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DisplayPort for audio only?

Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered User regular
So I'm trying to get 5.1 sound from my PC to my my sound bar. However, I keep having a bunch of issues:

1. Using my TV as a pass through works except no surround sound as the computer doesn't "see" the sound bar.
2. Using the optical out on the motherboard also doesn't provide 5.1.
3. Using an HDMI port for the TV and a DisplayPort to HDMI via my GPU to the sound bar gives 5.1 but the PC thinks the sound bar is a monitor and restricts the TV to 1080/60hz.

I've searched for a bit and while I've seen people with the same problem, no solution is ever offered.

Posts

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    What sound bar do you have? Does it do ARC or eARC? Does it have a USB port or 3.5mm headphone jack?

    Do you have a sound card, or is it on board on your motherboard?

  • Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED! Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Vizio SB3651-F6

    Has ARC but not eARC. Has a "digital" input that might be 3.5". Does have a USB though I think I remember it saying it was only to play music off of.

    TV is TCL R635 and has both ARCs.

    PC is onboard audio. It's based on the RealTek AC1220 chip.

    Magus` on
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Is your TV also your pc monitor or are you trying to do a TV through the sound bar and also a pc with monitors, but using the tvs sound bar?

    Have you checked that your HDMI cables are 2.1? Also, if you're not using the TV as your monitor, your PC can probably do sound out to USB and video through hdmi to your monitor. If USB is sound only, but you only want sound, that seems right?

    ARC is audio return channel, is an HDMI 2?/2.1 spec that does audio only through hdmi, but then you would need a tv/monitor that does ARC output along with 2.1 Hdmi cables. If your TV does ARC output, it seems like it would work fine, if your cables are the right format

    Edit 3: I don't know much about displayport stuff

    Burtletoy on
  • Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED! Registered User regular
    TV is separate.

    I don't have a USB cord so I can't check that.

    If the TV would just pass through the signal it would be fine.

    All the HDMI is 2.0 outside maybe the sound bar.

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Yeah, if the TV is separate, then you would need a monitor that is ARC capable, I believe. GPU HDMI to monitor. Monitor ARC output HMDI to soundbar. Soundbar with ARC HDMI input.

    With the current setup, your TV would have to be your monitor to do the pass through, I believe.

    A quick search says ARC was a part of the HDMI 1.4 standard, so if your cables are 2.x they should work.

    Also, the optical out should just work, as far as I know. Optical is capable of 5.1, for sure. Not sure what that option isn't working for you

    Might be worth it to get a internal or external sound card for the PC?

    Burtletoy on
  • Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED! Registered User regular
    Optical is weird. It says it has the option to do 5.1 though DD/DTS and testing it DOES put sound on all speakers, buuuut for everything else it's just stereo.

    No option in Windows 10 to change to 5.1.

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    Stupid question, but when doing the optical cable, the soundbar wasn't set to stereo or music setting or anything?

  • Magus`Magus` The fun has been DOUBLED! Registered User regular
    Nope.

    From what I'm reading, optical only has enough bandwidth for compressed 5.1 audio.

    What's weird is the PC can do 5.1, the PS4 can do 5.1 (through the TV), the TV can do 5.1 through the Roku apps.

    Yet passing through PC to TV to sound bar doesn't allow 5.1. The option is there but greyed out.

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