I have a Vizio TV, DirectTV, and a 5.1 surround receiver. Have had it for a couple of years now. I have an HDMI cable running from the back of the DirecTV receiver to the back of the 5.1 receiver, and then another HDMI cable from the back of the 5.1 receiver to the TV. This is normally just for the picture, as I keep the TV sound at 0 and get my sound from the 6 speakers hooked to the 5.1 receiver.

For the past couple of days, I've been having sound problems, and now today, nothing. Nada. Zero sound. I tried different inputs in the back of the receiver but that didn't help. The next troubleshoot I tried was to turn the sound on my TV up. No sound there either. The picture is perfection. Absolute perfection.

So, my question is, if it were the HDMI cable, wouldn't you think the picture would be messed up too, since both run through the same cable? My physical health has deteriorated to the point that doing more than unplugging and plugging wires is more than I can do, so I was hoping to figure out which part was the problem and just replace it, rather than hooking up various other things in order to rule things out. Yeah, I know, that's probably the only way to do it, which means it won't get done and I might as well order both a new 5.1 receiver and a new DirecTV receiver.

With this limited info can anyone make a good guess as to which one is more likely bad, the DirecTV receiver is no longer sending sound to the 5.1 receiver or the 5.1 receiver is no longer sending sound to the speakers or the TV?

I bought a five meter hdmi cable and sometimes I'll plug that out from my monitor to that TV. They said and it indeed carries that sound too. I don't know how that works.

We could speculate, but it wouldn't be a safe guess in any way. Double-checking the audio options for every device would be my first suggestion. Beyond that, you'd have to do at least 2-3 steps of elimination to pinpoint where the problem is. Got any hardware-savvy friends or family who could help you out?

Graphics cards are capable of enabling audio. So your graphics is one audio device and your motherboard/sound card is another. It works because the monitors have speakers built into that monitor.

It was confusing figuring out where the sound was coming from and realizing I had enabled my monitor's speakers for the first time. :P

I didn't have a TV for years but I got ps3 and that big ass TV with 70 or 80 euros. It wasn't a bad buy.. Well ps3 was a bit because it doesn't really have much of that hard drive. I bought the last of us and it took a while to get that even work, my ps3 just didn't have space for that dlc. I'll have to prob buy that again. totally great game though. Game was awesome when you controlled ellie.

...but the wind.

I can download it again I just should get more space.

Thanks for the replies. I am now convinced it's the 5.1 receiver. Today I watched TV (in silence) and after a while the sound came on. As though once the receiver "warmed up" it started working properly. The DIRECTV receiver is on 24/7, so that's "warm" all the time. I really believe it's my 5.1 receiver and have ordered a replacement ($280 jeebus those things cost more than I remember).

Anyway, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH! I hope I can get my nephew to come over to my house and hook it up. Can't get ahold of my son.


ADDED IN EDIT. LOL, after reading the replies and typing this reply, the sound is now going in and out. Sort of "choppy". Yeah, I think it's the 5.1 receiver.

There's two thing in life what I would like to experience. 5.1 sound and 3D movies. =)

Wow, I've had 5.1 sound since 2001. I can't imagine not having it watching movies or playing games. You've never even experienced it with headphones? There are some excellent 5.1 and 7.1 headphones out there that aren't too expensive. I'm currently playing Fallout 4 using my headphones, and they work great. I can tell which directions enemies are by the sound. Especially useful when one gets around behind you, as the damned ghouls seem wont to do in this game.

yeah well.. I'm pretty old school. I don't understand finer things in life. =P

You're no sound, you're no sound of mine...

One must fall with disneys sound source was pretty epic.

Congratulations, that was also very random.