ThinkPad Edge 14 HDMI

I currently have an Edge 14 in hand and while testing the HDMI connection -> Vizio GV47L HDTV -> receiver (via optical connection), I only get stereo sound. Does the Edge not support DD/DTS through HDMI? Dolby Digital from OTA channels work fine from the TV to the receiver through the same optical connection.

 

Audio out via optical on the TV is only 5.1 for OTA channels. Any inputs will be output through the optical cable in stereo. This is true for all TV's.

In order to get 5.1 from HDMI, it must go directly to the receiver. Optical from TV to receiver will always be stereo.

 

Sorry but that is simply not true, my media center PC uses HDMI to the TV and optical to my receiver and it is able to pass multi-channel audio AC3 and DTS just fine. I believe this does depend on your TV and it wouldn't surprise me if multichannel audio wasn't always sent over HDMI originally. To test that out you need someone with a HDMI receiver I guess.

 

Short of replacing the TV or receiver, I believe my options are limited to a HDMI switch or USB sound card. Are there any other potential DD/DTS options that I might have missed?

 

Third option is a dock. They come with dvi and digital coax out.

 

I don't think any of those docks come with digital coaxial out.

 

As someone who has sold high-end ($10,000+) high-end home theaters since 2006, I can assure you that 99% of TV models out there will ONLY do stereo out from the optical out port on the TV, with the exception of the onboard tuner input. Google and hundreds and hundreds of forum posts will confirm this.

I'm not sure what TV you have, and maybe it does by some chance have that feature, but I'd first double-check that you're actually getting AC3/DTS, and your receiver isn't just doing a simulated surround setting.

Unless you're saying you go from PC --> TV via HDMI, and PC --> Receiver via Optical, in which case, yes, obviously, you'd get multichannel. That's not what the OP is asking, though.