Laptop to AVR

[vm1451]

HI all,

I would like to connect my laptop to my AVR. Simples you may say! Well it may be but I'm having trouble and the reason is this:-

I only have an HDMI socket on the laptop and the AVR pre dates this kind of connection, having only Optical or RCA digital connection for 5,1 input. It also has two external 7.1 inputs, (of which one is already in use), but these bypass the AVR processing.

I've tried a few of the small boxes on Amazon but either the lappy does not recognise it or they don't work properly. Example:-

Amazon product

I don't want to blow a load of cash for various reasons, but mainly because this is only going to be used for AVR set up purposes.

Any ideas? (Excluding selling the AVR!!)

Ta muchly!

 

[rccarguy2]

I'd just get a new a AVR.

Other options would be usb soundcard, so hdmi to display, usb for sound... seperate the two that sorts out issues

You may only get stereo sound from cheap usb soundcards but better than nothing. Some higher end usb soundcards could pass DD/DTS but I don't know about that.

 

[rccarguy2]

As for laptop not recognising it,.have you set hdmi output in media player, and soundcard options?

 

[vm1451]

Should have said that I am not interested in the video, only discrete 5.1 sound, my bad.

Laptop, (windows), recognised two of the three boxes I've had out of Amazon, but non of them pass discrete sound, regardless of how they are set. Have also tried some of the 5.1 test vids on YT for R&D purposes but to no avail. Centre and surround channels are mixed into the FL and FR channels. LFE is non existent.

REW could see two of the three boxes and listed all six of the channels but there was no output to any channel other than FL and FR.

Windows could see two of the three boxes and they could be toggled for 5.1 too.

I know this not to be an AVR setting issue as I can USE REW through the Oppo HDMI in without issue. However if I then place either of the boxes inline with two HDMI leads and switch the box to "passthrough", I only get sound through FL and FR, all other channels remain dead.

Hope the above makes sense.

P.S. I'll ignore the opening sentence of your first reply!!

 

[rccarguy2]

I take it you're doing umik1/rew?

 

[vm1451]

You are correct sir!

Have got pretty close setting up the 203, but would also like to do the AVR as there are other components that use the AVR processing, (Oppo is using it's own processing as the AVR is basically only power amps for this).

 

[Joe Fernand]

Laptop - what do you have?

YouTube - most content is only ever going to deliver 2.0, have you confirmed your ‘test’ samples are actually encoded and uploaded as 5.1?

Joe

 

[vm1451]

Laptop - what do you have?

YouTube - most content is only ever going to deliver 2.0, have you confirmed your ‘test’ samples are actually encoded and uploaded as 5.1?

Joe

Dell Inspiron 15 3000

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

Tried this one:-


And this:-


With the same outcome described above.

 

[Joe Fernand]

YouTube - look in the YouTube comments section for the first clip you link to!

Laptop - was looking to see if it supported ‘Optical’ via its headphone socket but doesn’t look like it.

HDMI to HDMI+Optical - looks like your best option.

Joe

 

[vm1451]

YouTube - look in the YouTube comments section for the first clip you link to!

Duh. My bad and thanks for the heads up

Laptop - was looking to see if it supported ‘Optical’ via its headphone socket but doesn’t look like it.

Lap top could see the box linked to above and I could set 5.1 in windows, however when I came to play test tones from the laptop I could only get sound from FL & FR.

HDMI to HDMI+Optical - looks like your best option.

Joe

Box above was connected using an optical lead.

I'll have to revisit the AVR settings and see if I missed something, but thanks for the replies.