Twin hdmi out or hdmi splitter
#16
(2017-03-22, 12:18)noggin Wrote: Yes - ARC is an option - but it can only carry SPDIF (i.e. DVD-quality) audio - it maxes out at PCM 2.0/DD (and in some, but not all, cases DTS). You won't get Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA/HRA or PCM multichannel audio over ARC. If that's not an issue - it's a very good solution. However as the OP has an AVR with HDMI - I suspect this may be an issue for them?
You're correct that HDMI 1.4/1.4a/1.4b (FHD TV's) seem to have a poor mans 'SPDIFF styled' ARC output in many instances.
Unfortunately the real technical specs for HDMI seem to be behind paywalls last i looked so it's impossible for technically knowledgable purchasers to look at the theoretical capabilities as defined in a standard.
This then means it's impossible to know if there is some standards issue for all manufacturers, or an implementation issue by some manufacturers when things don't work as expected.
Needles to say not all TV's behave the same w.r.t. ARC as you stated so i'd speculate it's an implementation issue.

And being that manufacturers product specs are likely written by sales people these days, it's difficult finding out what the actual TV's capabilities are (by reading those manufactures glossy 'specs').
Sadly, the problem is compounded as the manufacturers support staff are usually script readers and likewise offer little enlightenment.

However there is hope as i was under the impression that such ARC limitations were going to be addresses with UHD TV's.
Google tells me eARC can handle these new object based audio formats but it's only available on HDMI 2.1 and not on HDMI 2.0/2.0b Sad
Presumably this new eARC implementation will finally allow the bitstreaming of recieved HDMI audio over eARC (and manufactureras actually implement it correctly).
But i'm not sure if todays newest available UHD TV's are HDMI 2.1 complient?

Since the OP hasn't bought anything as yet, it's something for him to follow up before he spends $$$ on his new UHD TV.

If i were buying a new UHD TV, i'd be wanting details from the manufacturer and assurances from the seller that bitstreaming of HDMI audio is possible over ARC/eARC before i layed down any of my hard earned cash.
And if it turns out not to be the case post sale, i'd return the TV or the seller/manufacturer would assist in resolving the deficiency with a new HDMI 2.0b/2.1 AMP (free or heavily discounted).
(Fact is, that in my jurisdiction, it's part of the consumer law that something must be fit for purpose and as described or it's our rights to return it even without packaging.)
Sometimes playing dumb and stating expectations to the seller can be helpful and better than simply bending over for the industry and buying another 'upgrade'.
Guess what i'm saying is people should stop accepting workarounds and simply vote with their $$ and not buy sub standard products or push back in some other way.
Yes, it sounds less than honorable but if your clear about your expectations and your sold a dud, who's behaving badly, the buyer, or the seller?

The NUC solution sounds interesting so i'm curious to hear how it works and also interested to know what is meant by 'dual output can be funky' Tongue
Also i've read that there have been some issues with Kaby Lake/Apollo Lake, possibly with HDMI output though i can't remember any details or whether Intel resolved such issues with updated firmware.
So i wonder if testing Sky Lake will be representative of how KL or AL might work if indeed there are HDMI ssues?

[edited to add following]
Guess the OP knows his buget and whether he can actually hear a difference in audio quality between DTS core and DTS HD for example.
Me, i've got old ears and simple prefer to see the audio type displayed on my AMP - hearing wise i doubt i can discern the difference Blush
But if it was choosing a new UHD TV and then looking at buying the lastest NUC or updating my AMP as a workaround to my UHD/audio issues, i'd test the ARC route with a known movie and hear how it pans out Nod
I'd go as far as taking a laptop and HDMI cable to the store before purchase and connect it to the TV, test ARC then to AMP test comparing audo quality.... After all one can only read so many specs and reviews Wink

[further edited to add following]
Seems there is more to it than simply stating HDMI ARC = SPDIF as some pre HDMI 2.1 UHD TV's pass DD+ (which can encapsulate ATMOS audio) over ARC.
But reading the Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) / Atmos over HDMI ARC AVSForum thread late at night does my head in Confused
This AVSForum thread does have some interesting information, including a list of TV's and AVR's that support DD+/Dolby ATMOS over HDMI ARC Tongue
And it's also mentioned that HDMI 2.1 TVs supports eARC which seems to be carried over HDMI ethernet so required more updates - thanks manufacturers.
Guess the writing was always on the wall when manufacturers bandied together and decided encrypted audio and video couldn't be handled via simple cheap ethernet cables.
We consumers suposedly needed this new expensive HDMI cable standard with lots of variants and optional features, and losts of equipment upgrades along the way Sad
Hmm, VHS and SCART connectors seemed so simple in comparison Rofl
I'm a XBMC novice :)
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#17
Yes - DD+/EAC3 is also carried over ARC - but it is presumably below the 1.5Mbs bitrate that a SPDIF channel can carry (even if it isn't in the SPDIF standard) Some SmartTV streaming services (Netflix I think) use DD+/EAC3 on their services, and they are optimised for ARC I guess - as most users watching in UHD will be streaming directly on their TVs and then ARC-ing out their audio to an AVR if they have one.
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#18
Such a shame. I assumed things might have settled down in the 4K world and I can finally buy one. But looks like I am better of waiting 1 more year :-(
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#19
Hello everyone, I'm new here, but I have a question on the same topic, nobody could help in the hardware store, maybe someone of you would tell me how to solve my small problem)

