I currently can't hear any sound from my computer (probably a bad sound card). Would this device or a similar one allow me to view and hear content from the internet on my TV? Thanks for any help on this.
KooRaRoo Media
(10 posts) (3 voices)-
ChrisS
AdministratorThe program won’t help you since it runs on your PC’s hardware.
Take a look at the outputs available on your PC. If you have an HDMI output available then all you need to do is connect the PC to the TV using a standard HDMI cable and designate the computer as HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 (or whatever input you used) in the TV’s setup routine. Your PC would then be no different from a DVD player or game console. Or, if you prefer, the TV is now your monitor plus speakers.
Most monitors don’t have speakers so you generally connect a discrete audio output to speakers even if you’ve connected the monitor with HDMI, and from what you say the discrete output is bad. If you don’t have HDMI then you won’t have any way to get the audio to the TV since DVI and VGA will only send video. (DisplayPort, like HDMI, can carry both audio and video but you want to use HDMI for TVs).
But, are you sure it’s the sound card? You’ve confirmed that the speakers aren’t muted and you’ve plugged headphones into one of the headphone jacks? It might be your speakers or a loose connection.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Terri218
MemberThanks, Chris. Yes, I can't hear anything either through external speakers or headphones and nothing I can find is muted (I always suspected that is the problem but if so I can't find the right place to unmute it). I used to be able to hear through the headphones but can't anymore. I'll try the TV option (I always wondered about doing that). I'm at the point where I need some kind of HDMI port splitter because I currently have my new Blu-Ray player using that port and used to have my cable using it. If I use it for the computer also, that would be a lot of switching back and forth. Which port do I use on the computer for the HDMI cable?
I really appreciate your help.
Posted 10 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorAdding to what Chris posted, but I don't know how much you want to fool with things...
The easiest, cheapest way to get audio again would be with a USB soundcard device. OTOH if you go for the very cheapest versions [they start around $3 on sale], you might want to use it with a powered USB hub & unplug it whenever you're not there & using the device -- I have no idea how common this is, but testing one out I had it melt, literally, with smoke & all that. But before that it did work OK. Price wise should be able to find something that works well enough & reliably for $10 - $15, though there is no price ceiling really -- pro gear may go well over a grand.
Otherwise I'd suggest starting with Windows' Device Manager. You don't want to see a warning or alert with your audio device, &/or with HDMI audio if you have that listed too -- for HDCP [DRM] to work with HDMI requires an audio device connected to the HDMI port. If Device Mgr. shows the HDMI audio device not working, you won't get audio over HDMI. If Device Mgr. shows your regular audio device not working, in Device Mgr. you might be able to update or reinstall drivers, or uninstall & reinstall the device, and get things working again.
Most PCs have audio built into the motherboard, & sometimes there will be a separate audio card too. In the latter case if the soundcard quit working, you can usually remove it & enable the built-in audio in the bios & use that. Usually if there is a sound card the built-in audio is turned off, but that's not always the case. There is a chance in that situation, when both are turned on or active, that the default audio device is the one not working -- in that case you might well get away with changing the default. Remember though to plug your speakers or headphones into the correct output jack.
Chris mentioned a loose connection... Many PCs, particularly those using the on-board or built-in audio, have two sets of input/output jacks, one at the rear & one at the front of the case. Try both sets. The driver software for the device can be set to one or the other rather than automatic, which you'd set through the audio driver's control panel usually, so you can check that out. We've found the jacks at the front of the case to be more trouble prone. It's possible the front jacks are dirty or whatever & the audio chipset thinks they're connected, & because of that automatically turns off the jacks in the rear. You might be able to tell the drivers, through their control panel, not to mute the rear jacks, ever. If you can track down the manual for your PC's motherboard, it should show you where the front audio jacks plug in or connect. & how to plug them in & unplug them, so you could try unplugging them as well.
Posted 10 years ago # -
ChrisS
AdministratorTerri, you didn't say what OS you're using but if it's Windows 7 then click "Start | Control Panel | Hardware and Sound | Sound" and see what devices are listed on the "Playback" tab and which one is designated as the default device.
