Intel Alder Lake 2160p @ 23.976 Hz passthrough HD Audio dropouts (i7-1270p/N100)

  • CE does not use 12-bit for 4K/24. Intel does.

    Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

  • Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

    Go ask them then. I doubt they are using an AVR though, and it shouldn't matter what brand (or whether one is used) as the issue is unlikely to be related to the HDMI display device and more likely to be related to DP to HDMI converter hardware/firmware or some issue or inefficiency in the driver that results in video+audio requiring more bandwidth on the HDMI connection than the current chain provides, resulting in audio dropouts.

  • Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

    I went to an AMD box from an Intel box and problem solved. It wasn't my preferred approach but I got tired of waiting. The Intel boxes I have (NUC 8i7BEH and N100) both work fine with my Yamaha AVR as long as I don't use passthrough audio.


    Jeff

  • I've been watching this thread for a long time and have had an Intel NUC (8i7BEK)

    I back catching up on progress as I just bought another Alder Lake NUC.

    The previous one has the software ‘fix’ to limit output to 10bit. Does using the Thunderbolt port fix the audio glitch on Alder Lake?

    I had (and still have) a couple of NUC8s but I don’t recall having any Audio dropouts after updating the HDMI firmware on those. Maybe I’m wrong… (I have Denon AVRs)

  • Ok, I found a clip, I got audio drop outs over HDMI, my GMKTec G2 also has Displayport and that with an active DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter worked fine with no drop outs. I have a separate issue though where I get no display (over hdmi or dp) if going via the Denon amp unless I unplug and replug a few times or boot to the bios, but I've not really found a pattern, sometimes I get the boot logo and then lose picture, sometimes I get no picture at all so that's a show stopper for me so not sure where to go from there. I only get it with the Denon and not via the tv direct but that makes it unusable for me even with the Displayport work around, I can't find talk of others having the same though.

  • Wow what an issue.

    Just posting here to add another user.

    I have 2 x nuci5pak and 1 x nuci5pah just got a denon receiver and went through some hours of pain before finding this.

    Confirmed by, I also have a nuc7pcyh when subsituted works more or less fine. (unit is too slow for some 150GB remuxes). DTHD, DTS(as dts-HD) on 12-bit.

    Have tested on older smp builds sky42 builds and currently running latest stable 12.02 and sky12.02 builds.

    What I did notice on these hardware models is either the HD audio works for TRUEHD(DTHD on denon) or it doesn't. Works about 1/20 times always requiring a kodi reboot. It's like the edid file is wrong/hdmi does not negiotiate properly..Dunno.
    Then the receiver is stuck on DTHD and won't play anything else apart from that.

    michael123 could you please confirm that using a DP -> HDMI 2.1 adapter works fine with HD audio and 12 bit using a denon receiver? Before I go and buy one? I'm gonna anyway but would like to know if, it's pointless.

    No point me commenting on what I think the issue is as I don't develop for LE.

    Really do appreciate the work so far, All.

    If the adapter work around doesn't work that means the only solution is install windas and kodi on that. Not really ideal but from what I've read this will allow the best usage of Intels hardware with irix xe gpu and lspcon bridge to hdmi on denon receivers whilst using lossless HD audio.

    Edited once, last by libreAU (July 12, 2025 at 10:31 PM).

  • Just replying with testing for reference. Sorry if this has already been done. Just to save others future pain.

    I purchased a couple of these in the hopes HD audio would work using the thunderbolt ports:
    https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DCN798Y1?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

    2 model:
    201388
    210488

    One is specific for MAC 240hz

    It did not and also the video was reduced to 8 bit for some reason.

    I have some mini-display port adapters on the way. Hoping for some joy there.

    Edited once, last by libreAU (July 16, 2025 at 5:47 AM).

  • These ones work for NUC8 with HDMI 2.1 AVRs:

    https://www.amazon.com.au/UGREEN-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Converter-Compatible/dp/B0CNKBB4Z1/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_t_3?pd_rd_w=3Dfse&content-id=amzn1.sym.c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_p=c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_r=2659E9DRCWMME3X25RS7&pd_rd_wg=sdldc&pd_rd_r=bfbd58f7-e9e0-4089-a578-1e5e3ab86ad7&pd_rd_i=B0CNKBB4Z1


    FYI: I used some on our QQ NUC Special Edition Kodi releases (Add full music tag support for Matroska mka and MKV files, Music Concert support in the Kodi music library (not as ‘music videos’, as ‘music’ with video) and music audio Codec recognition/UI display for Kodi skins).

    We delivered 70 x Intel NUC8 to our forum members based on LE12 and the QQ Kodi mods.

    Edited once, last by HomerJau (July 16, 2025 at 8:37 AM).