Trying to understand HDMI connection from STB to TV and no sound

We're here to help let you enjoy your surround sound, KSPilot!

 

We suggest you try troubleshooting sound problems for U-verse TV. This article will also link you to a step by step guide you can follow on your TV for specific troubleshooting. There is also a section labelled More Tips To Try, which has options that may help, such as:

• Make sure the mute button hasn’t been pressed or the volume turned down on your TV, U-verse remote control, or other connected audio equipment.
  
  
• If you are using a home theatre system, check to see that the power is on and the correct output is selected. Make sure the volume is not muted and is turned up on that system.

Let us know if this was able to assist you!

 

Donovan, AT&T Community Specialist

That troubleshooting is not going to help.

The STB has a setting for audio output (stereo or surround).

When set to stereo, I get stereo through the HDMI to the TV and stereo through the optical to my surround system.

When I set to surround, I don’t know what I get through the HDMI to the TV because there’s no audio, but I do get surround through the optical to the surround  system.

So - if the STB is sending surround  through the HDMI my TV is unable to do anything with it so it does nothing…or the STB isn’t sending anything at all through HDMI when set to surround.

Is there any way to configure the STB for stereo to HDMI and surround to optical?  I don’t see a setting in the menu, maybe if I go directly into the IP address of the STB there’s something?

edit:

My solution has been to use component output plus L/R audio to the TV, select “component” input on the TV, set the STB to “surround” and send the optical output to the receiver.  I want to minimize the cables and take advantage of the brighter picture by using HDMI.  So if it just isn’t possible with my equipment, I’ll leave it as is until I upgrade.  But I sure would like to figure this out.

We're here to help try get your sound working, KSPilot!

 

Just for clarification, did you access the link we provided and try running the troubleshooting tool on your DVR? When you were following the steps it provided, was there a part of it you got stuck on?

 

When it comes to configuring your setup, we may be able to resolve this without needing to go through account specific troubleshooting. For us to know what is and isn't working, we need to narrow down the options of what could be occurring.

 

Let us know, we hope to hear back from you!

 

Donovan, AT&T Community Specialist

@OttoPylot 

My 5.1 receiver is of the generation just prior to having HDMI inputs.  And my TV is also a few generations behind current tech.

My connections are:

STB -> HDMI -> TV HDMI input

STB -> Component (+ L/R audio) -> TV component input

STB -> optical out -> Receiver STB input

TV -> optical out -> Receiver TV input

If the STB is set for stereo:

TV Input set to HDMI -> I get stereo sound from the TV internal speakers, I get stereo sound to the 5.1 receiver when set to the correct STB input, I get stereo sound to the 5.1 receiver when set to the TV input.

TV input set to component -> I get stereo sound from the TV internal speakers, I get stereo sound to the 5.1 receiver when set to TV or STB input.

If the STB is set for surround:

TV input set to HDMI -> I get no sound from the TV internal speakers. I get no sound from the 5.1 receiver when set to TV input.  I get stereo sound from the 5.1 receiver when set to STB.

TV input set to component -> I get stereo from the TV internal speakers.  I get stereo to the 5.1 when set to TV input and I get surround to the 5.1 when set to the STB input.

I normally watch TV with the 5.1 turned off and use the internal speakers.  When it's movie night or there's a game or special event of some sort I'll turn on the 5.1.  But the only combination I've found that works is component to the TV (and it's limited to L/R only) and then optical surround to the 5.1 box.  This mode requires a lot of extra cables.

--

The BR player is HDMI to TV, and analog out to the receiver.  I do get stereo sound on the TV when set to the BR input.  Also, I get surround when the 5.1 box is set to BR and stereo when set to TV.

For the BR player it seems that whatever is being sent to the TV is being decoded properly into stereo so it can play on the internal speakers and then that same stereo is passed through the TV optical.  The BR player sends surround through the analog output.  So I can watch a BR movie using internal TV speakers (stereo) or 5.1 box and get surround.

For the STB, it seems that whatever is being sent to the TV through HDMI is NOT being decoded and the TV internal speakers can't play it and the TV can't pass it through the optical output.

I'm going to upgrade the TV some day, and maybe this problem goes away then.   But maybe I have to upgrade the receiver, too?

@OttoPylot 

Yeah, with no component input I *might* have a problem.

But, I would hope the TV would be

able to decode surround audio signals through the HDMI.  In my case I don’t think my TV does.

On your setup:  I assume your STB is configured to send surround audio out.  I assume your TV input is set to HDMI in and the only connection to your TV is via HDMI.  When you watch TV, you can get sound?  So either the TV is doing the decoding from the HDMI input or the receiver is doing something and then sending the proper audio out?  Have you tried a direct HDMI connection from the STB to TV with any success (this is where I am stuck).

I have tried the troubleshooting app, with the exception of restarting the gateway.  I’m going to wait on that until later

today

edit:  i restarted the gateway and see no difference

@OttoPylot 

I'm pretty sure the problem is with the TV.  It's old enough that it doesn't seem to be able to either pass through 5.1 or to be able to decode 5.1.

I have a Roku stick that is capable of streaming 5.1.  When plugged into an HDMI input, the TV only gets stereo. When streaming Netflix through that Roku, when I go into the Netflix audio settings, the menu will display whatever the system is capable of playing, so I only get the stereo option.

I have a small new(ish) generation smart TV in an upstairs bedroom, and when it streams Netflix it does give the option of 5.1.  So I'm pretty sure the issue is the limitation of our main TV.  It doesn't seem like I have any way to program the STB to send Stereo out to the HDMI and 5.1 out to the optical.  It's either one or the other.  So I will have to stay programming the STB to send 5.1 so I can use the receiver and then rely on the component output to the TV so I can get any sound at all.

My BR player also has issues - if I stream Netflix through it, I only get the stereo option.  So the streaming uses some sort of coding that the BR or receiver can't figure out.  When I use a BR disk, it's in a format that either the BR or the receiver can decode so I will get surround.

Thanks for the assistance.

I was hoping to learn a little more about the different sound decoding settings, too.  I'll have to start doing more research.