On mine, I've got three listed:
"AMD HDMI Output" with a red down arrow and a notation that it's not plugged in (which it's not as I'm using the DVI port)
"Speakers" with a green check mark as the default device (which is correct)
"Realtek Digital Output" as Ready.
Make sure that "Speakers" is your default sound device unless the speakers are in your monitor. Any other selection will not send the audio to your speakers or headphone jacks.
Posted 10 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorAs WR would say, Glad you got it sorted.
I'm at the point where I need some kind of HDMI port splitter
Since it sounds like your TV only has one HDMI port, maybe this will be useful now or in the future?
I admit to being biased -- I loath HDMI as a money grubbing poor solution that never should have happened. And the connector design is horrible compared to other cables that are constantly being plugged & unplugged, e.g. USB. The problem with the connectors that I've experienced & read about is the somewhat tiny metal contacts getting snagged &/or bent when you unplug a HDMI cable, rendering that HDMI port useless. If the device has only one HDMI input, unless you can manage to straighten those contacts out, it's off to the repair shop or landfill.
So, long story short I feel we're much better off reducing that risk by not plugging & unplugging HDMI cables if we can at all avoid it. Switchers are one inexpensive solution, starting at ~$5. Many are auto-switching -- they sense the voltage coming from the active device & switch to that cable for the input -- & most also have both remotes & manual switches backing that up [e.g. you don't always turn off the cable box before turning on the Blu-Ray player so a switcher sees two active cables]. Make sure you read reviews though, &/or can easily return a splitter/switcher if needed -- HDMI's HDCP DRM can be rather finicky...
What happens is the devices connected via HDMI perform a sort of handshaking procedure, where they talk to each other to among other things verify the DRM is in effect -- that doesn't always work if there are somewhat poorly designed &/or manufactured electronics at either end or in the middle. You don't want to be stuck with a switcher that won't work with the stuff you own.
Sometimes though a switcher is impractical... We've got stuff we can plug into a TV but only very rarely do so, or for example when I got a inexpensive Blu-Ray player for the bedroom, it was more convenient for me to check it out & set up the networking in the same room as my desk where I have all my video junk. I like to leave one HDMI cable plugged in all the time just for that sort of thing, with an adaptor plugged into the other end of it. I tape that female to female adapter to the cable so it works just like the USB 2 & USB 3.0 extension cables I've got plugged into the back of my PC, or just like an extension cord if you'd rather. It's easier to access than the HDMI ports at the back of most TVs, & if the adapter's socket get's damaged, it's no big deal to throw it way & use a new one.
http://www.meritline.com/hdmi-female-to-female-adapter---p-30318.aspxPosted 10 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorIt *might* be a hardware or software conflict, but if so, finding it can be somewhere between difficult & OMG what a PITA.
RE: Hardware... I had an older Creative Soundblaster installed in this PC -- when it went bad it caused other cards to not work, but the Soundblaster itself seemed to still work fine. That took a while, & not a little bit of, um, expletives deleted before I found the source of the problem. When the older Soundblaster went on my wife's PC I could get it working, then it'd disappear in Win7, then I'd get it back, & then it would go away again. I yanked the card, switched over to on-board audio, & that was it, done.
RE: Software... I've had drivers break somewhat often over the years -- that's one reason I really think thrice before I add any sort of Direct X stuff or drivers, & then will only do it after a backup. The people writing that stuff aren't always as careful as they could be, & even when they are they simply can't test with everything users might have installed. What's happened to me is Windows would use a certain file or files to play some type of audio or video, sometimes whenever I used a certain program, & those files just would not work with the audio drivers -- sometimes Windows would see that, & say the audio hardware was bad, sometimes it removed the audio hardware etc.
*IF* it hadn't burned up, I'd be suggesting that $3 USB device -- it looked something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-USB-2-0-Virtual-7-1-Channel-CH-3D-Audio-Sound-Card-Adapter-12Mbps-/131112907821
Plugged it in, Windows recognized it & added drivers automatically, & it was working in about 2-3 minutes.
It just occurred to me that if you have bluetooth speakers or headphones for a cell or tablet, a USB bluetooth adapter for a PC is only around $2-$3, might be useful otherwise, & depending on what the problem is, might work for audio too.
Posted 10 years ago #
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