HDMI Is Connected but There Is No Sound on the TV

If HDMI is connected but there is no sound on the TV even though it shows the computer's picture, turn the volume down first, then confirm the TV's active speakers and select the TV or HDMI device as the computer's audio output. Compare system sounds with one app, and simplify the path to a direct cable before changing drivers or advanced audio formats.

Key Takeaways

• Lower the volume before switching outputs to prevent a sudden loud signal.
• Confirm the TV is using the intended speakers, input, and receiver path.
• Select the HDMI display as the output in Windows or macOS.
• Compare a system sound, a local file, and the affected app.
• Bypass docks, switches, capture devices, soundbars, and receivers one at a time.

This guide begins only after HDMI video works. If the TV has no picture or the display is absent, use the external-monitor detection guide. For a computer with no sound on any output, use the general computer audio guide.

HDMI is connected but there is no sound on the TV? Check that the TV is ready for this input

Reduce the computer and TV volume before changing routes. Switching from quiet laptop speakers to a television, soundbar, or receiver can produce a much louder signal than expected. After selecting the new output, raise the volume gradually with a familiar local sound.

Confirm that the television shows the picture from the same HDMI input you are diagnosing. Then check mute, TV volume, and whether the TV is set to internal speakers, an external sound system, eARC/ARC, optical output, or Bluetooth. A screen can show HDMI video while audio is routed to a powered-off receiver or a soundbar on another input.

Use the TV's own menu and remote rather than guessing from the computer. If a soundbar or AV receiver is intentional, confirm that it is powered, on the correct input, and able to play the TV's built-in menu sounds or another known source. Temporarily selecting the TV's internal speakers is a useful comparison when the household setup permits it.

Do not begin by resetting the television. A reset can remove channel, picture, accessibility, network, and receiver settings without proving where the HDMI audio stopped. Record the current speaker/output configuration and change one item at a time.

TV not showing as audio output? Check whether it is selected

On Windows, open the sound output selector and choose the TV, display, receiver, or HDMI audio device. Microsoft recommends checking the selected output and device properties as part of audio troubleshooting.［1］ Device names may use the TV model, GPU audio name, receiver, or a generic digital-audio label.

On macOS, open Sound settings, choose Output, and select the television or HDMI device. Apple explicitly directs users to choose the connected HDMI device for sound output.［2］［3］ If the TV does not appear, reconnect after both devices are awake, select the correct TV input, and inspect the direct-connection test later in this guide.

Keep volume low, select the HDMI output, then play a short system sound. Check these controls without changing all of them at once:

Layer	What to verify	Useful evidence
Computer output	TV/HDMI device selected	Output meter moves or system sound plays
Per-app output	App follows default or targets TV	Other apps differ from the affected one
TV input	Picture and sound belong to same HDMI port	Input label and source are consistent
TV speaker route	Internal speaker or intended receiver	Built-in TV sounds reach that route
Volume/mute	Computer, app, TV, and receiver	Which control restores sound

If headphones or Bluetooth speakers remain connected, disconnect them for one controlled test. This is not a Bluetooth troubleshooting article; the aim is simply to verify that audio is not leaving through another route.

Is the problem limited to one app or audio source?

Play three short tests at moderate volume: an operating-system sound, a known-good local audio or video file, and the content that originally failed. This comparison separates HDMI routing from an application's player, tab mute, codec, protected content, call-device selection, or streaming-service restriction.

If system sounds and local files play on the TV, the HDMI audio path works. Inspect the affected app's volume, mute button, selected playback device, browser-tab state, and supported audio format. Close and reopen the app after selecting HDMI because some applications keep the output device they saw at launch.

If an app offers separate communications and media devices, choose deliberately. Video-conference software may continue using a headset even while music follows the system default. Do not change microphone permissions or input selection to fix TV playback; microphone routing is a different signal path.

If no local source produces sound, continue with connection and format checks. Avoid using a streaming title as the only test because account restrictions, digital-rights rules, region availability, or an unsupported soundtrack can confuse the diagnosis.

Does an intermediate device drop or redirect audio?

Draw the actual path: computer → USB-C adapter or dock → HDMI cable → switch, capture device, soundbar, or receiver → TV. Every intermediate component must pass both the video mode and a compatible audio signal. A device can pass a picture while advertising limited, different, or no audio capability.

Create the simplest comparison:

1. Save work and lower all volumes.
2. Connect the computer directly to the TV with a known-good HDMI cable.
3. Select the TV input and its internal speakers if appropriate.
4. Select the TV/HDMI output on the computer.
5. Play a local system sound, then a known-good local file.
6. If sound works, restore one intermediate component at a time.

