Maximum PC

Hello I am upgrading my HTPC and was wondering if this is even possible. I wanted to use the HDMI cable to pass 5.1/7.1 audio from the PC thru the tv to the reciever(reciever only has one HDMI port). I have ASUS P5N7A-VM LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300/nForce 730i HDMI mother board, a Panasonic TV (TH-42PV80H) and Panasonic home Theater sound system (SC-PT760). I am able to get 2.1 sound right now I believe, but was looking for a clean cable set up. Currently I am use the HDMI for video and Opitcal out on the mother to the opitcal in on the reciver. Current HTPC set-up is CS5111 Asus. (Mother board died reason for the upgrade). Thanks

Robert

I'm not aware of any current consumer level TVs that will pass audio to the receiver over HDMI.

Most TVs with an internal ATSC tuner will output multichannel audio over toslink to an audio receiver, but it can't pass along multichannel from HDMI to the toslink out. You'll only get stereo.

Either you need to buy a HDMI switch or use the optical toslink to your receiver.

Keep in mind that the 9300 will not pass bitstreams of HD audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA), only downsampled multichannel PCM, so you won't lose anything by sticking with optical toslink.

n0b0dykn0ws

Thanks for the info, I was not sure about the 9300 either. Everything i was reading about 9300 sounded as if you could pass the 5.1/7.1 audio thru the HDMI. Is there a difference for HD audio and traditional 5.1 audio from a dvd? Right now i do not have any HD audio that i am aware of thought that my change as i get more into the HTPC. All of this is a little confusing. I am glad the mother board i bought has the optical out so this should not be an issue for a while. thanks again for the info

Robert

The 9300 is suppose to pass 5.1/7.1 as PCM over HDMI.

Like I said though, it will be downsampled due to DRM.

As for difference, it depends on who you ask. I can personally hear a difference in Dolby TrueHD/DTS HD MA via their lower end counterparts.

n0b0dykn0ws