dell m1330's hdmi output

hi guys,
Just wanted to know what the max resolution through the hdmi output on the 1330 will be? Nvidia says on the website that the card (8400) will output 2560x1600 but ive read that the signal is downgraded through the dvi to hdmi adapter in the notebook? is this true? i hope not i want to hook it up to my 30" hp monitor at my desk for sure thanks

 

Other posts on this site seem to be saying 1920x1200:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2103083&postcount=131

The title of this thread makes it look like a good place to ask what we will be able to do with the HDMI output (sorry if this is a hijack but it might help the thread get more attention).

Will we be able to run two external monitors? - one with VGA and one with HDMI? (I fear not)

Will we be able to upgrade the M1330 with a Blu-ray drive? (I guess in time that may be possible)

Will we be able to use HDMI to get SPDIF out?
- I did a google and it looks possible at a price ($300). See http://www.lektropacks.com/view_item.php?product=1000549&&category=149 and http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=3939
The good new is this is US made so I guess as demand rises we may see cheaper clones from Asia.

 

This sucks ... I thought I found my next laptop, but my Logitech Z-5500 deserve nothing less than digital input.

Nevertheless, there may be a way around this $300 converter: output HDMI from the M1330 to my LCD TV, and then output from my LCD TV to my Z-5500 using its digital optical out; but this means that I cannot watch TV and listen to music at the same time. As I am typing this though, I am realizing that I never watch TV and listen to music at the same time ... so I may have found my next laptop.

 

Why not just get a digital USB external sound card for 30 bucks?

 

Good links Nalada. Thanks. But, I also think an external USB sound card such as the Turtle Beach might be a cheaper option: http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/micro/indetail.aspx

As someone also mentioned, we are not even sure the Dell HDMI output actually carries sound. It might only carry the picture signal... and then you would surely need an external USB sound card...

 

According to Dell, the M1330 HDMI output does also include the sound, though I have yet to physically check that this is actually the case.

 

I think the M1210 allowed you to use all three jacks on the front to output 6 channels (not in digital form obviously), but I would think the M1330 would allow you to do this too and feed the 5.1 channel Logitech?

Someone who has a M1210 please confirm (it might be only through the Sound Blaster software)?

 

Can the M1330 actually produce 5.1 sound through the HDMI output? Cause I think I read somewhere that it only has stereo ....

 

From the Dell rep:
“HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multichannel digital audio on a single cable. It supports up to 7.1 channel surround sound."

I'd still like to see someone actually test one of the 1330's though...

 

Doesn't look good on the HDMI forefront people. Unless I read this wrong.

Hopefully once people get this in their hands they can verify.

From the owners manual:
HDMI CONNECTOR — HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connector
carries an uncompressed all digital signal to produce hi-defination video and audio.

Looks good as of now......

Yet... we delve further into the manual:
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connector carries an
uncompressed all digital signal to produce hi-defination video and audio.
1 Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to
connect.
2 Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI output connector on the
computer.
3 Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI input connector on
your TV.
4 Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the headphone
connector on your computer.
5 Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable into the
audio input connectors on your TV or other audio device.
6 Turn on the TV and any audio device that you connected (if applicable),
and then turn on the computer.
7 See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV" on page 58 to ensure that the
computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.
8 Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if
applicable), and then turn on the computer.

Ummmm.... RCA connectors? That's not uncompressed audio dell.....

Thoughts?

 

I just took a quick look through the manual as well.

On my TV, if I remove the 5.1 system + receiver, I can hook up the set top box connected to my TV. Video: DVI (box) to TV (HDMI) and Audio: RCA l+r (box) to RCA l+r (TV)

 

The manual does say: Cables and TV/digital audio adapter cables are available for purchase fromk Dell. Later on it says, "Additionally, if you are using S/PDIF digital audio, see page 58. Page 58 doesn't say anything about audio...

 

Looks like the M1330 manual is based heavily on the M1210's manual, to the best of my knowledge the M1330 only supports 15-pin VGA or HDMI outputs yet the manual says.

Page 58 says nothing about enabling S/PDIF.

The equivalent paragraphs from the M1210 manual look like

 

Page 58 of the m1210 manual shows how to use S/PDIF through the S-video port with a special adapter with various video modes (component, composite, svideo).

The m1210 also shows how to set up 5.1 sound using the 2 headphone & mic ports, which is probably for computer 5.1 systems.

 

Have to agree with RT, based on the above description, you need separate audio cables to carry audio (and it will only be stereo!)
So possibly no sound through HDMI, too bad...
Is there hope the manual is wrong/incomplete?

 

Are you guys sure? Because in the Chinese version of manual, I did see the description of how to output the audio through HDMI...

 

I am thinking there are errors in the english manual, probably lots of copying and pasting from the m1210.

Can you translate the chinese version of the manual wrt to hdmi & audio?

 

Here is the part for audio out of HDMI from Chinese version:

"1. Start->Control Panal->Sound
2. Choose "Playback" under Sound
3. If HDMI is not the default device, choose it, and click "set default", and then "OK"
Warning: You are to switch back to speakers/headphones after your HDMI operation to hear sound from your computer again...."

Hope it helps/

 

That's interesting, cause when I asked about audio with HDMI for the vaio FZ in the sony forum, I got this reply:

3. Once you get the driver changed to the PnP version, then you can right-click on the volume control in the system tray (lower right corner), and click on Playback Devices in the popup menu. The resulting dialog box should show HDMI enabled, so click it and then click the "Set Default" button. Full 5.1 audio should now go out to the TV over HDMI.

sounds similar doesn't it?

to see the full thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=138102&highlight=hdmi

 

... also don't forget the images on the Dell site (when you click on the plus sign on the m1330 page) show that it has HDMI Audio Digital Interface (9th pic if you count the 360 view as a pic)

 

The HTML version of the English manual agrees with madpeter's translation from the Chinese version so hopefully we're going to get audio from the HDMI output.

 

Thanks for all the info.
So *hopefully* Dell was just lazy in owner's manual preparation.
It would be a shame if they provided HDMI that was video only.

Especially in their XPS line.

Cheers-