So, I have a brand new, just assembled PC, with a geforce gtx 1050 graphics card (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/pro...-gtx-1050/). The task to which I can not find a solution in any way - I need to somehow connect to it one TV and two monitors. The connectors on the video card are DisplayPort ( I do not even know what is it), HDMI ( which I hope to connect) and DVI. Now the question is - how do I, using HDMI can connect all the displays? On the TV and both monitors, there are HDMI outputs. As I understand - I should use HDMI splitter. However, I need to go through the HDMI to the TV and sound signal, because I do not have speakers yet and on the budget will not soon be able to buy them. If I connect a TV through HDMI from a laptop, then the sound is transferred to the TV, will it also be possible to do from the computer, considering that two more monitors should be connected? I've never encountered HDMI splitters before, so I have no idea how they should work. I looked at several options from different manufacturers(https://www.bestadvisers.co.uk/hdmi-splitters), if my problem can be solved by buying a splitter, then advise which one is best to take, if there are any options cheaper than the five I linked, I will gladly examine them. As I said, the budget is not very large for me, so I would not want to overpay.
Thank you in advance)
p.s. Actually in this month I have only about 15 pounds of extra money.
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#20
(2017-07-24, 10:16)Alakey07 Wrote: Hello everyone, I'm new here, but I have a question on the same topic, nobody could help in the hardware store, maybe someone of you would tell me how to solve my small problem)

So, I have a brand new, just assembled PC, with a geforce gtx 1050 graphics card (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/pro...-gtx-1050/). The task to which I can not find a solution in any way - I need to somehow connect to it one TV and two monitors. The connectors on the video card are DisplayPort ( I do not even know what is it), HDMI ( which I hope to connect) and DVI. Now the question is - how do I, using HDMI can connect all the displays? On the TV and both monitors, there are HDMI outputs. As I understand - I should use HDMI splitter. However, I need to go through the HDMI to the TV and sound signal, because I do not have speakers yet and on the budget will not soon be able to buy them. If I connect a TV through HDMI from a laptop, then the sound is transferred to the TV, will it also be possible to do from the computer, considering that two more monitors should be connected? I've never encountered HDMI splitters before, so I have no idea how they should work. I looked at several options from different manufacturers(https://www.bestadvisers.co.uk/hdmi-splitters), if my problem can be solved by buying a splitter, then advise which one is best to take, if there are any options cheaper than the five I linked, I will gladly examine them. As I said, the budget is not very large for me, so I would not want to overpay.
Thank you in advance)
p.s. Actually in this month I have only about 15 pounds of extra money.

You don't say what input sources your monitors accept.

If you need HDMI to feed your monitors then you can convert Displayport to HDMI 1.4 with low cost 'passive' converter cables. (Displayport has a neat part of its spec that turns it from native Displayport to 'HDMI over Displayport' when it detects a converter)

If you need VGA then if your card has a DVI-I output (not DVI-D) then you can use a simple DVI to VGA adaptor (DVI-I has analogue outputs as well as digital). If not then you can get relatively low cost active Displayport to VGA converters.

If you connect your PC to multiple displays - and more than one of them accepts audio, you can select which is fed as the primary audio device by default in Windows Sound Control Panel (if you are running Windows). I think you can also override this selection within Kodi's audio device settings for Kodi (which is also how LibreElec works from memory)

You can also use a low cost HDMI splitter should you need to, but in that case the audio will be fed to all HDMI displays (so you'll need to turn the volume down on those that you don't want sound from should that be an issue) In many cases - where all displays are the same resolution, this can be simpler, as it avoids having to configure multiple monitors in your OS. However beware that turning one display on and off can also interrupt other displays feeds in some situations (the splitter is an active device and needs to ensure it is telling the source - your PC - that it supports modes that only all displays will accept)
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#21
(2017-07-24, 10:44)noggin Wrote:
(2017-07-24, 10:16)Alakey07 Wrote: Hello everyone, I'm new here, but I have a question on the same topic, nobody could help in the hardware store, maybe someone of you would tell me how to solve my small problem)

