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Beam setup with projector - Help

  • 13 October 2018
  • 8 replies
  • 1164 views
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Hi guys hoping for some help, not an audiophile by any stretch so go easy on me, laymans terms please.

Got and oldy but goody set up in the flat, projector (Infocus IN1144) VGA to laptop (Toshiba satellite C850) with AUX from laptop to old speaker, which just kicked the bucket( not so much of a goody)... have a few play1s in other rooms so thought I'd get a beam and have some fun. Unfortunately I read HDMI connection not HDMI arc (wtf the difference is, though arc was worse!) and now having allsorts of issues.

Currently, Beam won't detect laptop when HDMI directly in (assuming not HDMI arc compatable) but Beam will find projector when HDMI'd in. But, with beam on HDMI for sound you can't get image from laptop over VGA... suggestions please.

I was going to pick up 2 to 1 HDMI adapter for the back of the project for both Beam and Laptop to attach but this would just be trial and error.

If someone can confirm this would work or has a sure thing set up it would be greatly appreciated.
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Best answer by Deacon 15 October 2018, 20:33

Fixed - for some reason no matter what adapter or HDMI cable (all arc enabled), and the fact the HDMI cable linking laptop to projector produces sound fine. Even when 1 in 2 out adapter connected to Beam and projector produces video on projector, the laptop will not find the Beam over HDMI.

Got a hdmi to Toslink adapter on the laptop, worked first try. Not sure what this says, why it will send audio over Toslink but not HDMI, but atleast it works.

Now have a HDMI from laptop to splitter, 1 HDMI out to projector and one HDMI to a toslink adapter, the HDMI from beam with Sonos supplied optical adapter... will swap it all for a 1in HDMI and toslink out adapter at some point.
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8 replies

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Update - so two way 2 to 1 HDMI splitter didn't work. Made sure to pick up one that pushed to both outputs at the same time but no use. Laptop in with projector and Beam out. It picked up (leds to show) the projector fine and pushed picture and sound out but nothing with the beam, so same as before..

Next step is getting a HDMI to HDMI arc converter/adapter (aparently they are a thing) that into the laptop will hopefully solve all of the issues.

Also looking into using the HDMI to Optical audio adapter the Beam comes with and seeing if I can find some form of converter to the laptop.

Still looking for ideas..
Airgetlam
You have to have ARC to feed the Beam. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel. If you don't have ARC, then the Beam won't see anything to play. The Beam isn't looking for a standard HDMI input (you couldn't get sound directly from a normal HDMI input), it's looking for data on the ARC channel, so your splitter wouldn't work. Which you know.

I would expect the HDMI ARC converter/adapter would work (although I wasn't aware that it was a thing). That should push the sound from the normal HDMI channel to the ARC channel for you.

But things *might* be worse for you. How sure are you that the laptop will be pushing audio out through the HDMI? In the past (several years ago, not recently), I've had a lot of trouble with HDMI from laptops which carried only video, and not audio content. You'll want to be very careful about checking to make sure that yours does work. In fact, I'd recommend, if you can, take it to a normal TV (not your projector) and test it there. Best to be sure you've identified all the issues before you attempt the untested setup of the projector.
Bruce
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(you couldn't get sound directly from a normal HDMI input) thought HDMI carried sound as well, if that is the case, that HDMI arc is the only way to carry audio, then the laptop is already arc capable because projector pics up sound with only a hdmi cable to laptop..

If this is the case the HDMI arc isn't the issue and there is another, totally unknown, reason for beam not finding the laptop... that's not good
Airgetlam
Normally it does. There are cards in PCs that don't include that feature. But if you've tested it with the projector, then you're good.

It's the fact that the splitter isn't taking the sound from the HDMI channel and sending it back out on the ARC channel. That's why you need to use an ARC enabled HDMI connector...a regular one just won't work.
Bruce
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Found a quick fix - using 3rd party software (stream what you hear) downloaded on laptop, creat a http radio stream, create a radio station on Sonos with that IP address and it works.

Only failure is there is a delay, so useless for tv, works fine on films we use VLC and can spead up/delay sound so is the fix for now.
Airgetlam
Glad to hear you found a way for it to work. It's a given that any system, Sonos included, isn't perfect for every/all circumstances. In general, it does an outstanding job for what it's designed for, you just have to recognize where it won't handle things.
Bruce
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Yeh completely, thanks for sticking along. Sad they haven't included more connector options and made the whole system so insular, but I suppose there are a number of reasons for the choice.

Have a couple of adapters turning up so probably going to try and give those a go
D
Fixed - for some reason no matter what adapter or HDMI cable (all arc enabled), and the fact the HDMI cable linking laptop to projector produces sound fine. Even when 1 in 2 out adapter connected to Beam and projector produces video on projector, the laptop will not find the Beam over HDMI.

Got a hdmi to Toslink adapter on the laptop, worked first try. Not sure what this says, why it will send audio over Toslink but not HDMI, but atleast it works.

Now have a HDMI from laptop to splitter, 1 HDMI out to projector and one HDMI to a toslink adapter, the HDMI from beam with Sonos supplied optical adapter... will swap it all for a 1in HDMI and toslink out adapter at some point.

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