[mythtv-users] HARDWARE ADVICE - HDMI motherboard

[Nate Carlson]

On Fri, 29 Aug 2008, Brian Phillips wrote:
> HDMI cables do carry SPDIF, but I'd classify your setup as a hack.  You 
> are pulling the SPDIF signal from another point on the motherboard and 
> "basically" splicing it onto the HDMI cable.

Indeed.

> What Jean-Yves was referring to when he posed the question: "Does Linux 
> even support audio via HDMI ?" was the capability of the chipset, (ie 
> Nvidia 8800, 6150, etc) to not only output video on the HDMI cable but 
> also put the audio on it.  Currently this is done by separate chipsets, 
> the audio processor creates the SPDIF signal and the video chipset 
> outputs the video on the HDMI output.
>
> AFAIK, this is currently an issue that will be resolved as drivers get 
> updated.  The current nvidia module can't accomplish putting the audio 
> onto the HDMI output.  So, in effect, the answer to the original 
> question is: Linux doesn't support audio via HDMI.

Since it's a different chip, it should be supported. IE - on my Radeon 
3450 card (with integrated audio), ALSA recognizes the audio chip without 
any issues, and lets me mute/unmute it - so theoretically it should be 
able to output audio. (I'll have to get it close enough to something with 
a HDMI input to test it out.)

As I understand it, nvidia and fglrx don't directly need to support audio; 
the audio chipset on the card just needs to be supported.

> Your solution was specific to the video card you bought, not the 
> operating system.

Well, duh - all the solutions will be specific to the chipsets on the 
various cards.  ;)

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| nate carlson | natecars at natecarlson.com | http://www.natecarlson.com |
|       depriving some poor village of its idiot since 1981            |
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