HDMI issues between video card and A/V receiver?

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beowulf7

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I recently equipped an HTPC with an Asus ATI 4550 video card that has native HDMI. I connected that output to the 1st HDMI input of my Onkyo TX-SR605 receiver. It then outputs (via HDMI) to my DLP HDTV (57" Mitsubishi). My HTPC is configured to go to sleep a little while after it's idle and not recording anything via a PVR app. When I turn on my receiver and TV from standby and wake up the computer, I don't get any picture on the TV. I have to put the computer back to sleep and then wake it up again to get the picture to come on. Does anyone know what's going on with the HDMI handshaking that could be doing this? I don't have any HDMI issues from the other (2nd) input on the receiver - an OPPO DVD player.

Note that my receiver has the original firmware and I know Onkyo has released an update. They say it will "address the product’s ability to decode the Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD High Resolution and Master Audio bit stream signals," but says nothing about HDMI bugs. The way I have to do it is annoying since I have to basically wake up the computer, put it back to sleep (standby), then wake it up again to use it. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I don't mind updating the firmware (if I can with this model), but I'd like concrete evidence that it will work. TIA.
 
Does your TV have more than one HDMI input? If you connect your htpc to the tv directly, do you still have the same issue?

If there is a firmware update for your receiver, and it's possible to update it yourself, I see no reason not to... I know people with the Onkyo 606 receiver have to use HDMI1 for a HTPC or it doesn't resume from sleep properly... but I don't have any personal experience with either receiver.
 
Logan321 said:
Does your TV have more than one HDMI input? If you connect your htpc to the tv directly, do you still have the same issue?

If there is a firmware update for your receiver, and it's possible to update it yourself, I see no reason not to... I know people with the Onkyo 606 receiver have to use HDMI1 for a HTPC or it doesn't resume from sleep properly... but I don't have any personal experience with either receiver.
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Thanks for the reply. Yes, my TV has another HDMI input. However, if I were to use that, then that means I'd bypass the A/V receiver, which means I'd only get video but no audio.

I read about the HDMI1 issue on some Onkyo receivers, so to be safe, I'm using HDMI1 instead of HDMI2.

From what I've read, updating the firmware only seems to work w/ certain CD and DVD players. I'll have to see if my OPPO is on the approved list. I know that updating the FW will reset the receiver to factory settings, but it's no big deal running Audyssey, etc. again.
 
he asks to hook it up directly to tv just to test, to 100% verify that it is a problem only when hooking up to the receiver.
 
There are issues with ATI cards and several receivers including Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon.

Apparently ATI fixed this issue in the 9.1 drivers. Try those if you aren't already.
 
Archer75 said:
There are issues with ATI cards and several receivers including Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon.

Apparently ATI fixed this issue in the 9.1 drivers. Try those if you aren't already.
Click to expand...

I am still having issues and I not only have the 9.1 drivers but have the card direct to the HDTV. My personal experience is that if I do not have the HTPC on screen until it boots it will not show if I switch inputs on my TV. It is a handshake issue but in my case (and possible in the OP's) the new drivers did not fix the issue.
 
EndersShadow said:
I am still having issues and I not only have the 9.1 drivers but have the card direct to the HDTV. My personal experience is that if I do not have the HTPC on screen until it boots it will not show if I switch inputs on my TV. It is a handshake issue but in my case (and possible in the OP's) the new drivers did not fix the issue.
Click to expand...

The ATI issues also affected some TV's but I really don't know which.

One could get a DVI Doctor and see if that fixes it.
 
mnewxcv said:
he asks to hook it up directly to tv just to test, to 100% verify that it is a problem only when hooking up to the receiver.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's a quick test I can do.

Archer75 said:
There are issues with ATI cards and several receivers including Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon.

Apparently ATI fixed this issue in the 9.1 drivers. Try those if you aren't already.
Click to expand...
I don't remember which driver I have for my Asus ATI 4550, but it was the latest one available as of about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I just checked ATI's (AMD's) site and see that a new (9.2) driver is available as of 2/20/09.
 
My setup runs my HDMI from my HTPC (onboard 780g board) directly to the tv and audio into the receiver through optical.

I have found that if I am not actively watching the HTPC input when I power on the HTPC when I switch over to that input later it will not power up unless I reconnect the cable.

