Stereo output only HTPC (HDMI)-> TV (TosLink)-> Receiver

[LrngToFly]

Hello-

I have a roughly 5 year old Intel Sandy Bridge era HTCP running Windows 7 (I have 4 TVs with Ceton Echos, but that has nothing to do with this post.) I use the Intel integrated graphics I think it's HD2000, perhaps HD2500.

I output HDMI from the PC to my 2010 era Samsung TV. I then have a TOSLink optical cable from my TV to my receiver. I do this because my wife and my young kids can't handle turning on the receiver all the time (even with a smart remote), so the receiver is "optional" and I only use it for movies.

Anyway, my kids are 6 and I decide it's time to introduce them to Start Wars. Low and behold, I figure out that anything from the HTPC is only in stereo, not in 5.1! I've moved once since I built this system, but I don't know how long this has been. I hardly watch any TV myself, it mostly is for kids content.

The output settings for the latest Intel audio and graphics driver shows it's only 2 channel PCM. 5.1 is grayed out. I've seen some slightly related posts (with Windows 8.1, not 7) from others with the same problem, but there were no solutions applicable to me.

I see other who post suggestions to get an NVidia card and my problem will be solved. I don't game. I don't mind spending $45 on a low end NVidia card, but I was hoping to continue to use the integrated graphics so that my electricity use will remain minimal.

Anyone know what to do to get 5.1 sound? Thanks!

[Shark007]

TV's do not pass 5.1 from the HDMI input to their toslink output.
If you want 5.1 from the PC, you need to connect the HDMI to an AVR before the TV.

[LrngToFly]

Ah, interesting. Is it possible to output audio through both the HDMI to my TV and from a TOSLink cable from the HTCP directly to my receiver simultaneously so that I don't have to switch audio between them?

[LrngToFly]

Anyone try a HDMI splitter that outputs to two outputs simultaneously? I suppose I should fist hook the HDMI directly up to my receiver to make sure I can it to give me 5.1, then if that works, buy something like this:

http://www.monoprice.com/product?pg_no2 ... 4#feedback

Hopefully it won't switch the audio output back to stereo after I plug in the splitter.

[volfan6415]

Lots of times those splitters report the capabilities of the connected devices at the lowest common denominator so it is likely that it will report back stereo only if that is all your tv can handle. I browsed through the manual which was on the page you linked to but couldn't get a definitive answer.

What model receiver so you have? Some can be set to pass thru and hdmi signal when they are off and then process the audio signal when they are on.

Believe me I wish Windows would let you set multiple simultaneous audio output devices. It's a really stupid limitation in my opinion given that devices like a blu-ray player, roku, apple tvs all can yet Windows can only send to one output at a time.

[fiteclub]

Contrary to what many say, I know for a FACT that at least some TVs do pass 5.1 from HDMI to their internal TOSLINK audio output. I am doing it as I write this on a Samsung F8500 plasma set. The reason most folks can't get it to work is because the EDID of the HDMI connector on the TV is telling your video card that it can only accept stereo input. I bought a Dr. HDMI from Monoprice (this is a device that allows you to customize an EDID) which is inline between my HTPC video card and the Samsung HDMI input. Once I set it up with easily available EDID editing software, I am listening to glorious DD 5.1 from the optical output on the F8500. The reason I did this was because I was having pretty severe audio sync issues when using optical from the HTPC to my home theater receiver. If you have access to an XBox to test your TV. Put the Xbox video HDMI output into the HDMI input that you want to use and in the XBox settings you can set it to "ignore" the EDID info from the TV. If you can get DD 5.1 on the Toslink output, then your TV is obviously capable of doing it, you just need to spoof the EDID.