Computer Connected via HDMI to TV Issue

[Igster]

So my wife and I just moved and decided to go with a sound bar in our new, smaller condo. Since doing this, we still have a desktop system hooked up to our Sharp TV via HDMI. We previously had a Sony receiver for sound and used the digital optical output on the Asus desktop we are using for audio, while the HDMI was connected to the TV for video.

Now, since using a sound bar and no receiver, we are using the HDMI for both audio and video to the TV, while the audio is then sent to the sound bar. Problem is now, after a little while, the screen will go black and we lose audio. We normally use this setup to load up sites like Pandora or Slacker and listen to music. So there never seems to be a time where the HDMI output should be considered "inactive" IMO, but I have checked all the power options and screen saver options and everything I can thing of for inactivity and turned them all to never. The problem still seems to persist. We are listening to music and the screen goes black and the audio stops. I can't pin point if it is only happening between songs as we just got the setup going last night and only listened for a little while.

Anyone have any idea what might be causing this to happen?

[Hack&Lube]

Do you leave the TV on showing the laptop screen? If the laptop is not outputting a cloned or extended desktop, it's going to go on standby most likely.

I don't know what the exact problem is but just connect the laptop directly to the soundbar via optical or mini stereo cable from the laptop's headphone jack. That will solve the problem of losing audio.

[FlameOn]

Sounds like this might be an HDCP handshake problem. Is the TV/soundbar older?
Does the video cut out briefly than come back or always just cut out after a set period of time?

If your laptop works direct from your TV to laptop no problem but doesn't work with the soundbard connected, I'd say that's probably the HDCP... HDCP is a copy protection scheme built into HDMI that works by checking security end to end from source to the display. If there is something in between that doesn't pass the HDCP checks in between you will get video cutouts. I'd try updated video card drivers on your desktop first... if not it might be something the sound bar is doing related to wrong HDMI supported versioning among other problems. You can usually get around all the issues with a cheap HDMI splitter from Amazon if that is your problem.

[Igster]

Hmmm...We never had the issue before, so you're saying the sound bar could be causing the screen to go black on the TV? Doesn't seem right to me. The TV outputs to the sound bar via a digital optical out cable. The HDMI cable goes straight from the desktop to the TV. The sound bar is not involved in the HDCP handshake in this instance I would think as it has nothing to do with the HDMI connection.

The drivers for the nvidea card are all up to date and as mentioned, it's a desktop, not a laptop as others have asked about.

[sureLoss]

Well easy way to rule out the problem Flame On is describing is to disconnect the sound bar and see if the going to black still happens.

[Igster]

True.

I can try removing the sound bar from the equation. Problem is, then what? I need the sound bar obviously. FlameOn, you mentioned an HDMI splitter, but I'm not quite sure what you mean? How does an HDMI splitter solve the issue with the digital optical cable to the sound bar from the TV, which is the only connection between the two?

[Galakanokis]

Sounds like either the PC or the TV are going to sleep. Do you have dual monitors on the PC or just the TV? I am assuming the TV will display the pandora website while you stream?

I have a PC hooked up to a receiver and then to a TV and have had similar issues in the past. It was always a sleep option for the computer or display that buggered things up.

[Igster]

Yeah, that's the first thing I thought of course. As mentioned, checked and re-checked all the power options. TV doesn't seem to have any sleep mode and yup, Pandora and Slacker both have interfaces that change as the music changes from song to song so it's not even "idle" really. Just bizarre.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Igster

True.

I can try removing the sound bar from the equation. Problem is, then what? I need the sound bar obviously. FlameOn, you mentioned an HDMI splitter, but I'm not quite sure what you mean? How does an HDMI splitter solve the issue with the digital optical cable to the sound bar from the TV, which is the only connection between the two?

HDCP compliance and passthrough handshaking is hard. Basically manufacturers mess it up all the time and process is a mess when you start looking between different devices with different HDMI standards. This is where a HDMI splitter comes in. Some, and I say some, bypass the HDCP handshaking issue the lazy way and just strip out HDCP encryption altogether. They do this so they don't have to engineer in the compliance for doing HDCP handshake passthrough over multiple devices to the TV. The splitter will take care of the HDCP handshaking and put out clear unencrypted HDMI video for the outputs. This will solve video cutouts like you are describing if it is indeed your problem.

Like others have suggested. take the soundbar out of the equation. If it is the soundbar, you'll need to buy something like this:
http://www.amazon.ca/ViewHD-HDMI-Spl...=hdmi+splitter
http://www.amazon.ca/Sewell-Direct-S...+hdmi+splitter

and pass the HDMI signal through the splitter, you'll be fine after that. My old TV has all sorts of HDMI issues and this solved my problems. Keep in mind not all splitters will do this. The two above I know will from experience and recommendations from AVSforum

[Vulcan]

You could try a different HDMI cable but if it's your desktop going into sleep mode maybe a newer video card would solve your problem. I remember running into this problem (sleep mode) years ago and my annoying solution was every so often to click the mouse. I don't seem to run into it anymore, maybe because of newer video cards or maybe by disabling the sleep modes, I can't remember.