Displayport to HDMI with audio

[Wombat2]

One possible solution is to use the headphone out on the computer to get audio to the tv. Yet the audio signal coming from the headphone out is not line level. So, in order for the audio to sound like it does when played through a DVD player, it's going to have to be amplified to line level before it reaches the tv. There would only be two ways to do this. With computer software or an external device. I don't know of any software, but I'm pretty sure there are external devices availible for this.

Yet, It just doesn't seem right that anybody should have to spend extra money on software or hardware. Sending a line level audio signal along with the video signal through the DisplayPort should be the rule, not the exception. What's the solution Lenovo? 

[wheadley]

With all due respect-- I didn't spend $5k on a BluRay equipped W700 notebook with a DisplayPort adapter to listen to crap quality headphone-jack audio while watching a BluRay 1080p movie when the natural state of a DisplayPort adapter is designed to pass-through multichannel digital audio.

If this DisplayPort does not pass-through digital audio then that feature has been deliberatly disabled by Lenovo and they should just say so and perhaps explain why.

So the question remains: why?

Did Lenovo disable digital audio on the DisplayPort-- as in PCM, Dolby Digital, & DTS pass-through-- and if so, why?

Thus far Lenovo fails to answer very simple questions about whether or not this standard DisplayPort capability either works or does not work. When I have a little spare time I am going to take the W700 over to a friend who has a 1080p LCD TV and see if it is indeed HDCP compliant and either does or does not pass-through multichannel digital audio over the DisplayPort.

In the meantime, since there is no sign of a straightforward answer on Lenovo's website it would be nice if the Lenovo moderator could simply get the answer and post it to this thread. What's the hold-up?

[Wombat2]

Before reading the forums here, I automatically assumed that audio would be sent along with video through the DisplayPort connection. I was going to buy a DisplayPort cable and hook up my LCD tv but if it doesn't output audio, why bother.  I agree with wheadley, audio through the headphone jack is not acceptable. Don't some of the IdeaPad models have an HDMI output? If those models can output digital audio the ThinkPad models should be capable of doing so.

PLEASE RESPOND LENOVO! 

[wheadley]

Can you imagine outputting BluRay HD video content without the audio on a port specifically designed to do both to a standard HDCP that has now been around for years?

Lenovo really ows its customers an answer. Does the DisplayPort work as designed or was the audio output crippled, and if so why given that it ruins the products ability to interface to HD displays and projectors WITH digital audio. Very basic stuff here in the year 2008.

Lot's of folks are waiting for a complete explained answer.

[bluemoon]

I am waiting for the official answer also.

but my understand on this issue is, displayPort supports audio, and you shall has no problem if you connect your T500/W500/W700 to an displayPort TV (if you have one, but I have never seen it). 

but if you use a displayPort-to-HDMI adaptor, most likely pople got not audio because the adaptor doesn't convert audio signals. I think the problem is from the  displayProt-to-HDMI adaptor, not the problem of displayPort itself. 

I just hope we can see more and more displayPort devices on the market so that we can use native displayPort rather than converting signals.

[xpnet]

I looked at the Wiki link, It says

Disadvantages compared to HDMI

1. Designed for computer hardware, not consumer HDTV
2. No xvYCC color space support
3. No Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream support
4. No support for Consumer Electronics control signals

In reading the details of the display port I see no support for Audio for a home theater in the current state. It looks like a feature it is heading to but not currently at .. Does anyone have a display port on another PC setup that works with HDMI audio?

Message Edited by xpnet on 11-25-2008 03:42 PM

[wheadley]

Wrong interpretation of DisplayPort across the board. Check for yourselves. From the Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort :

DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1a approved on January 11, 2008) put forth by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system.

Moreover; why would Lenovo cripple the audio output of a port designed as much for home theaters as monitors?

From the specs section:

Audio signal Optional, 1-8 channels, 16 or 24 bit linear PCM, 48/96/192 kHz sampling rate, uncompressed, max. 6.144 Mbit/s bit rate Video signal

Optional, maximum resolution unlimited

Dolby or DTS HD audio support is not included in the current spec, but that does not mean that Dolby or DTS 7.1 channel digital audio is not supported. It is specifically supported in the spec. Fully supported. More so than HDMI even. Look here:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/display-formats-technology/vesa-displayport-standard-v1.0/displ...

[xpnet]

Thats not my question thou, has anyone used a display port on a computer and successfully got HDMI to play video and audio. I been looking online at all the HDMI DisplayPort converters and I do not see one that says directly it supports audio. All the articles I been looking at so far that it has the possiblity for Home Theator but does not .. Since it been out since 06 I was hoping to find some better information on google about the display port since I have one on my W500.

[Wombat2]

I've noticed that one of the HDMI inputs on my LCD tv also has a R/L(RCA jacks) audio input paired with it. Does any one know if it is possible to supply the audio to this input using one of the computers USB ports? In other words, could I use a DisplayPort to HDMI converter for the video and a USB to RCA cable for the audio?

It wouldn't be ideal but it would be better than trying to use the headphone jack for the audio.

[wheadley]

Yes, use a stereo male 1/8"  mini-pin to dual male RCA (R/L channels) adapter. You will of course not get digital multi-channel audio but instead get low quality analog stereo (2 channel). That's why this is an issue-- many modern films and TV shows use multi-channel digital audio 5.1, 7.1, Dolby, DTS, etc., and have for years.

If you don't care about the quality go with the above solution and you'll likely be happy with it.