[thaKing]

I'm relatively new to xbmc, so please bear with me. I'm running xbmc on my laptop connected to my tv via HDMI. I've barely scratched the surface of streaming and mostly I've been running video files stored on the laptop. I ran into an issue with no audio when I hooked up the laptop to the tv. I did a search on here and found some queries where folks suggested making a change to Analog (I believe). Here's what I've attempted:

• After starting the video, I went to Audio and changed from HDMI to Analog (and back)
  
• In System Settings, I have changed audio to Analog from HDMI (and back)
  

I'm not sure which one I need to be changing (both?), but I would change, test, change another, test, change again. From what I can tell, I need my audio on HDMI in order to get sound to the tv. But I'm not 100% certain as to which setting needs to be what. Every time I hook the laptop to the tv, I need to "tweak" audio settings until I find one that works. What is the secret combination I need and make it *stick* so that the next time I run a video it will transmit to the tv?

[thaKing]

OK, I think I have it figured out when watching the video files stored on my laptop.

So tonight I tried streaming a show using the 1channel addon. The video played just fine. If I played it on the laptop, I got sound. If I hooked it to the tv via HDMI, I got no sound - no sound from the laptop, none from the tv. No matter which option for audio I chose. I tried every option I could think of. What is the trick to get the sound to play if the laptop is connected via HDMI?

[artrafael]

Just to be clear, when playing videos in XBMC on your laptop that is connected to your TV via HDMI:

• Are you able to hear audio on your TV when you play video files stored on your laptop's hard drive?
  
• Are you able to hear audio on your TV when you stream videos using supported video add-ons such as the ones for YouTube, cnet, TED Talks or PBS?
  
• Are you only having problems hearing audio on your TV when you stream videos using the 1Channel add-on? If so, we cannot offer any assistance for any issues with this or other piracy add-ons per our forum_rules (wiki).
  

[jjd-uk]

Are you connecting the HDMI lead to the TV before you start XBMC?

XBMC detects available audio devices at startup, and since HDMI relies on 2 way handshaking to the connected device, if it's not connected when XBMC starts it will show as not being plugged in and will get ignored by XBMC. If you connect the HDMI while XBMC is already running then you must close XBMC then start it again and then adjust the audio settings in System.

Since TV generally don't accept 5.1 audio on their HDMI input set as follows:

Audio output: Analog
Speaker configuration: 2.0
Audio output device: HDMI

[thaKing]

• Are you able to hear audio on your TV when you play video files stored on your laptop's hard drive?
  

Yes, originally that is the only way I could hear audio was by playing videos I had already on my laptop's HDD.

• Are you able to hear audio on your TV when you stream videos using supported video add-ons such as the ones for YouTube, cnet, TED Talks or PBS?
  

I tried playing a video via YouTube, while hooked via HDMI, and I was finally able to get sound - after following the instructions below.

• Are you only having problems hearing audio on your TV when you stream videos using the 1Channel add-on? If so, we cannot offer any assistance for any issues with this or other piracy add-ons per our forum_rules (wiki).
  

as for your third point, thanks for letting me know. I did not realize that. I found some instructions online to install xbmc, and it included 1Channel. I will remove this addon.

Are you connecting the HDMI lead to the TV before you start XBMC?

XBMC detects available audio devices at startup, and since HDMI relies on 2 way handshaking to the connected device, if it's not connected when XBMC starts it will show as not being plugged in and will get ignored by XBMC. If you connect the HDMI while XBMC is already running then you must close XBMC then start it again and then adjust the audio settings in System.

Since TV generally don't accept 5.1 audio on their HDMI input set as follows:

Audio output: Analog
Speaker configuration: 2.0
Audio output device: HDMI

I followed these steps to a T, and honestly wasn't sure if it would make a difference. But I got sound where I couldn't previously!! Thanks a bunch jjd-uk. I'm going to keep these handy, just in case.