If the direct path works, check the exact dock, adapter, switch, soundbar, or receiver manual for HDMI audio support, input/output mapping, firmware, and supported formats. The USB-C dock guide covers a dock when several of its functions fail; this article remains focused on HDMI sound after video succeeds.

A USB-C-to-HDMI adapter must support audio as well as video. Do not assume that a connector shape, an inexpensive converter, or a video-only capture adapter carries sound. Inspect model-specific specifications and try a known-good compatible adapter rather than buying several unknown ones.

HDMI audio not working because of the cable, handshake, or format?

Power and connection order can affect the HDMI capability exchange. First use a normal supported reconnect: stop playback, lower volume, disconnect the HDMI path, power the TV and select its input, reconnect the computer, then select HDMI audio again. Restart the computer and receiver only if the simple reconnect does not update the device list.

Reseat the cable and inspect both connectors for bending, looseness, heat, or debris. A cable that carries a stable picture often carries audio, but intermittent contacts, an adapter fault, or a marginal link can still affect capability detection. Replace the cable for diagnosis with a known-good, appropriately rated one; do not twist or hold a damaged connector at an angle.

Audio formats can also be the boundary. Begin with a common two-channel PCM or stereo mode when the operating system and equipment offer a supported choice. Advanced surround, encoded bitstream, spatial audio, high sample rates, or passthrough may require consistent support across the computer, app, receiver, soundbar, and TV.

Record the original format before changing it. If stereo works but an advanced format does not, consult every device's supported-format matrix and eARC/ARC path. Do not enable random codecs, install codec packs, or force passthrough; a quiet test in a common format is safer and produces clearer evidence.

Which software updates and escalation steps make sense?

After the physical and routing comparisons, install stable operating-system, graphics/audio, TV, dock, receiver, or soundbar updates only from their manufacturers. HDMI audio on many computers is exposed by the graphics device, so the relevant driver may be labeled for the GPU rather than the computer's main speaker.

Restart after a documented update and repeat the same system-sound and local-file tests. Do not uninstall every audio device, remove unknown system components, or use third-party driver tools. Managed computers may intentionally restrict outputs or driver installation; pass the model, output name, and test result to the administrator.

Stop and seek service if a port is loose, bent, unusually hot, smells burnt, sparks, or repeatedly disconnects. Escalate a persistent compatible-path failure with the computer model, TV model, operating system, exact HDMI port, cable and adapter models, output-device list, audio format, intermediary list, and direct-test outcome.

Summary

• Lower volume before selecting a different audio route.
• Confirm the TV input, mute state, speaker route, and receiver state.
• Choose the TV or HDMI device in the computer's output settings.
• Compare system audio, a local file, and the affected application.
• Test a direct cable before changing advanced formats or drivers.
• Use a common supported format, then add intermediaries back one at a time.

FAQ

Why is there HDMI picture but no sound?

Video and audio can be routed or negotiated separately. The computer may still target its speakers, while the TV may target an inactive receiver, or an adapter may pass video without a compatible audio path.

Why is my TV not listed as an audio output?

The TV may be asleep, on another input, behind an incompatible intermediary, or not completing the HDMI capability exchange. Select the input, reconnect directly, and restart only after the simpler test.

Can an HDMI cable carry video but not audio?

HDMI normally carries both, but damaged contacts, marginal connections, adapters, converters, switches, or capability negotiation can still leave a picture without usable sound. Compare a known-good direct cable.

Why does one app have no HDMI sound?

It may be muted, tied to an old output, using a separate communications device, or requesting an unsupported format. Compare system and local-file audio before changing the whole computer.

Should I select the TV or the graphics-card audio device?

Choose the entry representing the active HDMI destination. Its name may be the TV, receiver, monitor, or GPU digital-audio device; a short system-sound test confirms the route.

Can a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter omit audio?

Yes. Verify the exact adapter's documented audio support and supported modes. Similar-looking adapters can implement different features.

Why does stereo work but surround sound does not?

Stereo PCM is broadly supported, while surround or passthrough needs a compatible format across every device in the path. Check the full chain instead of forcing a codec.

When should I stop troubleshooting the HDMI port?

Stop for looseness, heat, burning smell, sparks, or repeated physical disconnects. Seek support when a documented direct path fails across known-good cables and compatible devices.

Sources

1. Microsoft Support — Fix sound or audio problems in Windows — https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows/Hardware/Audio/fix-sound-or-audio-problems-in-windows
2. Apple Support — Connect to HDMI from your Mac — https://support.apple.com/en-ie/108928
3. Apple Support — Change the sound output settings on Mac — https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlp2256/mac

Sources checked 6 September 2026.

Related Articles

• Use the device and app troubleshooting method
• Troubleshoot a computer with no sound
• Fix an external monitor that is not detected
• Isolate a USB-C dock failure