The only way I can think of is that the TV thinks its set for audio via HDMI. If no video.....then no audio.
You might try using a different HDMI port. Usually, only a specific HDMI port supports audio over HDMI.
That's part of the problem. there is no such thing as audio HDMI. "They", the powers that be, want audio to take an optical path and audio seems to be messed up too.
Quote=
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI
Audio Path was required only if a lossless audio bitstream (such as Dolby TrueHD or
DTS-HD MA) was output.
[148] Uncompressed LPCM audio, however, does not require a Protected Audio Path, and software programs such as PowerDVD and WinDVD can decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA and output it as LPCM.
[148][155][156] A limitation is that if the computer does not implement a Protected Audio Path, the audio must be downsampled to 16-bit 48 kHz but can still output at up to 8 channels.
[148] No graphic cards were released in 2008 that implemented the Protected Audio Path.
[148]
In December 2010, it was announced that several computer vendors and display makers including
Intel,
AMD,
Dell,
Lenovo,
Samsung, and
LG would stop using
LVDS (actually,
FPD-Link) from 2013 and legacy
DVI and
VGA connectors from 2015, replacing them with
DisplayPort and HDMI.
[168][169]
End quote.
The Samsung TV has CVBS or composite video and audio. I selected AV. Fed it audio only. TV wasn;t hungry.
Your TV must be different than mine. Why would any one want to play audio on the crappy speakers they put in TV's now days?
You hit a nerve. So why do they sell sound bars or Bluetooth audio systems etc.?
Optical seems to be a mess too.
Mom (94) and myself are too the point, that audio is fatiqueing to listen to. Most of the time, it sounds horrible. I'm talking ATSC TV and Youtube on the TV using the youtube app.
What I want and why?
I've given up on good audio. The TV is just plain "Stupid".
Mom's pretty much confined to a hospital bed. Occasionally gets in a wheelchair. It's been like this and worse for about 3 years,
She doesn't want to know how to use a computer. She has never had a cell phone. A "TV remote control" especially Samsungs's "mart remote" is hard for her. Options on a cordless phone like an address book, forget it. It's difficult for her to see. Alexa or Siri is not off the table.
Better lighting, is definately on the table. e.g. 6000 Lumen dimmable LED.
She likes radio talk shows. AM just doesn't work in the house. FM needs an external antenna. Both are difficult to arrange.
The TV browser won't support Shoutcast, but even that's crappy lately. A web browser won;t support the radio station's stream.
What I thought I wanted:
1. The ability modulate an ATSC modulator with upconverted AC-3 audio and make it available on the TV. Who knows Plex, Roku or whatever. Analog Audio over Ethernet.
I have Ethernet infrastructure issues to deal with and I've been unable to devote time to get the modulator to work.
Converting L/R audio to upconverted AC-3 over HDMI seems impossible.
2. The is the one I'm persuing now. Play L/R audio as an input to the TV.
I have, but not hooked up, a dual RS232 and IR controlled Legrand AM/FM tuner. This has an active antenna.
Did some searching and came up with,
and
The Barix instreamer.
So, i guess I could use a pair of powered speakers, but I'd LIKE to use the TV.
I think if I use this device, I could stream to a computer if i want. I might be able to stream from her favorite radio station.
Changing a station might not be necessary initially
The Tuner can be located in the basement, the active antenna in the attic, the Ethernet switch in the basement. I should be able to IR repeat the IR remote control over Ethernet and change the station blindly.
So, I have to fake the TV to be able to play audio.
So, now let's say, I find a way to generate a PC VGA black raster and now convert that to HDMI and add L/R audio to that.
Hopefully, the TV will be happy, but probably not. The gizmo that generates the black raster would have to power up in black raster.
I'd almost like to have two streamers and one receiver. I'd stream both tuners and have the receiver at the TV (Tuner #1) . The second tuner #2, would say be available to the program VLC and possibly IPTV.
However, I'd like to take this one step further and say have a Rasberry PI which I think I have a use for, to interrogate the tuner and display e.g.
FM 101.1
W???
Dreams
at random locations on the screen. This might be able to be accomplished with a VT100 emulation to VGA. Use direct cursur addressing of the vt100 to pick the locations.