PC>HDMI>UHDTV>HDMI>AV surround sound help

ToCa81

Commendable
Jun 14, 2016
4
0
1,510
Hey all I've been trying to find a solid answer to this, but I'm not having much luck. If it's obvious and I just missed it, I apologize in advance. Here's my setup:

AMD R9 380 GPU
Vizio M65 C-1 4K TV
Sony Bluray AV system (sorry don't know exact model #)

Basically I'm running an HDMI from PC to AV for surround sound and HDMI from AV to TV for picture. Sounds great but caps me at 1080 since the AV system is a few years old. This is the only way I can get 6 channel 5.1 audio though. The GPU and TV are both capable of 2160 at 60Hz if I run HDMI straight from the PC to the TV. I just need an HDMI 2.0 cable for this which I will be buying shortly. I know my GPU is not strong enough to run most games at this setting, but I'd still like to have the option. I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the surround sound working if I then run HDMI from the TV to the AV though. Stereo works as I can get audio from the front speakers, but my rears are left out. It doesn't even give me the option for 5.1 when I try to configure the playback device and it's limited to 2 channels under the properties. Any audiophiles out there who can help this newbie? Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
I think you want to bypass the TV for audio.
You can run a digital cable from the PC if you have digital out or is it's easier use an HDMI audio extractor at the TV and plug the optical cable into it. Depends on where the components are located. It should work fine.
If there is no setting in the TV audio menu to pass surround sound then you will need to get the audio directly from the PC. If you have optical out on the PC you should be able to use that directly to the HTS. Set the PC to output via optical not HDMI.
If not you can get an HDMI switch with audio extraction which will work with the PC and other sources.
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=5557&kpid=105557&gclid=CPPY2sLnwcYCFYIXHwodhY0FTw
 

ToCa81

Commendable
Jun 14, 2016
4
0
1,510
Thanks for the reply. The thing is my TV is set to surround sound ON with the TV speakers OFF. I also change the Digital Audio Out from PCM to Bitstream which it says is required for more than 2 channel audio. The HDMI connecting the TV and receiver is plugged into the appropriate ARC port on both devices, but still my PC only lists stereo under sound options and not 5.1. I should clarify that the rear speakers do work, but they just play whatever is coming from the fronts, so it's not authentic surround sound.
 

ToCa81

Commendable
Jun 14, 2016
4
0
1,510
I'm thinking of buying an extra audio cable and just running audio from the motherboard to the receiver. I'm sure I could get 5.1 that way, but I'd prefer to keep the audio and video signals together on 1 HDMI. Another possible solution is to run a digital optical cable from the TV to the receiver, but I'm afraid that might just give me the same stereo option as the HDMI there.