Possible to add HDMI outout to Optiplex 780?

I can get a really good deal on Optiplex 780 here at
the engineering university I attend.

However, besides doing school work on it, would also
like the 780 to act as home theater PC. As such it
would be nice to have HDMI output on it.

Will I need a whole new video and sound card with HDMI
port..... or is it just a matter of installing a card
with HDMI port only? Dumb question I know... but not
clear on what will need done.

-----Original Message-----
From: ]
Posted At: Monday, February 15, 2010 4:07 PM
Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Conversation: Possible to add HDMI outout to Optiplex 780?
Subject: Possible to add HDMI outout to Optiplex 780?

I can get a really good deal on Optiplex 780 here at
the engineering university I attend.

However, besides doing school work on it, would also
like the 780 to act as home theater PC. As such it
would be nice to have HDMI output on it.

Will I need a whole new video and sound card with HDMI
port..... or is it just a matter of installing a card
with HDMI port only? Dumb question I know... but not
clear on what will need done.

ATI cards include sound. I don't believe all the nVidia cards do. I
have an ATI 4xxx (lower end, don't remember which one) and it does
1080p, including HDCP and BluRay very well.

Depending on the model, it may have an HDMI port integrated. If so, it
likely WILL include sound.

Tom

On 2/15/2010 5:06 PM, wrote:
I can get a really good deal on Optiplex 780 here at
the engineering university I attend.

However, besides doing school work on it, would also
like the 780 to act as home theater PC. As such it
would be nice to have HDMI output on it.

Will I need a whole new video and sound card with HDMI
port..... or is it just a matter of installing a card
with HDMI port only? Dumb question I know... but not
clear on what will need done.
The 780 has a "DVI Card" available at purchase time for $10.
Then a DVI to HDMI cable completes the job.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...o1shdc&s= bsd

But does the DVI port pass sound? Better to get an inexpensive ATI 4xxx
series with and HDMI port

"Pen" wrote in message
...
On 2/15/2010 5:06 PM, wrote:
I can get a really good deal on Optiplex 780 here at
the engineering university I attend.

However, besides doing school work on it, would also
like the 780 to act as home theater PC. As such it
would be nice to have HDMI output on it.

Will I need a whole new video and sound card with HDMI
port..... or is it just a matter of installing a card
with HDMI port only? Dumb question I know... but not
clear on what will need done.
The 780 has a "DVI Card" available at purchase time for $10.
Then a DVI to HDMI cable completes the job.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...o1shdc&s= bsd

"WSZsr" wrote:

But does the DVI port pass sound? Better to get an inexpensive ATI 4xxx
series with and HDMI port


that's what I'm thinking too....that dvi wont pass
audio

Hi!

DVI does not have any facility to pass sound through. It is a video
only connection.

(It is, however, electrically convertible to an HDMI connection with
an adapter. However, this will not add sound unless the DVI to HDMI
adapter has a way to plug into a sound card as well. I've never seen
one that did.)

William

On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:20:26 -0600, in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,
wrote:

"WSZsr" wrote:

But does the DVI port pass sound? Better to get an inexpensive ATI 4xxx
series with and HDMI port


that's what I'm thinking too....that dvi wont pass
audio

Does the HDMI input have an associated audio input connector (or
connectors)?

On my TV, the HDMI connector has a pair of separate audio connectors
specifically for use with a computer: a DVI to HDMI adapter handles the
video, and a separate audio cable handles the audio from the computer's
sound board.

--
Nick

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley." Robert Burns

HDMI carries both audio and video. No other connections required.

"Nick" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:20:26 -0600, in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,

wrote:

"WSZsr" wrote:

But does the DVI port pass sound? Better to get an inexpensive ATI 4xxx
series with and HDMI port


that's what I'm thinking too....that dvi wont pass
audio

Does the HDMI input have an associated audio input connector (or
connectors)?

On my TV, the HDMI connector has a pair of separate audio connectors
specifically for use with a computer: a DVI to HDMI adapter handles the
video, and a separate audio cable handles the audio from the computer's
sound board.

--
Nick

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley." Robert Burns

On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:41:55 -0600, in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell, "WSZsr"
wrote:

HDMI carries both audio and video. No other connections required.

I know that perfectly well.

However, the original poster doesn't have an HDMI port on his computer.

If he does have a DVI port, using a DVI to HDMI adapter and a separate audio
cable might be a simpler solution than adding a new video card just to get
an HDMI port.

But that will only work if his TV has HDMI audio input connectors that can
be used for the audio signal that isn't available from the computer's DVI
connector.

--
Nick