: 64
Location: Northern Kentucky
ceenvee703 wrote:
Mnemic wrote:
I am considering getting one because my TV has an Optical Out, that passes the Audio stream from HDMI back out


Are you sure about that? TVs that have optical out _don't always_ pass through things like Dolby Digital. They'll output Dolby Digital 5.1 from their OTA tuner (so that digital broadcasts received by the tuner can be played back properly by an AV receiver), but I thought many of them drew the line at that.

I know my co-worker had a Sharp TV that he was planning on doing what you're describing (run everything into the TV, then pull the audio out of the TV) but he discovered that his DVDs and Xbox were not registering as 5.1.


Isn't that a pile of crap! I've never understood HDMI and the crap that the industry is selling us. First off why would you send the TV audio that way if it doesn't pass it out. I can't say that TVs have ever had good sound and never had true 5.1 sound of any sort. Seems silly to let the TV muck with it. For better sound you are likely going to have a decent amp with decoders built in. I would prefer multiple devices to go through the Amp first and only one Video out to the TV. My Amp will do Component and S-video but not in HD. Some of the newer ones will pass HD.

My crappy HDTV doesn't have HDMI, so I can't buy an upconvert DVD player as they only use HDMI to pass the signal. Heaven forbid I might pass the upconverted signal out to a recordable HD disk and sell it as such!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 8:08 am
Posts: 25
Location: Nashville, TN
damn you ceenvee703,

got me doing some research, and I'm seeing conflicting information... lol

some PS3 forums saying it works, if you turn things on in a certain order, and other forums saying it only works on analog inputs.

So I'll be sure to test & inform you later.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:36 pm 
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Location: Virginia, USA
Mnemic wrote:
damn you ceenvee703


Always happy to be of service! :P

I agree with jorin, the situation is indeed "crap." And since you mentioned PS3, the situation is even more annoying, since you can't send the new higher-bandwidth audio streams like Dolby True HD via optical, you have to be connected to the receiver via HDMI, otherwise it just downsamples it to DD 5.1


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:41 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 8:08 am
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Location: Nashville, TN
Well,
you were right.

the ATSC tuner outputs, but the Xbox and MythTV box have no options under the Digital menu for Audio Output.

So back to square one, switching everything on both and (cry) running cables to/from everything.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:14 pm 
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Posts: 64
Location: Northern Kentucky
ceenvee703 wrote:
I agree with jorin, the situation is indeed "crap." And since you mentioned PS3, the situation is even more annoying, since you can't send the new higher-bandwidth audio streams like Dolby True HD via optical, you have to be connected to the receiver via HDMI, otherwise it just downsamples it to DD 5.1


Crapier Crap! As if Optical couldn't handle the bandwidth.

But my amp cannot decode it anyway....

I guess once I get that extra large 1080P display i will toss in that nice AV Amp. Eventually, in the next 10 years or so....


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