I have a 52" Mitsu DLP. My guess on the matter was that the TV only scans the input when it detects the active / new signal. I guess theres something in the PC HMDI that does not update all of the time like a regular player / tv does to tell the TV to wake up. Once I watch the HTPC boot or even just start it to get the input active I can go back to watever else I want and it will just go into screen saver until I go back to it.

With the DVR (FiOS box) it will take a second or two before waking up on that HDMI input. As I said earlier I chalked it up to the way the signal is sent over the cable from the DVR vs the HTPC. If I reconnect the HTPC cable it will re scan it and come online, or if I switch to that input then boot the HTPC it will come on without any problems.

DIfferent scenario but the symptoms / work around seems to be along the same lines.
 
I just verified that I have ATI ver. 9.1. I d/l'ed ATI ver. 9.2 and will update the driver soon. I also wanted to mention that if my computer is already on but my receiver and TV are off, when I turn the receiver and TV on, I still don't get the HDMI signal. I have to turn off the computer (or put it to sleep) then wake it up, to get the computer signal.

Ripskin said:
My setup runs my HDMI from my HTPC (onboard 780g board) directly to the tv and audio into the receiver through optical.

I have found that if I am not actively watching the HTPC input when I power on the HTPC when I switch over to that input later it will not power up unless I reconnect the cable.

I have a 52" Mitsu DLP. My guess on the matter was that the TV only scans the input when it detects the active / new signal. I guess theres something in the PC HMDI that does not update all of the time like a regular player / tv does to tell the TV to wake up. Once I watch the HTPC boot or even just start it to get the input active I can go back to watever else I want and it will just go into screen saver until I go back to it.

With the DVR (FiOS box) it will take a second or two before waking up on that HDMI input. As I said earlier I chalked it up to the way the signal is sent over the cable from the DVR vs the HTPC. If I reconnect the HTPC cable it will re scan it and come online, or if I switch to that input then boot the HTPC it will come on without any problems.

DIfferent scenario but the symptoms / work around seems to be along the same lines.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. So you had the same minor frustration that I'm having until you did the workaround. What make/model receiver do you have?

The only problem I'd have in going to HDMI to the TV and audio to the receiver is that my HTPC doesn't have a high quality audio out - just the stereo jack from the motherboard. I'd have to get an external (USB) sound card or a low profile PCI one (do they even make such a sound card) so that I could still get 5.1 digital audio instead of just analog stereo.
 
Ripskin, I forgot to mention that unplugging and replugging the HDMI cable from my HTPC didn't work to get HDMI to work. I still have to turn off (or put to sleep) the computer then turn it back on (or wake it up). It seems like while the TV and receiver are on, if it loses the HDMI signal, the only way to get it back is to turn it off (sleep) and back on (wake up).
 
Upgrade your motherboard to one that includes video and optical audio onboard? Might make your life easier. What motherboard/cpu do you have anyway?

You can get a low profile X-FI PCI card, I think it's the Xtreme Gamer (or variation, I think the only difference is which software pack you install, except for the Xtreme Audio, it doesn't have any hardware sound processing on it, all software). Mind you, it's a "optical through mini stereo jack" setup, so you need an adapter cable, and I don't think it comes with a low profile slot cover but you might be able to just bend, cut shorter and drill the existing one to make it fit, or just see if you can order one from creative.
 
Logan321 said:
Upgrade your motherboard to one that includes video and optical audio onboard? Might make your life easier. What motherboard/cpu do you have anyway?

You can get a low profile X-FI PCI card, I think it's the Xtreme Gamer (or variation, I think the only difference is which software pack you install, except for the Xtreme Audio, it doesn't have any hardware sound processing on it, all software). Mind you, it's a "optical through mini stereo jack" setup, so you need an adapter cable, and I don't think it comes with a low profile slot cover but you might be able to just bend, cut shorter and drill the existing one to make it fit, or just see if you can order one from creative.
Click to expand...

I have a Dell Vostro 220s computer, so it's a generic Dell motherboard. I assume you're referring to this sound card. I guess that's an option, but I'd prefer not to spend more $ on the HTPC and do that hacking. It's frustrating that HDMI isn't working the way I thought it would.

I hope upgrading the video card driver from 9.1 to 9.2 and upgrading my Onkyo's firmware will do the trick, but I realize I shouldn't be too optimistic on that. : \
 
I am at work right now so my update wont be the best right now.

