How to get audio out thru HDMI on an AGP gpu??

[nerdyperdy]

An ATI 4xxx or 5xxx card can have only a DVI port, as long as you use the ATI DVI-HDMI adapter. Then it will send audio out the DVI port on the back, through the adapter, to the TV. I know, my HIS 4670 did not have an HDMI, only a DVI. You have to use the special ATI adapter, however, a generic one will not work.

He dosen't care about an adapter..lol

He wants HDMI.

If he wanted DVI he'd keep what he's got.

[nabokovfan87]

Dude listen HDMI AND DVI are the exact same signal. They are identical, except dvi does not carry audio.

ON any ati 4xxx or 5xxx cards you can use a DVI to HDMI adapter (most come with them) and get the audio to passthrough the DVI port and it acts JUST LIKE an HDMI one, making it an HDMI PORT.

To continue the logic, any 4xxx or 5xxx could possibly have an hdmi port, and it would be only those that actually supports audio out via hdmi.

SO, no matter what he has right now, he needs to get a 4xxx or 5xxx card and either use the adapter that 9 times out of 10 is in the box or use a card that has an actual hdmi port.

As many people have linked to you, the 4650 is your cheapest bet for anything at all because you are limited by the AGP slot.

[JSLEnterprises]

As many people have linked to you, the 4650 is your cheapest bet for anything at all because you are limited by the AGP slot.

Its not the cheapest bet, its his only bet. the 4650 is the highest end card one can purchase for that obsolete tech known as agp.

[JSLEnterprises]

An ATI 4xxx or 5xxx card can have only a DVI port, as long as you use the ATI DVI-HDMI adapter. Then it will send audio out the DVI port on the back, through the adapter, to the TV. I know, my HIS 4670 did not have an HDMI, only a DVI. You have to use the special ATI adapter, however, a generic one will not work.

the ATI dvi-hdmi adapter... doesnt it use tdms data 3-/+ (pins 12/13) and tdms data 5-/+ (pins 20/21) as the passthrough since dvi to hdmi only utilizes single link and those pinouts are second 'links' in a dual link connection? (I figure you'd be able to confirm this :P)

[John C]

the ATI dvi-hdmi adapter... doesnt it use tdms data 3-/+ (pins 12/13) and tdms data 5-/+ (pins 20/21) as the passthrough since dvi to hdmi only utilizes single link and those pinouts are second 'links' in a dual link connection? (I figure you'd be able to confirm this :P)

LOL, no idea! But I know from much research, and personal experience, that the ATI HD cards will send audio out the DVI port, through that adapter, and over the HDMI cable. In fact, they have done this since the 2xxx series, IIRC.

[nabokovfan87]

LOL, no idea! But I know from much research, and personal experience, that the ATI HD cards will send audio out the DVI port, through that adapter, and over the HDMI cable. In fact, they have done this since the 2xxx series, IIRC.

2900: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...fications.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports

HDMI output support
Supports all display resolutions up to 1920x10801
Integrated HD audio controller with multi-channel (5.1) AC3 support, enabling a plug-and-play cable-less audio solution

3800: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...fications.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports AND AUDIO PASSTHROUGH FOR DVI!

HDMI output support
Supports all display resolutions up to 1920x10802
Integrated HD audio controller with multi-channel (5.1) AC3 support, enabling a plug-and play cable-less audio solution

48xx: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...-overview.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports AND AUDIO PASSTHROUGH FOR DVI!

HDMI output support
All display resolutions up to 1920x10802
Integrated HD audio controller with support for stereo and multi-channel (up to 7.1) audio formats, including AC-3, AAC, DTS, DTS-HD & Dolby True-HD4, enabling a plug-and-play audio solution over HDMI

From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi#Co...ility_with_DVI

Compatibility with DVI

A DVI-HDMI adapter
An HDMI-DVI adapterA DVI signal is electrically compatible with an HDMI video signal; no signal conversion is required when an adapter or asymmetric cable is used, and consequently no loss in video quality occurs.[3] As such, HDMI is backward-compatible with Digital Visual Interface digital video (DVI-D or DVI-I, but not DVI-A) as used on modern computer monitors and graphics cards. This means that a DVI-D source can drive an HDMI monitor, or vice versa, by means of a suitable adapter or cable. However, the audio and remote-control features of HDMI will not be available unless the output supports HDMI via a DVI plug (e.g., ATI 3000-series and NVIDIA GTX 200-series video cards).[3] Additionally, not all devices with DVI input support High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). Without such support by the device, an HDCP-enabled signal source will suppress output and so prevent the device from receiving HDCP-protected content.[89] All HDMI devices must support sRGB encoding.[90]

[JSLEnterprises]

2900: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...fications.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports

3800: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...fications.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports AND AUDIO PASSTHROUGH FOR DVI!

48xx: http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...-overview.aspx

Has Avivo HD (Video Playback) and DVI port with HDCP and HDMI Ports AND AUDIO PASSTHROUGH FOR DVI!

You should read through the product spec links you posted fully before you use them. They all speak of supporting ac3 5.1 (pcm), 48xx 7.1 dolby, all via HDMI, but there is not one mention of DVI pcm passthrough, or even via their proprietary DVI to HDMI adapter.
The only thing that IS stated is that the DVI port is able to process the High Definition Content Protection, which has nothing to do with pcm passthrough.

I have confirmed that the Asus 4650, Sapphire 4650, and Power Color 4670 have HDMI ports on them. The special ATI adapter that will support the pcm passthrough via DVI is an optional component for cards sporting 2 DVI ports, so it is a hit or miss weather the manufacturers of the dual dvi agp based 4650/70's, 3850, 3650, ect.., have included this adapter or not.

It is a 100% yes to audio if he simply gets a card with an HDMI port on it. With the other cards, its not quite a 100%, I doubt he's willing to take that chance.

ps: something I didnt correct you on earlier... .mkv or matroska file is a container file. They contain ac3, x/h264, dts, ect, streams. They are not limited to high definition content. they can contain any form of video/audio/text stream. If you'd like to actually learn more: http://www.matroska.org/

[nabokovfan87]

I did read the specs, and quoted the audio sections, then I went to the DVI to HDMI side of things and found a more clean and concise answer.

AMD 3000 or better and Nvidia 2xx or better have DVI to HDMI audio passthrough. And just to be clear, you need a DVI adapter that supports the pins that carry audio through the HDMI (wherever it plugs in needs audio in certain pins).

It isn't a guessing game, its a driver you click install and it works.

Going off the spec sheet is difficult because a very large portion of it is copy paste jobs and marketing speak. It is much easier to go to an outside source and confirm what the spec sheet says. Either way, the info is there for whomever needs to know something I have answered for the 4th time now.

[John C]

I know both my HIS 4670, and 4870 have dual DVI ports, with no HDMI. They both came with the adapter. Both pass sound, including the HD PCM streams via HDMI to my AV Receiver. Other brands, not so sure. But at least most of the cards out there come with the adapter if they do not have native HDMI ports, especially since the whole HD audio over HDMI is such a big point with these cards, particularly since Nvidia has been so far behind the 8-ball regarding HDMI audio.