Troubleshooting Sound Issues: Why My Laptop Sound is Not Coming Through HDMI to TV

When you connect your laptop to a TV using an HDMI cable, you expect the sound to come out of the TV. However, if the sound is still coming from your laptop, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem.

1. Check HDMI Connection

Ensure the HDMI cable is properly connected to both your laptop and TV. Try plugging the cable into a different HDMI port on your TV if available.

2. Set TV as Default Playback Device

First, right-click on the sound icon in the system tray at the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Select Open Sound settings Click the Playback tab if visible. Your TV should appear if the HDMI connection was established properly.

If your TV is listed, right-click on it and select Set as default device. Click Apply to save the change.

3. Update Audio Drivers

Go to the Device Manager by searching for it in the Start menu. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section. Right-click your audio device and select Update driver.

Select Browse my computer for driver software and then Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer. Choose your audio device from the list and click Next to install the update.

4. Check TV Settings

Ensure your TV is set to the correct HDMI input. Check the TV's audio settings to confirm that the audio output is set to HDMI.

5. Restart Devices

Restart both your laptop and TV to reset the connection.

6. Use the Control Panel

Open the Control Panel. Navigate to Hardware and Sound rarr; Sound. Go to the Playback tab and check if the TV appears there. If so, set it as the default device.

7. Try Another HDMI Cable

If possible, use a different HDMI cable to rule out a faulty cable.

8. Test with Another Device

Connect another device, such as a gaming console or another laptop, to the TV using the same HDMI cable to see if the issue persists.

Additional Tips

If you connect an HDMI monitor to a laptop for the first time, ideally two things should happen: 1. HDMI audio drivers should be installed and/or enabled, and 2. it should be set as the default audio device. If you don’t see an HDMI audio option in the list of possible audio output devices in settings, it means the drivers didn’t get installed automatically. On some older TVs, the HDMI inputs are strictly video, and the accompanying audio is supposed to be input through analogue RCA or SPDIF. Always check your TV's capabilities before connecting.

Conclusion

If you have tried all these steps and are still facing issues, there might be a more specific compatibility issue or a hardware problem that needs to be addressed. Troubleshooting sound issues can often be a matter of identifying and correcting a misconfiguration or outdated driver. By following these steps, you can ensure that your sound is coming through the TV as expected.