[RPi4] No Sound on HDMI-0

libreellecuser · February 2, 2025 at 7:08 PM

Hey all,

the whole installation was like a walk through the park but finally turned into a multi hour horror trip ... i had no sound on HDMI0 neither HDMI1.

Hardware:

Raspberry PI 4

Raspberry PI 4 HDMI0 - HDMI Adapter Typ C to Typ A - HDMI Cabel Typ A to Typ A - Televison

TV: Kendo (sorry no more information)

Software:

LibreELEC (official): 12.0.2 (RPi4.aarch64)

I used Raspberry PI Imager v1.8.5

I' ve chosen:

Model: Raspberry PI 4

OS: LibreELEC (RPPi4) published 2025-01-20

I've searched the internet and asked chatgpt. I tried several changes at the config.txt as you can see here. But nothing worked:

C

# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
# Copyright (C) 2009-2014 Stephan Raue ([email protected])
# Copyright (C) 2016-present Team LibreELEC (https://libreelec.tv)
################################################################################
# Bootloader configuration
# config.txt version v1 (do not remove or change this line!)
################################################################################
# For more options and information see
# http://rpf.io/configtxt
################################################################################
# Default GPU memory split, 76MB are needed for H264 decoder
gpu_mem=76
# Don't send initial active source message.
# Avoids bringing CEC (enabled TV) out of standby and channel switch when
# rebooting.
hdmi_ignore_cec_init=1
# Enable 4kp60 output on the first HDMI connector
hdmi_enable_4kp60=0
[all]
################################################################################
# Use distroconfig-composite.txt instead of distroconfig.txt to enable
# composite video output.
# The composite video mode needs to be configured in cmdline.txt:
# For PAL add: video=Composite-1:720x576@50ie
# For NTSC add: video=Composite-1:720x480@60ie
################################################################################
include distroconfig.txt
#include distroconfig-composite.txt

# uncomment to enable analog audio output
#dtparam=audio=on
#audio_pwm_mode=1
# uncomment to enable infrared remote receiver connected to GPIO 18
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=18
dtoverlay=disable-wifi
hdmi_port=0   # F r HDMI0 (prim r) ist der der am Nahesten am Powerport ist.
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_group=1
# hdmi_mode=16
hdmi_drive=2
hdmi_safe=1
dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d,cma-512

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distroconfig.txt :

Code

# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
# Copyright (C) 2019-present Team LibreELEC (https://libreelec.tv)
# WARNING: DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE - IT WILL BE OVERWRITTEN WHEN UPGRADING!
arm_boost=1
arm_64bit=1
kernel=kernel.img
display_auto_detect=1
dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d,cma-512
dtoverlay=
disable_overscan=1
disable_fw_kms_setup=1

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aplay has the following output:

Code

aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: vc4hdmi0 [vc4-hdmi-0], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: vc4hdmi1 [vc4-hdmi-1], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

So it seems that hdmi should work. But in libreelec/properties/system/audio there is only one driver "Pulseaudio" there is no "alsa HDMI" driver.

I would appreciate any help.

thx

**Da Flex** · February 3, 2025 at 4:02 AM

According to aplay output, you've connected both RPi4 HDMI ports. Unplug HDMI-1.

**chewitt** · February 3, 2025 at 4:04 AM

Remove all the config.txt changes (or create a new/clean SD card) and connect the HDMI cable to a different HDMI port on the TV and see if that works. I'd guess no, in which case you need to replace the Type-C to Type-A adapters with a proper Type-C to Type-A cable (no adapters). Adapters are often designed for use with desktop monitors which have no speakers, and thus the HDMI chips used inside them can omit wiring or support for audio to create a cheaper product. I can't 100% guarantee that's the issue, but from experience it's more likely to be something physical like that than anything in software.

**chewitt** · February 3, 2025 at 4:11 AM

Quote from Da Flex

According to aplay output, you've connected both RPi4 HDMI ports. Unplug HDMI-1.

Nope. The aplay -l command does not show connected state, so it is not showing something on HDMI-A-0 or HDMI-A-1 ports.

Here's the output from my RPi5 which 1000% only has a single connection on HDMI-A-0:

Code

RPi5:~ # aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: vc4hdmi0 [vc4-hdmi-0], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: vc4hdmi1 [vc4-hdmi-1], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

PLEASE stop guessing at answers.

**Da Flex** · February 3, 2025 at 4:53 AM

Interesting. I only have one card on my RPi3B+ when using aplay. I was actually trying to conclude here.

So RPi4 and RPi5 offer two HDMI audio drivers, and that's what we see on aplay.

Why are card 0 and card 1 both linked to device 0?

If device 0 is only an offer from the driver, and not an existing physical device, then it's confusing labeling (driver vs. device).

**chewitt** · February 4, 2025 at 5:44 AM

RPi4/5 have a single i2s audio interface input, and a single audio driver that supports multiple cards, each with an HDMI connector, and the driver can route audio to either or both cards. The labelling is correct and clear; but alsa is one of the Linux "dark arts" as the terminology (and topology) of things is particularly challenging to understand.

[RPi4] No Sound on HDMI-0

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