When you did the unplug replug did you swap out of the HDMI input back onto it on the receiver first? I am not positive but there is a possibility that either the receiver just passes through, or it will scan the input as well to check for upconverting needs etc.

I dont see a need to upgrade your system yet, yeah its annoying. Have you thought about putting the HTPC into a screen saver mode vs full asleep? I dont know if you leave yours on all the time as a server but putting it to sleep might negate all of that anyway.

As long as I am on the input prior to turning on the HTPC, as soon as I see the boot up screens come on I can change off that input and not have to bother with it till I am ready to watch it. Which could be several hours later. The system will go into screen saver after about 10 minutes but since the input was active when the pc powered up and sent the video data out the input picked up.

My "guess" is that because the computer is not really dumping a lot of data over video (movie playing, game) or something the input might not be picking up the signal and just ignoring what it is getting?

My receiver is a cheap Onkyo. I have some nice fronts and went with this HTIB option to get a 10" powered sub, a decent center channel and some extra speakers. I use the HTIB's fronts for my rears. Its got a good amount of power in it so it was a good bargain.

Its highest video input is componant so my HTPC and FiOS all run video directly to my TV. All audio runs on either optical or digital coax through the receiver except for the wii and the other small devices. When I get the money I play to get a new receiver but for now it is no big deal to switch inputs on the tv & receiver.

Thats why I cannot try to reproduce the error like yours through the receiver. I would say you can leave the video going through the receiver to get the audio out of it, but check and see about the boot up with the active input to see what happens, try screen saver vs sleep / hibernation which power's down the output and such.
 
Okay, it sounds like it might be multiple combined issues, now that I read it. It might matter which order you power on your devices. IE TV first, then Receiver, then PC, or Receiver first, then PC then TV. Try different orders. I know some TVs will disable an input if it doesn't sense a signal on power up, and the receiver in the middle is probably not helping.

Incidentally, I get around all this mess by just running VGA to my TV, since it has a PC connector, and optical to my receiver. I don't have a receiver that decodes from HDMI though, I got one (AVR245) before that was available.
 
I have a similar problem. I have the new gigabyte board with the nvidia 9400 IGP. The computer never sleeps, but the computer does "shut off the monitor" and when I try to wake it up from this state by moving the mouse around, it somtimes won't wake up. I just recently updated the bios to the latest version and installed the latest video card drivers but that didn't work either. Just yesterday I disabled the "turn off the monitor after 20 minutes" feature. I don't know if this has resolved the issue, I should know in a few days or so.

I only write this so I hope it can help you in some way. I'll keep an eye on this thread hope you can find a work around.
 
Ripskin said:
I am at work right now so my update wont be the best right now.

When you did the unplug replug did you swap out of the HDMI input back onto it on the receiver first? I am not positive but there is a possibility that either the receiver just passes through, or it will scan the input as well to check for upconverting needs etc.

I dont see a need to upgrade your system yet, yeah its annoying. Have you thought about putting the HTPC into a screen saver mode vs full asleep? I dont know if you leave yours on all the time as a server but putting it to sleep might negate all of that anyway.

As long as I am on the input prior to turning on the HTPC, as soon as I see the boot up screens come on I can change off that input and not have to bother with it till I am ready to watch it. Which could be several hours later. The system will go into screen saver after about 10 minutes but since the input was active when the pc powered up and sent the video data out the input picked up.

My "guess" is that because the computer is not really dumping a lot of data over video (movie playing, game) or something the input might not be picking up the signal and just ignoring what it is getting?

My receiver is a cheap Onkyo. I have some nice fronts and went with this HTIB option to get a 10" powered sub, a decent center channel and some extra speakers. I use the HTIB's fronts for my rears. Its got a good amount of power in it so it was a good bargain.

Its highest video input is componant so my HTPC and FiOS all run video directly to my TV. All audio runs on either optical or digital coax through the receiver except for the wii and the other small devices. When I get the money I play to get a new receiver but for now it is no big deal to switch inputs on the tv & receiver.

Thats why I cannot try to reproduce the error like yours through the receiver. I would say you can leave the video going through the receiver to get the audio out of it, but check and see about the boot up with the active input to see what happens, try screen saver vs sleep / hibernation which power's down the output and such.
Click to expand...

