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Audio on HDMI Port of Dell Optiplex 7440 AIO

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  • 27-09-2017 7:45pm
    #1
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭


    I'm using the monitor of my Dell all-in-one to watch tv, using the HDMI input and a combo box. If I switch on the computer, and immediately switch over to HDMI mode, I get no audio.
    The Dell rep I spoke to said that I had to log in to Windows to get the audio drivers to work and that the HDMI audio would then work too. And for the most part it did, but this evening when I tried logging in to Windows and switched over to the HDMI input, I had no sound. I had to browse to Youtube (something had had audio) and then the HDMI sound worked.

    Was he telling porkies?? Do the audio drivers boot from Windows, or from the BIOS?


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    #2
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    Anybody else got one of these? Does the HDMI work on video and audio once the PC is switched on and you switch over to the HDMI input without logging into Windows?

    Or more precisely, SHOULD the audio on the HDMI input work without logging on to Windows?


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    #3
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    OK...I have a bit more information...

    Dell have said that their device is compatible with HDMI version 1.4 whereas the source of the signal I want to view (and listen to) is HDMI version 1.2.
    They're blaming the issue on the difference between the two HDMI versions.

    However, my understanding is that all versions of HDMI are backwards compatible...so that a version 1.4 device connected to a version 1.2 source should work fine....but it doesn't. Can anybody confirm that HDMI should be backwards compatible because if that's the case, then the driver they're using isn't conforming to HDMI standards.

    This isn't a major issue...I can get it to work by fiddling with it...but why should I if it should work out of the box?


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    #4
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Yes, HDMI is backwards compatible.

    I had to browse to Youtube (something had had audio) and then the HDMI sound worked.

    So you have to use sound on the AIO then it kicks in for both devices?


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    #5
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    ED E wrote: »
    Yes, HDMI is backwards compatible.




    So you have to use sound on the AIO then it kicks in for both devices?


    Yes...exactly. Originally I was told that logging on to Windows would work, but sometimes I have to use sound of some sort (usually Youtube) and then switch back to the HDMI input and I can watch TV from the combo box. Dell are claiming that it's a compatibility issue but if HDMI is backwards compatible, I'd have thought that it should work without all the fiddling about...


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    #6
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    I suspect dell are "Hacking" things to get audio to work by using software capture to mix the HDMI audio stream into the PCs own output stream. Kind of a quirk to the AIO setup. With digital signals you cant just passively listen to mixed inputs like an analogue amp could.

    Maybe find a reviewer that has one and tweet them to ask if the behaviour is normal?


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    #7
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    This is (part of) Dell's response:

    "Dell HMDI has backwards compatibility, but as per Non- Dell peripherals, we cannot support the issue, please refer to the please refer to the link below for reference (page 5)

    http://www.dell.com/learn/uk/en/ukcorp1/legal~service-descriptions~en/documents~commercial-basic-hardware-service-en.pdf

    Also the AIO is not a Television or Monitor, its a computer so it will load drivers before it will work as a monitor, its not like a standard monitor that has a default purpose to input video"

    My interpretation of this is that because the device that I'm using to send the HDMI signal to the AIO is not a Dell product, they will not provide support.

    As far as I'm concerned, that's fine. I'll find a Dell laptop with a HDMI Version 1.2 compatible output and if the issue persists, I'll force them to address it.

    I have no issue with the final paragraph...I'm aware that it's a computer and that it has to load drivers before it will work as a monitor. That's absolutely fine. The issue I have is that I have to waste time using sound on the AIO before the sound works on the HDMI input. If it worked when I logged on to Windows, I'd be perfectly happy.


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    #8
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Create a startup script to play a 1 second MP3 file ever time you login.


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    #9
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    ED E wrote: »
    Create a startup script to play a 1 second MP3 file ever time you login.

    Up there for thinkin...down there for dancin...

    Good idea! I'll try that and see what happens...


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    #10
    exaisle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,673 ✭✭✭exaisle


    When I start the AIO, the windows audio clip plays, so as far as I can gather, the drivers are installed at that point?

    In the next few days I'll connect the AIO to another identical machine (HDMI 1.4) and play the output from Youtube via the HDMI OUT on the other machine and the HDMI IN on mine (and vice versa) and then I'll know if it's typical behaviour. If so, then as far as I'm concerned, Dell cannot justifiably claim that the HDMI IN port is fully functional...


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