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[AndrewFG]

Hi,

I am still in the process setting up my new HTPC to play music via HDMI to my receiver, and display MC's UI on my TV; but currently I am encountering the following problem.

When I bring the PC out of sleep, the HTPC starts to send video output via HDMI to my receiver (and thus on to my TV), so the MC UI appears on the TV as you would expect. But when I start playing a track on MC, no sound is heard via the receiver. On the Tv I can see the MC sound meters jumping, and the track position moving, but no sound comes out of the speakers. It looks as if the receiver has selected the HTPC HDMI video signal and routed it to the TV, but it has not selected the HTPC HDMI audio signal and routed it to the speakers, or alternatively perhaps it has selected the audio but has internally muted itself due to bad signal (??).

When I subsequently operate the receiver controls to manually toggle to another HDMI input port and back, then all is OK again i.e. both audio and video are then rendered properly.

I am using MC's audio out direct (WASAPI) to the HDMI port. I wonder if, when the HTPC comes out of sleep, MC may be sending some guff that chokes the receiver and causes it to mute? Also I don't know if MC is perhaps getting involved in the HDMI handshaking between HTPC and receiver that might cause the latter to mute.

As I say, toggling the input on the receiver causes it all to work again...

[JimH]

I have a similar setup:

PC via HDMI to Receiver and Receiver via HDMI to TV.  It generally works as expected.

I think you're running into one of the weaknesses of HDMI.  You're lucky that you can solve it so easily.

Turning your receiver off and back on might also fix it.

Check the menus on both receiver and TV.  There are some automatic options that can sometimes cause problems.  One is called "HDMI Control" (I think).

[AndrewFG]

^^^

Thanks for the response Jim.

Does this mean that you are quite certain that it is not something that MC is doing wrong?
Nor something that might possibly be added to MC's capabilities in future?

For example I was wondering if it might be possible for MC to send some kind of reset signal over the HDMI video wires, audio wires, or comms/handshaking wires, shortly after coming out of sleep, so as to set things straight automatically...

[JimH]

I'm pretty sure it's at the hardware level.  There is even a device someone sells that keeps the HDMI connection alive all the time.  If you take a look around AVSForum on the HTPC board, you'll find it mentioned.  I don't recall the name.   When I looked for it just now, I came across this:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1482693/workaround-nvidia-hdmi-audio-not-plugged-in-after-resume-from-sleep-s3-or-turning-tv-off-then-on

[JimH]

I finally remembered:
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/ext-hdmi-edidp.jsp?prod_id=8005

[fitbrit]

I finally remembered:
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/ext-hdmi-edidp.jsp?prod_id=8005

I have one of these 'overpriced' gadgets. It IS expensive, but the headaches it solves make it worth the price.
Jim is right in that your issues are HDMI hardware problems.

[Claude Lapalme]

I have one of these 'overpriced' gadgets. It IS expensive, but the headaches it solves make it worth the price.
Jim is right in that your issues are HDMI hardware problems.

I concur! Great piece of hardware. Worth every penny.

[Hendrik]

I never had such issues, and my HTPC always goes into sleep mode. Could it be GPU related? NVIDIA here. I think i remember reading in the past that AMD suffered from this issue more.

[CountryBumkin]

What make/model is your receiver. Perhaps there is some additional info on your model at the AVS "Receivers" forum http://www.avsforum.com/f/90/receivers-amps-and-processors

[fitbrit]

What make/model is your receiver. Perhaps there is some additional info on your model at the AVS "Receivers" forum http://www.avsforum.com/f/90/receivers-amps-and-processors

A free solution might also be to override the EDID data. See this thread for clues:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1091403/edid-override-thread

I generally had no problems with nVidia hardware, but I now have an HDMI splitter in the mix, which caused my GPU to see only a stereo receiver, when in fact there were two 7.1 capable receivers. (The receivers are in adjacent rooms, and this way I can play the same music in both rooms without linking zones). Thus I needed the Gefen device.

[jmone]

I had these issues "way back when" on the Intel G33 and the DVI detective + solved them.... so did later GPU's so an upgrade to a newer GPU may be in order.  FYI, I'm now using the DVI Detective + again as I have both a PJ and a TV with different EDID that was causing me grief whenever the PJ was switched on.

[Boltron]

The HDMI Detective will do the trick, I had one for that very reason and never again had issues.

However, I no longer use it as I now power off my HTPC when I turn off the TV and power it back on when I turn on the TV. Of course doing this manually would suck so I have automated it.

I use a specific "green" power bar that I connect my AVR to as the master and then plug in my HTPC and other stuff in the switched outlets. So when the AVR goes off, the power is switched off on the outlets after a few seconds. When the AVR comes on, the outlets get powered after a few seconds. The few second delay is key.

When I use my remote to power off, my HTPC also picks up the signal and does a Windows shutdown. It's very quick because of the SSD. Windows shuts down cleanly before the power goes off. When I use the remote to power on, my switched outlets go live (after a few seconds) and my HTPC gets power and via the CMOS I have set it to power ON when AC is restored.

The few second delay is the trick and I only found one green power bar (Belkin) that does this. I no longer need the HDMI Detective and I always start up with a fresh clean reboot after the AVR and TV power up resulting is perfect EDID every time.

[jandjd]

thanks for this, I've had similar issues when switching from samsung flat screen, to projector. Would have to reboot so windows, and JRiver, would pick up the Yamaha. I plugged my HTPC into the back of my reciever, did change in bios as you did, then using my harmony, i played with the order of startup and the delays, until it now works everytime. Fresh boot on startup, no problems.