So, I have a brand new, just assembled PC, with a geforce gtx 1050 graphics card (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/pro...-gtx-1050/). The task to which I can not find a solution in any way - I need to somehow connect to it one TV and two monitors. The connectors on the video card are DisplayPort ( I do not even know what is it), HDMI ( which I hope to connect) and DVI. Now the question is - how do I, using HDMI can connect all the displays? On the TV and both monitors, there are HDMI outputs. As I understand - I should use HDMI splitter. However, I need to go through the HDMI to the TV and sound signal, because I do not have speakers yet and on the budget will not soon be able to buy them. If I connect a TV through HDMI from a laptop, then the sound is transferred to the TV, will it also be possible to do from the computer, considering that two more monitors should be connected? I've never encountered HDMI splitters before, so I have no idea how they should work. I looked at several options from different manufacturers(https://www.bestadvisers.co.uk/hdmi-splitters), if my problem can be solved by buying a splitter, then advise which one is best to take, if there are any options cheaper than the five I linked, I will gladly examine them. As I said, the budget is not very large for me, so I would not want to overpay.
Thank you in advance)
p.s. Actually in this month I have only about 15 pounds of extra money.

You don't say what input sources your monitors accept.

If you need HDMI to feed your monitors then you can convert Displayport to HDMI 1.4 with low cost 'passive' converter cables. (Displayport has a neat part of its spec that turns it from native Displayport to 'HDMI over Displayport' when it detects a converter)

If you need VGA then if your card has a DVI-I output (not DVI-D) then you can use a simple DVI to VGA adaptor (DVI-I has analogue outputs as well as digital). If not then you can get relatively low cost active Displayport to VGA converters.

If you connect your PC to multiple displays - and more than one of them accepts audio, you can select which is fed as the primary audio device by default in Windows Sound Control Panel (if you are running Windows). I think you can also override this selection within Kodi's audio device settings for Kodi (which is also how LibreElec works from memory)

You can also use a low cost HDMI splitter should you need to, but in that case the audio will be fed to all HDMI displays (so you'll need to turn the volume down on those that you don't want sound from should that be an issue) In many cases - where all displays are the same resolution, this can be simpler, as it avoids having to configure multiple monitors in your OS. However beware that turning one display on and off can also interrupt other displays feeds in some situations (the splitter is an active device and needs to ensure it is telling the source - your PC - that it supports modes that only all displays will accept)

I'm probably a little confused. Now I'll try to tell a bit more correctly. I need to connect a TV and two monitors to the PC. The video card has one HDMI output, one DVI, and one Displayport. On the monitors there is only one HDMI port. The TV has 3 HDMI ports. The speakers are only on the TV (built-in). If, as you described, connect through the splitter, the sound signal will go to all devices at once, then it will be physically reproduced only on the TV. The only question is whether the best solution is to connect all three displays via a splitter to a single HDMI connector on the video card, will this result cause "braking" during games?
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#22
There are 2 types of HDMI splitters. Wireless and Wired HDMI splitters. I hope this page will be helpful to you to choose the best Wired HDMI splitters http://bestproducts-4u.com/best-hdmi-splitters Also, if you thinking about Wireless, you can check out this page best wireless HDMI Those pages short out best HDMI splitters to there list.
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#23
HDFury is just releasing the new AVR KEY
https://www.hdfury.com/product/avr-key/

This is designed to do exactly what the OP wants. HDMI 2.0b input to 2.0b (4K) output and a parallel HDMI 1.4 output which is scaled to 720 or 1080P.
That 1.4 output is also able to bitstream full HD audio Dolby Atmos and DTS-X.

I plan on purchasing one soon.

I have the integral and the audio out bitstream split was only a beta test that did not work...
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#24
(2017-09-11, 14:52)SkylineEX-S Wrote: HDFury is just releasing the new AVR KEY
https://www.hdfury.com/product/avr-key/

This is designed to do exactly what the OP wants. HDMI 2.0b input to 2.0b (4K) output and a parallel HDMI 1.4 output which is scaled to 720 or 1080P.
That 1.4 output is also able to bitstream full HD audio Dolby Atmos and DTS-X.

I plan on purchasing one soon.

I have the integral and the audio out bitstream split was only a beta test that did not work...
lol I just dont understand the price point of these solutions. For that much I can almost get a (albeit lower end) brand new AVR capable of HDMI 2.0. Something like this should really be $50 or less.
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#25
Egreat H10.

Splits 4K HDMI 2.0a signal into HDMI 2.0a for video and HDMI 1.4a for audio.
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#26
Hello All,

Had the same problem as many of you, a 4K TV with a 1.4 Receiver.

I bought this cheap splitter: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/VOXLINK-...41035240f0

It works like a charm, passes through 4K, HDR and all Hi-Res audio (didn't try Atmos though as my receiver can't handle it).

It comes with 2 or more outputs.
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#27
(2017-03-22, 01:06)jramakrishnan Wrote: a sample hdmi splitter that will work with hdmi 2.0 please.
 Either an AVR Key 18Gbps or an Egreat H10 would work great. Both are available on Amazon.
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#28
It's hard for me to understand what it is all about. I thought at first that HDMI splitters and wireless HDMI are the same things. Then I found a review with tables, which clearly shows what drivers are needed, maybe this will help you. Can find there a model similar to your splitter.
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