Need to turn of HDMI audio to an external monitor - help!

[Clinto]

I just bought a Dell XPS 15 and an external Acer monitor for my wife. The monitor is connected to the Dell by HDMI. When the monitor is plugged in, there is no audio. I'm pretty sure the HDMI connection is pulling the audio signal from the Dell and sending it to the monitor. Problem is, the monitor doesn't have any speakers - so there's no audio. When I disconnect the HDMI cable, audio plays from the Dell - but then there's no external monitor.

Can anybody offer advice on how to send video through the HDMI cable to the external monitor, but keep the audio signal at the Dell?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Regedit32]

Hi Clinto,

The HDMI connection may have upset default playback settings:

You could try the following to check that:

• Right-click on Start and select Control Panel
• In the top right of window make sure View by: Category is selected
• Click the hyperlinked Hardware and Sound
• In the Sound row click on Manage audio devices
• Under the Playback tab select what you want audio to playback through and click Set default button
• Click Apply. then click OK

 

[Saltgrass]

Regedit32 is correct but the fastest way is to right click the speaker icon and select Playback devices. It may be necessary to disable the HDMI output to keep the sound on the default speakers.

 

[Clinto]

Hi Regedit32 and Saltgrass. Thanks for the suggestions. I have Playback set to the laptop, with the laptop as default. But if the external monitor is connected (via HDMI) then there is no sound. If I unplug the HDMI cable, then sound is played through the laptop's speakers. If I plug the HDMI cable back in, the sound disappears.

I suspect that when the HDMI cable is connected, the system thinks it is connected to a TV and it sends audio and video signals out the HDMI port. But the external monitor I am using has no speakers.

Is there a way to configure the HDMI port so that video is sent through it, but not audio? I think that would solve this problem.

 

[Saltgrass]

It may be necessary to disable the HDMI output to keep the sound on the default speakers.

Do you see the HDMI output device in the list of Playback Devices? You may have to disable it while the HDMI cable is plugged in so you can see the device.

 

[Clinto]

It's working now! I disabled the laptop speakers then exited the control panel. Then opened the control panel and re-enabled the laptop speakers and made them default - and now I'm getting sound from the laptop.
Thanks again for your help!