PC Audio to Home Theater Receiver help?!

[wipcguy]

I'm hopeful I'm posting this in the appropriate forum.

I have a Abit AWD9D-MAX and an ATI HD2600 XT, Vista Ultimate x64, a Yamaha HTR 5390 receiver (HTR), and a Samsung 720p Plasma HDTV.

I read that my Video card (the HD2600), pushes 5.1 digital audio out via HDMI when using a DVi-to-HDMI adapter (included in package). The thing is, my HTR does not have HDMI inputs of any kind, but it does have component/progressive inputs for video, and optical and coaxial SP/DIF inputs for audio. I want to get the video and audio signals from my PC to the HTR. I know I'll have to somehow convert the DVI video to component - I've seen those adapters, but I'm perplexed on what I'll do to get the audio out of the video card to the HTR, when it supposedly comes out through HDMI. Will I have to use the digital audio out of the motherboard/HD audio, or can I somehow get that audio off the video card to the HTR by stracting it from the HDMI signal? I like the idea of capitalizing on the hardware 5.1 supposedly coming from the video card.

Man, I am SURE I'm not asking this question right, and my HTPC experience hangs in the balance.

 

[Slayer616]

You don't HAVE to use the HDMI to get the audio signal.

On my setup I have a Bluray drive installed on my PC, I connect to my Kenwood reciever via my soundcard with Optical, then use HDMI(I originally had DVI) output to the monitor. HDMI is digital and protected with HDCP so I doubt you can find an adapter that wil be able to pull the 5.1 signal from it. You would need a Display with a HDMI in and then connect from your HDTV 's digital audio out. If your HDTV doesnt support that then you wont get 5.1(I'm assuming Dolby digital or DTS?) unless you use your soundcard to send the signal to your reciever.

I'm guessing you are going to be using some sort of software DVD player and you would need one that supports use of SPDIF to pass through the signal to your reciever for decoding. I use PowerDVD

I use a Creative Xf-i soundcard, but have used the onboard HD audio as well with good results. The reason I switched to the XF-i is because there is a Dolby Digital Live software pack you can get that will take any audio off your PC and convert it to a Dolby digital signal for output to home equipment. It also will dynamically up convert your music from stereo to surround which sounds amazing.

 

[wipcguy]

You know what?

It dawns on me now that I don't want to control video input with my TV, you know? Right now I control all my video input through the receiver. -The video output of my Wii, DVD and U-verse STB all go through the receiver.

Unfortunately, the receiver *does not* have hdmi. So if I want to control the video input of the HTPC with the receiver still, I'm going to have to convert that DVI to component, and just take the digital audio off the Soundmax on my mobo. -Which means two seperate cables of around 10 meters each, and lots of holes in my floor, unless I go in-wall, which I should.

Plus I'm seeing horror stories of getting the audio to go out the correct way. -Something about ATI taking over the sound. but my PC speakers, right now, do come out through the soundmax card, so I should be ok.

So this is most likely the route that I will take. I'll re-post back here my experiences when it's all done.

 

[wipcguy]

The bummer is, I realize now, is that I'll have to run those freekin' component video cables through the wall/floor. -That's 4 cables, with the audio. Is there a way I can convert that DVI to HDMI, convert that to Cat5, run Cat5 to the entertainment center, then convert it back to HDMI, then split out both the video and audio, and run both those through my receiver, which only has component video and digital audio inputs?

Clear as mud?

Again, my receiver is Yamaha HTR 5930 (http/www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200505).

 

[Slayer616]

You need something like this product to get from component to HDMI....Price isnt bad consideing that the cost of a long HDMI cable is going to cost way more than this.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158130

 

[wipcguy]

Thanks for the response.

And alright, I'm digging you on that, but:

For the specs it says the input ports are RCA component video, 3.5 mm analog audio, and coax (RCA) digital audio. It further says that the output port is HDMI. -Is that bi-directional? In other words, can I go *in* with HDMI, and *out* with component video and coaxial digital audio?

 

[wipcguy]

Of course, this still doesn't solve my problem of getting (the combined video and audio over) HDMI out the PC, converted to Shielded Cat5 (or Cat6) to run through walls, converted to component video and digital audio (preferrably TOSLINK/Fiber) at my HTR.

I have never had my head spin so. I've looked at more "almosts" in the last three days.

 

[americanaudiophile]

Check the specs on the video board. It may output component video with a breakout cable from the jack between the two dvi outputs. This video and the digital audio can be sent through cat 5 cables (I would run two for future use with HDMI). Many manufacturers make thse kind of adaptors and since they have been out a while they aren't too pricey.
If video card doesn't output component video change it. Changing HDMI to component is requires a digital to analog conversion and will not cheap if it preserves the quality.

 

[DiscoDuck]

many video cards have compnent video out for HD which can distubuted through RG6 coax x3 but doesnt support HDCP. It would likely downconvert BD to 480p instead of 720p or 1080i (max on component). Most digtal to analog and analog to digtal devices will also break HDCP and make BD content run at standard dvd quality.

 

[Slayer616]

I wonder if there is some kind of wireless solution that would help?