Notes on my long running project to build a HTPC to replace my aging PVR has had many issues. The HDMI output is from the GPU on an Intel i3-3220 CPU in a Gigabyte GA-Z68M-D2H motherboard which is then connected to a Pioneer SC-LX57 AVR and then onto a Panasonic TH50PZ700A 50″ plasma screen.
Initially I was using a Yamaha RXV-3800 AVR and sound was working fine. After returning from holidays and finding the Yamaha had failed. Eventually the failed AVR was replaced with a Pioneer SC-LX57 AVR. At this point I no longer had any HDMI audio and since the HTPC was still a work in progress I could no longer remember if it used to work or not. I thought I had, but wasn’t sure.
After much messing around it wasn’t until the output reverted itself to 720p (due to the second issue below) that I suddenly heard sound from the HTPC via the new Pioneer AVR. It still took some time to figure out that there was no sound at 1080p@60 and 1080p@50 but with any other resolution sound worked fine. So 1080i and 720p both worked fine for example.