How do you have your audio connected?

[brb84]

I'm curious to find out how most people have the audio from the HTPC connecting to their TV.

Are you using a video card that supports SPDIF pass-through so your sound and video use the same HDMI cable?

Are you running SPDIF from your sound output directly to your receiver?

Are you just using the line-out output with an analog mini-plug?

Do you only have HD Extenders connected to your TVs and just use the HDMI from that?

I'm trying to decide which route I want to go. My top two options seem to be either go with an HD Extender or get a new video card that supports SPDIF pass-through.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by brb84

Are you running SPDIF from your sound output directly to your receiver?

Yes.

[MeInMaui]

I used to run SPDIF from my client pc to my receiver. Now that I've switched over to an HD100, I just run SPDIF from that to my receiver.

The only trick withthe HD100 is that it seems when SPDIF is selected, audio is still transmitted over the HDMI cable. I have to keep the TV volume set to zero. Other than that, it works great. The HD100 even outputs to the center channel for non DD audio.

Aloha,
Mike

[brb84]

it seems when SPDIF is selected, audio is still transmitted over the HDMI cable

I assume that the reason you're not just using the HDMI is because your TV doesn't have a way to pass the audio on through to the receiver?

I don't have a receiver yet, but I'll get my surround sound setup eventually. If you run the SPDIF direct to the receiver, doesn't it get annoying having to switch audio sources as well as video sources? My TV has several HDMI input connections and a single optical SPDIF out which outputs the audio of the current source you're watching out to a receiver. I'm thinking I may just get an HD100, connect it to the TV with HDMI, and then run the optical SPDIF from my TV to my future receiver. That way I only have to switch one source from my TV, and won't have to touch the receiver.

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by brb84

I assume that the reason you're not just using the HDMI is because your TV doesn't have a way to pass the audio on through to the receiver?

I don't have a receiver yet, but I'll get my surround sound setup eventually. If you run the SPDIF direct to the receiver, doesn't it get annoying having to switch audio sources as well as video sources? My TV has several HDMI input connections and a single optical SPDIF out which outputs the audio of the current source you're watching out to a receiver. I'm thinking I may just get an HD100, connect it to the TV with HDMI, and then run the optical SPDIF from my TV to my future receiver. That way I only have to switch one source from my TV, and won't have to touch the receiver.

I only have one source. SageTV. That's it.

I used to have other sources, but I never had to mess with the receiver or anything once I set up the activites on my universal remote (I did this manually on my old MX-700 and then more recently on my Harmony 890). I would just push one button and everything would switch to be properly set up for the given source.

Anyway, my TV does not have a digital audio passthrough, so the SPDIF is required in my case.

[brb84]

One source? So you never watch DVD's on that TV? Or do you use a DVD player in your sage server? I'm a little unclear on that.

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by brb84

One source? So you never watch DVD's on that TV? Or do you use a DVD player in your sage server? I'm a little unclear on that.

I use the DVD drive on the server, but most of the DVD's we watch are ripped to the hard drive.

Aloha,
Mike

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by brb84

If you run the SPDIF direct to the receiver, doesn't it get annoying having to switch audio sources as well as video sources?

No, because I have a programmable AV controller that takes of that automatically. I push the TV or DVD button on the remote, and the controller knows which devices to power up and what modes to put them in to accomplish that.

Some remotes (e.g. the Harmony series) have that sort of controller logic built in, and can send out a whole series of IR commands in response to one button push.