Radeon HD 3650 HDMI Problem

[Navalynt]

So I was all excited to buy a new VisionTek Radeon HD 3650 because of the decoding and also because it's supposed to have 5.1 HD audio output through HDMI. The box it just riddled with advertisments for the HDMI but inside ... nothing. Just some dual-link DVI-I ports, component cables, and a DVI-I to VGA adapter.

I've been looking around online and it seems ATI has their own "special" adapter for converting DVI-I to HDMI but it's anywhere from $6-$20. Monoprice.com has DVI-D to HDMI adapter for under $4, will that work and carry the 5.1 surround? Has anyone tried other adapters than just the ATI branded one?

If I understand the pin layout right the main difference between DVI-I and DVI-D is that DVI-I has four extra pins around the long flat one which carry analog information for legacy connections. Because a DVI-D male connection can connect to a DVI-I will the DVI-D to HDMI work?

[Inventive Software]

Does the card have an HDMI port on it? If not, take it back because it's false advertising.

[Navalynt]

Does the card have an HDMI port on it? If not, take it back because it's false advertising.

In really tiny fine print on the bottom of the smallest side in a crappy font is the disclaimer that to use HDMI you need to purchase an ATI DVI to HDMI adapter. I would take it back in a heartbeat if there was another product available with a built in HDMI but I can't seem to find anything else around the $100 price range that has built in 5.1 surround and a built in HDMI.

Hopefully I wasn't too confusing in my original post but what I'm trying to get is this: I know a DVI-D connection will connect to the onboard DVI-I ports so I can use a standard DVI-D to HDMI adapter to get video. What I don't know is the pin layout ATI is using for audio and if the standard DVI-D to HDMI adapter will output the audio properly over the HDMI cable.

[Inventive Software]

Found this: http://www.directron.com/hdmipowercolor.html. The only way you can try is to actually buy it and see.

[SeeMoreDigital]

The DVI connection was not developed to carry audio... So I fail to see how a DVI-to-HDMI adaptor is going to magically provide audio!

[Navalynt]

The DVI connection was not developed to carry audio... So I fail to see how a DVI-to-HDMI adaptor is going to magically provide audio!

Well, apparently ATI is using some of the pins out on their DVI-I ports for audio on a select few of their cards in the HD series. I've found from looking around this afternoon they have the DVI to HDMI adapter as two different revisions: A & B

Revision A is supposedly for the HD 2xxx series only. Revision B works for the HD 3xxx series and I could not find any conclusive evidence to say if revision B is backwards compatible with the HD 2xxx series.

I've ordered a Revision B adapter off eBay (about $15 ) and since I needed a longer HDMI cable anyways I also ordered a standard DVI-D to HDMI adapter off of monoprice.com (about $4). I'll try them both out and post the results here in about a week when both adapters get in.

[MysticE]

Some in the Sapphire line seems to include the right connector:

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/14-102-699-05.jpg

The SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3470 and the SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 2600XT (at least according to the pics at NewEgg).

For $90 you can get an HDMI equipped complete MOBO.

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/13-128-090-20.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128090

[SeeMoreDigital]

Good to see a well connected motherboard...

[Inventive Software]

That looks ripe for a media centre PC, it just needs a CPU to decode 1080p VC-1 and H.264. :D

[Blue_MiSfit]

... or an onboard GPU that does it for free, which some have ;)

~MiSfit