The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    HDMI Input issue

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by CryoBolt, Nov 24, 2012.

  1. CryoBolt

    CryoBolt Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    19
    Messages:
    258
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    31
    How does the HDMI input to your display work exactly? When I had my older desktop plugged into it, the M17x randomly shutdown twice over the 2 hours of use.

    What I mean by randomly is I would switch back and forth between the two and and during one of those switches, it would shutdown.

    Thanks in advance.
     
    CryoBolt, Nov 24, 2012
    #1
  2. radji

    radji Farewell, Solenya...

    Reputations:
    3,856
    Messages:
    3,074
    Likes Received:
    2,619
    Trophy Points:
    231
    The HDMI in is supposed to be completely independent of the OS. When an HD input is detected, it is supposed to switch control of the notebook LCD over to the GPU's firmware. The firmware then is supposed to disconnect from Windows just like if you were to switch off a monitor on a desktop. The GPU then initiates the HDCP handshake and whatever is plugged in is supposed to be displayed. That's it in a nutshell. I've heard from users that the Nvidia drivers do have some control over the HDMI in port, but I don't believe this to be true. If Alienware let the drivers have any control over the HDMI in, then that leaves the door open for modders to hijack the HD signal for pirating, and I just can't see any notebook manufacturer doing that. The random switching could be as simple as a loose or faulty HDMI cable or as severe as a malfunctioning GPU.
     
    radji, Nov 25, 2012
    #2
  3. CryoBolt

    CryoBolt Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    19
    Messages:
    258
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Well, I'm doing the switching. It is some random time during one of the switchings is when the computer completely shutsdown.

    Which has me a bit worried.

    I haven't messed around with it much, though. Don't have a whole a lot of time.
    Sent from my SGH-T999
     
    CryoBolt, Nov 25, 2012
    #3
  4. radji

    radji Farewell, Solenya...

    Reputations:
    3,856
    Messages:
    3,074
    Likes Received:
    2,619
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Might be the GPU gets too hot and that trips the shutdown. Unfortunately, I don't think GPU-z will log the temps when the screen is switched over to the HDMI in, but you can try.
     
    radji, Nov 25, 2012
    #4
  5. CryoBolt

    CryoBolt Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    19
    Messages:
    258
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Alright, thanks.

    Sent from my SGH-T999
     
    CryoBolt, Nov 25, 2012
    #5