2 Screen HDMI switching

CHUCKCHILLOUT said:

Hello

I have my Asus CG5270-BP-004 hooked up to an HDMI cord which goes to an Monoprice HDMI switcher-to my Onkyo TX-SR605 receiver w/7.1 and onto my Home Theater(Secondary Monitor) TC-P54G10. My primary monitor is the Asus VH203. Since I hooked up this system, whenever HDMI is selected on the TV, it hijacks the Primary Screen without me doing it. I have powerstrip setup and I have been having to unplug the HDMI cord in order for the TV not to steal the primary display. Even if I don't have the PC HDMI cord selected it still does this.

Also, for sound I am trying to get 7.1 on my HT setup while connected to the secondary monitor. It says under Realtek-2 speakers @ 24bit-192HZ, and HDCP no. Why am I getting 2 speakers and no?

Thanks

Click to expand...

both of the problems that you are running into are not uncommon. You're not the only one
1) video cards will sometimes automatically switch the primary screen to a certain output. In your case this is HDMI. Your card is smart enough to realize though that if there is nothing plugged in to the HDMI port it should not do this. I Suggest you try are a) forcing the primary screen back onto your computer monitor by right clicking the desktop, go into video resolution and doing it here every time or b) going into the system bios and designate the output to your computer monitor as primary. That would only work under very limited circumstances and would require that your bios show you this option. The auto switching behavior of the card would probably override this. Just a thought
2) there is a copy protection system which manufacturers are adding to Blu-Ray discs more and more which is causing your second problem. The system has been put into place more recently and equipment that is designed to play high definition material may have been manufactured before the HDCP system was implemented.
The way it works is simple and annoying. If HDCP copy protection has been added to a blue Ray disc the disc asks the player if the player, and every other component in the signal chain such as the video card any switches and even the television itself has circuitry in it to play HDCP material. Equipment that has this circuitry is called "HDCP compliant" If even one of the components does not have this, the Blu-Ray material will either not play or will play at lower resolution and without some of the fancier audio features like seven channel. Additionally video cards that can send a signal to the television using the component connector-the red blue and green separate connectors-will not transmit a Blu-Ray image with HDCP because the copy protection travels only in the digital HDMI connector not the analog component plugs. That is true even if the video card in the TV are "HDCP compliant" the solution there is just use the HDMI cable.
In your case either your Blu-Ray player, your video card, your switch, or your television is not "HDCP compliant" if your disks are actually playing, the resolution looks good to you, and the two channel audio is something you could live with you could hold off on finding the piece that is not "HDCP compliant". I do not know if your disks are playing at reduced resolution or not at all. Either can occur if your system is not "HDCP compliant"
If you are not getting the video and audio you want it requires just a little bit of documentation checking. Look at the documentation for your Blu-Ray player, your video card, your switch, and your TV. If it doesn't say HDCP compliant it probably isn't. I am guessing it is your switch. That is also the easiest thing to check. Plug your computer directly into your TV with the HDMI cable and if your sound becomes available at 7.1 and the "no HDCP" warning goes away then bypass or replace your switch. I believe that most components that were not made quote "HDCP compliant cannot be upgraded with a firmware flash because the circuitry has to be actually present in the device. If anyone knows of an exception that would be a great post
If you have a chance please let me know how you were doing. I'm always happy to add to the confusion.
Kevin