DisplayPort Sound

[sechs]

So, my "new" monitor supports digital sound out. This allows me to work around my janky onboard audio chip by sending the sound through DisplayPort and connecting my speakers to the monitor. Saves a cable run, too. The problem is, when the monitor goes to sleep, the sound stops.

Unlike HDMI, DisplayPort allows audio data to be sent without video. I've been futzing around with settings and drivers, and the best that I've come up with is to set windows to blank the screen and not put it to sleep. That's not a solution.

I don't see folks complaining about this particular situation online. What am I missing?

 

[Mercutio]

Everywhere I use Displayport or HDMI, the connections are mediated by an A/V receiver that will play sound regardless of what the screen might be doing. I don't expect you to go buy such a thing, but an HDMI switch might be just the fix you need.

 

[Howell]

If you consider my tv as a big monitor then I am doing the same thing. How are you connecting the speakers to the tv? I'm using hdmi. If the monitor goes to sleep then then the DAC is not powered presumably.

 

[ddrueding]

I've used HDMI audio splitters to get around similar issues.

 

[sechs]

I get the feeling from you guys that this is so pervasive that nobody even thinks about it.

I'd be fine if it automatically didn't put the monitor to sleep when there was audio playing, but I guess the system isn't smart enough to determine when there's silence....


P.S.: Using a monitor, not a TV. Have yet to see a TV with DisplayPort.

 

[Howell]

I use a DP to HDMI converter.
It is an interesting problem. I would consider it rate to use hdmi for an audio only connection. But I'm not really out there much.

 

[sechs]

As far as I tell, HDMI requires a video signal to be present for there to be audio

When you do HDMI over DP, it's outputting an HDMI signal and has to conform to its rules