HD + Integrated Audio - Simultaneous Playback?

Question

I have an Inspiron 530 with a Radeon 2600 dual-DVI video card. One of the DVI ports is outputting via HDMI to my Panasonic HDTV. I can only seem to get the hi-def sound to work on the HDTV when I unplug the speaker cable from the integrated audio board (i.e. the green jack in the back). The question is whether it is possible to have audio output simultaneously through the HDMI and my regular computer speakers so that I don't have to unplug the cable each time I want to play sound through the TV. I would think this should not be problematic because we're dealing with two separate audio streams (or so I thought). The Dell support guy on the phone was not helpful. Any advice or ideas are very appreciated. - Jeremy Windows Vista Inspiron 530 ATI Radeon 2600

fireberd · Answer

;How are you getting audio to the TV? The output from the Video card is ONLY Video?

jeremyg2k · Answer

@fireberd wrote:
;How are you getting audio to the TV? The output from the Video card is ONLY Video?

Actually, to my initial surprise (and delight), the audio is being carried to the TV via the same, single HDMI cable that is sending the video signal. See http://ati.amd.com/products/Radeonhd2600/index.html -- "Product Features: HDMI with 5.1 surround sound audio."

Message Edited by jeremyg2k on 01-11-2008 09:08 AM

fireberd · Answer

Cool, I didn't know they had such a video card.  I'll have to keep up more with the 'latest and greatest'.    Apparently when the HDMI port is active the sound is only routed to that Video card.  About the only thing I can think of for the sound 'card' outputs not to be active.  You can only have one 'default' device for any function and when you activate the HDMI output it could be setting itself as the sound device.  When you connect and activate the HDMI, check the Control Panel/Sound to see what device is shown as the source for the 'speakers'.

Pauls898 · Answer

Yes, WHY! is there this limitation that only ONE device can output sound at any one time. I have this exact same problem with the audio line out jack (GREEN) and the Digital spdif (BLACK).   When they work together fine using Windows XP and not Vista?   Is there anything we can do to enable both at once????????

jeremyg2k · Answer

At least I figured out how to switch the audio streams between the two outputs without manually unplugging the jack. I right click on the volume control in the system tray, open up the audio devices, and set whichever output I want to play out of as the default. Still not ideal, but it's better than crawling on my hands and knees to unplug the thing. Anyone who can solve this gets a cookie.

@Pauls898 wrote:

Yes, WHY! is there this limitation that only ONE device can output sound at any one time. I have this exact same problem with the audio line out jack (GREEN) and the Digital spdif (BLACK).

When they work together fine using Windows XP and not Vista?

Is there anything we can do to enable both at once????????

Pauls898 · Answer

Yes thats what I do!   To speed things up slightly I have placed a shortcut the the Sound Options from Control Panel (The Speaker Icon) on my desktop. At least then its just a matter of selecting this, change the default sound device and apply.   Have you noticed that if you change this setting say for your HD TV play say media player so the sound comes from the TV. While thats playing re-select your sound device back as PC speakers and apply, now your Windows sounds will play though your PC speakers but the sound will remain on you TV application until you close and restart that? Clever hey!!!!

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HD + Integrated Audio - Simultaneous Playback?

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