Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI

Question

I have my PC hooked up to speakers and a monitor. In addition, it is hooked up to my Vizio 37' LCD Television. When I was on Windows 7, I could choose to output sound via HDMI. I have the choice in Ubuntu but no sound is outputted. Any Ideas? I don't know how to get system specs on Ubuntu so if you need them please tell me how to get them.

aplay -l output:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** 
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], 
device 0: ALC887 Analog [ALC887 Analog] 
Subdevices: 0/1 
Subdevice #0: 
subdevice #0 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 3: ALC887 Digital [ALC887 Digital] Subdevices: 1/1 
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

At the very least we need to know what kind of sound card you're using: aplay -l — RobotHumans, Mar 13 '12 at 18:14
Any simple to use programs I can use that can provide such information? — Michael, Mar 13 '12 at 18:29
Stupid me, Sorry about that.
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC887 Analog [ALC887 Analog] Subdevices: 0/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 3: ALC887 Digital [ALC887 Digital] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 — Michael, Mar 13 '12 at 18:35
Have you checked that it's not muted in alsamixer? crunchbang is ubuntu derived and has a report of it being accidentally muted — RobotHumans, Mar 13 '12 at 18:43
and are you using binary drivers for the ATI card? if you're not you should be — RobotHumans, Mar 13 '12 at 18:49
All that shows up are graphics drivers. I'll activate them since I'm sure I need to. — Michael, Mar 13 '12 at 20:23
Yes, there are components of the linux ATI video driver that contain components that work with the HDMI audio output — RobotHumans, Mar 14 '12 at 01:37
I only solved my problem with the Ubuntu sound when I ran this command sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall to update the card drivers — Tiago Oliveira de Freitas, Feb 20 '21 at 02:22

score 112 · Answer 1 · edited Jan 15 '18 at 23:47

112

With the HDMI cable plugged in, run the following utility:

speaker-test --channels 2 --rate 48000 --device hw:0,3

(for others, the hw:x,y is x = card, y = device)

This just runs a sound test with static bouncing back and forth. Once it has played out of each speaker, hit Ctrl+c to stop it, and then check in your sound settings to see if the HDMI output is now listed under the internal device.

That was all I had to do to get it working. If it doesn't work for you, check out this tutorial for upgrading alsa to the ppa version.

edited Jan 15 '18 at 23:47

jpaugh

552

answered Apr 01 '12 at 01:03

Bryan Agee

3,356

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This is ridiculous, but works admirably. Thanks. – Pedro Werneck Mar 24 '13 at 02:50
3

Upgrading alsa + installing pavucontrol as suggested by @gsdej 's post (instead of the speaker test) worked for me – nariknahom Oct 28 '13 at 11:46
This did not work for me. The install failed. please see http://askubuntu.com/questions/512482/hdmi-audio-not-working-on-tv – faizal Aug 17 '14 at 11:12
Thanks for this, I had tried pavucontrol before and it still wasn't playing through the TV. After running this little test, it suddenly started playing...wierd – smac89 Dec 29 '14 at 01:08
1

// , This works, but firefox is still not using HDMI, while Chromium now does, on Ubuntu 16.04. – Nathan Basanese Apr 09 '17 at 23:07

score 81 · Answer 2 · edited Sep 10 '13 at 19:10

81

You can try installing program "PulseAudio Volume Control" (sudo apt-get install pavucontrol)

In tab Configuration select profile mentioning HDMI.

The desktop sound output should immediately switch to HDMI.

edited Sep 10 '13 at 19:10

Tom Dalton

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1
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answered Dec 24 '12 at 18:36

gsedej

4,914

1

Thank you, this worked for me on 12.10, Intel HD 4000. For me, HDMI was not listed as an output device in the system's sound settings. But once I selected the HDMI profile in the configuration tab of the "Pulse Audio Volume Control", sound through HDMI worked and HDMI was even listed as an output device in the standard sound settings. Bryan's approach didn't work for me. – Tobias Feb 28 '13 at 22:14
This also worked for me - ALSA could see it but Ubuntu's desktop couldn't. – Tom Dalton Sep 10 '13 at 18:54
1

There's no pavucontrol on 14.04 – That Brazilian Guy Jun 05 '14 at 01:00
@ThatBrazilianGuy just downloaded it on 14.04. apt-cache policy pavucontrol has output : pavucontrol: Installed: 2.0-2 Candidate: 2.0-2 Version table: *** 2.0-2 0 500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status – blo0p3r Sep 13 '14 at 19:39
1

No HDMI profile in the Configuration tab for me. – cboettig Dec 03 '14 at 20:20
No HDMI in the profile configuration for me either (15.04). – tchakravarty Jun 14 '15 at 17:42
Can you past output of lspci and aplay -l. Do you by any chance have seperate GPU (AMD/NVIDIA) that is physically conneted to HDMI? it may be powered down... – gsedej Jun 15 '15 at 19:00
The Sound settings allows you to change to 'surround', but then it does not allow you to change back, which is weird. pavucontrol allows this. Fixed my problem (on Debian 8). – marcelocra Oct 29 '15 at 14:10
1

It works for me! Ubuntu 16.04 – Ponsuyambu May 28 '17 at 10:36

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 04 '16 at 20:02

4

Install GNOME alsa mixer which is in the universe repository (activate the universe repository in your software sources by running Software & Updates and insuring the 2nd box from the top is checked) then Install via Ubuntu software.

run it and you'll see a screen like this:

unmute everything by clearing the mute checkboxes , then check the IEC958 checkbox.

edited Sep 04 '16 at 20:02

Elder Geek

36,023
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answered Aug 18 '13 at 15:25

Rajathithan Rajasekar

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While this may theoretically answer the question, it is too vague to be useful. Please expand it to include the steps needed to accomplish what you are suggesting. While experienced user may know how to do this, new user likely will not; it needs to be useful to all users. – TrailRider Aug 18 '13 at 16:40
5

What's vague about it? I installed GNOME alsa mixer from the ubuntu store, ran it, and there was a checkbox labeled IEC958. – AaronF Oct 03 '15 at 19:09
Use m key to un/mute. MM under a volume bar means muted, highlighted OO means enabled. – anps Dec 24 '15 at 21:42
3

What it you have 3 times IEC958 and no IEC958PCM? – Zelphir Kaltstahl May 13 '17 at 11:29

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 11 '16 at 10:10

4

I have had similar problems, and all the forums I could find were talking about PulseAudio and AlsaMixer. None of those solutions worked for me.

I finally found my solution in updating my Graphic Cards driver from which the HDMI cable was connected following the steps here.

You might not have the same grapic cards or any but you might give it a try to update your driver.

edited Apr 11 '16 at 10:10

cat

1,672

answered Apr 10 '16 at 12:50

Leet

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score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 21 '20 at 21:23

2

For me the things that worked was killing the pulseaudio daemon via the following command

pulseaudio -k

I got inspired from this link.

answered Mar 21 '20 at 21:23

INS

141

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 15 '21 at 09:55

2

I have Debian with LXDE but this may apply to you in other cases.

Open PulseAudio Volume Control

Initially I thought I needed to upgrade something because I could not see HDMI here

But after going to Configuration and selecting a profile with HDMI

You can go to Output and see there your HDMI port. Now the sound goes through the HDMI cable. Nothing to install / update / tweak (in my case).

answered Feb 15 '21 at 09:55

Rub

171

OMG how is this how it works. Sure HDMI settings need to be changed but why is there no separate HDMI output audio device jeez – Tarick Welling May 08 '22 at 18:02

Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI

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