HDMI: Can't get it work
 

I have Gateway P-7807u laptop with Ubuntu 9.10 installed, it has HDMI output and I use it to connect to my TV-set. The problem is - not working sound via HDMI, in sound preferences I've chosen duplex digital output, but no success, but picture works well.

Does the sound come out from the laptop?
If so, then you can either use the laptop or input the sound to a small stereo through auxiliary and play through that method.

Yes, laptop sound working, of course, I can use mic output. But I want to use digital sound.

From what I am reading the digital audio for HDMI using nVidia graphics gets screwed up when the nVidia module gets loaded. I suggest try loading ALSA after nVidia module gets loaded. This could also be set in /etc/modules.conf to make sure ALSA modules loads up after nVidia modules. Next, use "alsamixer -V all" to check if HDMI is used for digital output or similar option. I suggest use mplayer and output a video that has AC-3 or DTS audio channel to make digital audio over HDMI to work. Not all consumer electronics will accept a non-HDCP signal. Some are strict so they will never let a non-HDCP to be used. You can try the following.

mplayer -ac hwdts,hwac3,dvdpcm, -channels 2 -ao alsa:device=XXXX dvd://

or

mplayer -afm hwdts,hwac3,dvdpcm, -channels 2 -ao alsa:device=XXXX dvd://

The "-channels 2" makes sure the audio is two channels when being sent over SPDIF connection like HDMI. The "XXXX" could be anything such as iec958, spdif, or hdmi. You may have to use a hardware device that designates certain device on the desire sound card such as hw=0.3. This relates to the first sound card and its fourth device which could digital. I suggest run "aplay -l" to list sound cards and their devices.

To use digital sound all the time, you will have to edit $HOME/.asoundrc to make ALSA convert or format sound in a certain way that is compatible with SPDIF and your hardware.

I tested digital audio over HDMI on a AMD 780G chip set on a Sony SXRD rear projection TV, so it will be different for your setup. Digital audio was not reliable during and while scanning through the video.

I have a feeling that the HDMI port is connected directly to the graphics card and thus does not contain sound info. If I am right you would need to output sound using something else, maybe the S/PDIF port.

Make sure to check the TV options so that it inputs digital audio from the HDMI (if it has it).

oss

I had the same problem but the above thing works for me. It is an alternative sound driver that you have to compile yourself.

Electro:
I don't understand how to specify file to play in that command :
mplayer -ac hwdts,hwac3,dvdpcm, -channels 2 -ao alsa:device=XXXX dvd://
how to set path to file after dvd:// ?
And aplay gives me:
Ok, I got it I know how to set path, then I tried to put hdmi iec958, spdif, but no sound at all.

I think you have a Conexant Hermosa. You can find out by doing

I have one of these and I can't get it to work with ALSA. I think ALSA has a bug. This is why I use oss. I know it works in W Vista.

Saying the sound card works with Vista is not helping because this is Linux. Using a commercial project will not help fix the issue because it will cause more problems. ALSA has backwards compatibility with OSS. The Conexant based sound cards should work if using the latest kernel or the latest ALSA modules. If analog output works, then it works. Setting up digital is painful in Linux. Digital output is a trial-n-error.

I know It works in Windows, but I got rid this OS since I bought laptop, Linux is primary and only one.

Yeah, you right it's Hermosa.

Commercial? They publish the source code. I compiled it myself.

I know ALSA should work. So do all the other people for whom it doesn't work. We've tried everything. There has been a bug report in the ALSA bug place for ages.

demontager, have you got a MCP65?

I checked lspci -vvv and dmesq output, but didn't find any match. Or I'm looking in wrong place?

You will need your pci.ids updated if you want the human readable output that states your hardware to be printed correctly. Look for the vendor ID and product ID when using "lspci -nn" because this information is used for the module to recognize the hardware. The following is what I got from ALSA version 1.0.22.1 in alsa-kernel/pci/hda/patch_conexant.c

Vendor_ID=14f1 Product_ID=5045 CX20549 (Venice)
Vendor_ID=14f1 Product_ID=5047 CX20551 (Waikiki)
Vendor_ID=14f1 Product_ID=5051 CX20561 (Hermosa)
Vendor_ID=14f1 Product_ID=5066 CX20582 (Pebble)
Vendor_ID=14f1 Product_ID=5067 CX20583 (Pebble HSF)

I am not sure what ALSA version 1.0.22.1 relates to the kernel. Also most distributions will leave out support for hardware if they can not test it or they do not have space to provide support. If analog output works and digital output does not work, it is probably nVidia's fault.

For me digital audio over HDMI using AMD 780G on-board graphics does not work all the time. I recommend use only analog output.

I suggest compile ALSA with its debug option on and include the option model=test in /etc/modules.conf. Then you can find out what mixer option works and what mixer option does not work. Next post the information to ALSA bug reports. Again I recommend load the sound module after the nVidia module is loaded. The following is the syntax to add the options model=test to /etc/modules.conf

options snd-hda-intel model=test


4FrontTechnologies did produce only commercial code. Also using OSS is going to make most programs to not work. Flash is written with only ALSA.

If you can't see MCP65 in the output of lspci you haven't got MCP65, unlike me. So the problem must be the ALSA driver.

I can hear the sound of flash games using OSS.