Thanks again ... I unplugged and replugged from the HTPC side and not the receiver side. It's much easier for me to access it from the computer than from Onkyo, which is on the bottom level of the TV stand and hard to access its rear.

Yeah, I guess one thing I can do is run the PC 24x7 without it going into sleep mode. I haven't tried yet what would happen if my computer is running and I just turn off the TV and receiver then turn them back on. Once the TV is off, it shouldn't matter about the screen saver, right? However, I'd prefer not to run 24x7 b/c it'd make my power consumption quite a bit higher vs. just using the computer a few hours a day to record and/or watch TV shows.

OK, I see you don't have HDMI, so you don't know if you'd have to deal with this. I upgraded my ATI driver to 9.2 and will try to upgrade my Onkyo's firmware, but that's a little tricky, b/c from what I've read, the CD/DVD player has to connect to the receiver only via Toslink and not HDMI.
 
Logan321 said:
Okay, it sounds like it might be multiple combined issues, now that I read it. It might matter which order you power on your devices. IE TV first, then Receiver, then PC, or Receiver first, then PC then TV. Try different orders. I know some TVs will disable an input if it doesn't sense a signal on power up, and the receiver in the middle is probably not helping.

Incidentally, I get around all this mess by just running VGA to my TV, since it has a PC connector, and optical to my receiver. I don't have a receiver that decodes from HDMI though, I got one (AVR245) before that was available.
Click to expand...

I tried changing the order, but that didn't seem to matter. Note that since I have a universal remote control, my TV and receiver turn on or off roughly at the same time. The only certainty I've determined is that the TV and receiver must be on first. And then if the computer is already powered up (but had previously been sleeping before my PVR app woke it up), I have to put it to sleep, then wake it back up. If the computer is sleeping, then I have to wake it up, put it to sleep, then wake it back up again.

As the prior poster suggested, one thing I'll try is to put the computer in "always on" mode, use it like I would, then, turn the TV and receiver off, then a while later, turn the TV and receiver back on.
 
Jr. Woodchuck said:
I have a similar problem. I have the new gigabyte board with the nvidia 9400 IGP. The computer never sleeps, but the computer does "shut off the monitor" and when I try to wake it up from this state by moving the mouse around, it somtimes won't wake up. I just recently updated the bios to the latest version and installed the latest video card drivers but that didn't work either. Just yesterday I disabled the "turn off the monitor after 20 minutes" feature. I don't know if this has resolved the issue, I should know in a few days or so.

I only write this so I hope it can help you in some way. I'll keep an eye on this thread hope you can find a work around.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the support and I wish you luck as well. I know when HDMI first came out, there were handshaking issues. But I figured by now (1.3x), everything would be resolved. Speaking of version, I wonder what version of HDMI these video cards support. My receiver and TV are certified for ver. 1.3. Maybe the video cards are using an old version of HDMI that had bugs. :confused:
 
I never leave my HTPC on as I only use it every now and then for movies, video files etc when I am at home or my wife wants to watch something. But we usually will watch something off the DVR when I get home and then a media file after that. When I get there I'll switch input and boot the HTPC to see the post screen then go back to the DVR till I need the HTPC. It will just jump into screen saver until I go to it.

leaving it on all the time and then powering on the TV in theory would only work if you have that input selected for it to scan for a signal. Might cause a similar problem because of the way the computer sends the signal (my theory). When I was running my old HTPC with DVI (TV has DVI in) I never had an issue.

I dont know if I have the latest drivers, I usually get things working and leave it alone, I believe I am on 9.1 but will have to check one of these days when I get a moment.
 
^ OK, I see. Just to give a quick update, updating my ATI driver to 9.2 did not resolve the HDMI issue. :( I haven't updated my Onkyo receiver's FW yet, but that's going to be a little tricky b/c it supposedly only works if the CD or DVD player connects to the receiver via Toslink.
 
Good news, it seems like. Since the driver update, as long as I turn on (or wake up) my HTPC before I turn on my TV and receiver, it seems like the HDMI issue goes away. So far, I'm 2-for-2 in this manner since the driver update. If I turn on my TV and receiver first before I turn on or wake up my HTPC, then I have to go through the annoying "put it back to sleep then wake it back up" routine.
 
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