How to Enable HDMI Audio Using Your HP Pavilion Media Center PC
I bought an HP Pavilion Media Center PC about a year ago and not until recently was the audio from the HDMI connection working. When I initially connected the computer to the TV with the HDMI cable I could not get the sound to come through. After a couple of hours of frustration I gave up and connected the audio via coax instead. I was helping a good friend of mine with his newly purchased HP Pavilion when I noticed that there was an addendum to the manual that came with the computer. The addendum included with his computer contained the instructions which detailed how to enable the sound using the HDMI connection. His computer was 1 year younger than mine, but I made a copy of the document nevertheless. I went home and followed the instructions, two minutes later I was listening to the audio streaming from my computer using the HDMI connection. I decided to post this with the hope of helping others that may encounter this issue. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.
Note: I used Windows Vista Home Edition on an Hewlett-Packard Pavilion Media Center M8430F. As I previously stated the addendum was included with an HP Pavilion that was 1 year newer than the one I own and the process worked just fine, just make sure that your HP uses the Realtek Audio card.
1. With your computer turned on, right-click on the Sound icon located in the notification area on the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on Playback Devices from the menu.
Note: The icon looks like a small speaker on its side
2. The Sound window will open. Under the Playback tab, right-click on the Realtek HDMI Output. Click on Enable from the drop-down menu.
3. Once enabled the TV icon should have a Checkmark indicating that it is enabled. Click on Realtek HDMI Output again and click on the Properties button.
4. The Properties window will open. Click on the Supported Formats tab and add a check to the 48.0 KHz checkbox. Make sure that it is the only sample rate selected. Click OK to close the window.
Verify that sound is now being output by the HDMI connection on your computer by playing a movie or music. Enjoy.
Troubleshooting HDMI Connections on Your HP Computer
(Added 12/19/09)
I’ve received quite a bit of feedback from readers that they are having trouble with their HDMI connections, particularly with the RealTek Device and driver. After some digging I discovered a torubleshooting page published by HP in their support section, I’ve placed the link below so that users having difficulties can try out some of the solutions. In the near future I’ll publish a How-to Guides for the Rest of Us format for these troubleshooting tips to help those who would like the additional details found with my guides.
Please let me know if you find any resources so that I can publish them here. Thanks to all of you for your feedback and I look forward to helping you with these issues.
Link to HP Website for HDMI Torubleshooting – HDMI Troubleshooting
@Julia: Unfortunately I’m unaware of an automatic switching between one and the other. The reason for the difference in devices available stems from the fact that the desktop has additional audio/video inputs and outputs.
That should explain this difference. If you ever find something, either software or a new driver that automatically sense the connection and performs the switching I would love to hear about as would other readers, thank you.
I’m having a HDMI problem with the audio on my HP pavilion pc as well. I installed a new video card (ATI All-in-wonder HD) Although I now get beautiful video and video speed I never thought possible, I now have no sound. Going to the sound control on my control panel shows me only one choice of sound output now and it says it’s working. It says Digital Output Device (HDMI) but no sound at all. I have tried every outlet possible to both my monitor and my speakers but have no sound at all…….any ideas?
Hi Gil – Yes, I can watch a DVD from my laptop but hear the audio on the TV when I change my Sound Settings to make Realtek Digital Output as the default device. And yes again – the problem is that I have to keep switching to this as the default for anything on the TV, and back to Stereo to hear anything from the laptop when not plugged in to the TV. Any ideas?
Can the HDMI interface on HP notebooks be used as INPUT instead of output ? for example, live broadcasting using a cammera.
Thanks.
@Esteban: I’m not sure that it can. I believe that HDMI plug on HP computers is only an output. If you would like to input an HDMI connection I suggest buying a video capturing device. Let me know if that answers your question.
@Julia: Let’s see if we can make some sense of this.
When you plug the HDMI cable to your laptop and switch to the Realtek Digital Output you are able to listen to the audio using the HDMI cable, correct?
The problem you are having is the switching back and forth of the settings to enable the sound through HDMI?
Please let me know… Thank you.
Hi Gil – on my second look – it’s not the same computer (exactly) – but similar! I have an HP Pavilion Entertainment PC (laptop). And no, Realtek HDMI Output doesn’t appear under the Playback tab – only ’speakers’ and the ‘Realtek Digital Output’ (no other ‘hidden’ devices appear). I tried to download a driver yesterday from cnet but the download couldn’t complete. Anyway – Yes, I have an HDMI port – and that’s how I connect my laptop to my new TV. So I can get sound through the ‘Realtek Digital Output’ if I enable this as the default each time I connect. It’s just a pain to change the settings once a day!
@Julia – So what you’re saying is that the Realtek HDMI Output under Playback tab does not appear?
You say you have the same computer, but you also state that it is a laptop. The article was written for the HP desktops. I’m assuming the laptop you are referring to has an HDMI port.
Please let me know so that I can help you.
Hey there – thanks for this. I had the SAME issue with the same computer. However, my sound options only include speakers, and the Realtek Digital Output. I wonder if I can get the HDMI Output, and how different it would be. It’s annoying to constantly change my sound defaults every time I plug my laptop into the TV (something I need to do with Realtek Digital Output).
Thanks a lot. It was pretty useful
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