Acer HDMI Problem

[dagnabulous]

I recently purchased an Acer Aspire M5640 AM5640-E5407A (long name I know, but that is how it is listed on TigerDirect.com) Here's the link if it helps:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...1&body=QA#tabs

My problem is the HDMI port. First, the computer came with no documentation other the the warranty and a fold-out pamphlet with arrows pointing to pictures of the components. No description, no system info, just arrows. I am using my 56' living room TV as the monitor at the moment, connected by RGB cable . I've gotten everything set up and I want to watch a HD movie, as it came with a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo drive, and it has a HDMI port on the back, so I'd like to use it and get full HD results and audio without a cable jungle. Unfortunately just plugging the cable into it's respective places and switching to HDMI doesn't do the trick. For reference, the HDMI port is on the motherboard, not the video card. I tried to go through the ATI catalyst control center to see if there was a way to divert video, but no luck. I've tried ACER email tech support, but they refer me to manuals that don't exist, seemingly even on there website. They have an M5640 section, but not my specific E5407A. The other systems are all dual-cores with different video cards and other dissimilar components, and mine is a Quad.

System specs:
Vista Home Premium
Intel Quad-Core Q660 (2.4 Ghz)
3GB Ram
ATI HD2600 Pro (512)

A few people on the Tigerdirect page have popped up with the same problem, and similar lack of results. I'd really hate to have to get a brand new video card with built in HDMI just for that purpose. If you can't help, please refer me to a forum/resource that may be able to.

[akhilles]

You might find a solution in the links:

http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/for...d=3425#results
http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/for...d=3390#results

What's your exact setup? LCD, HDTV, etc.?

[Trussman]

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Tigerdirect offer tech support on the phone for up to a year after purchase.

Also did you try going an updating the driver for it, or if they sent some disc with it the driver support for HDMI should be in there. On my video card I purchased I had to install the HDMI driver for it to recognize it

[dagnabulous]

Originally Posted by Trussman

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Tigerdirect offer tech support on the phone for up to a year after purchase.

Also did you try going an updating the driver for it, or if they sent some disc with it the driver support for HDMI should be in there. On my video card I purchased I had to install the HDMI driver for it to recognize it

I am going to try Tiger Direct customer support next, because the Acer tech just referred me to my local library to research HDMI. Seriously. I'm not sure the people they hire know that ACER is even a computer company. So far I have yet to get any useful information out of them.

Also, the comp did not come with any disc, and the Acer site doesn't have a HDMI driver for this particular model, that I have been able to find at least.

Also, the links provided above, as well as all links that go to an Acer search result, go right to the main search page instead. click them to see what I mean.

I think the discrete graphics card may just be trumping the onboard card, which is likely controls the HDMI port. If that's the case the only way to use my HDMI port would be to remove the extra video card....which I'd rather not do. I am using a DVI to HDMI at the moment, which means that I still have to run a separate cable for sound, and have to switch between sound inputs to go back and forth between regular TV and computer use.....but unless the Tiger Direct tech are more helpful than the Acer guys...

[Bold Eagle]

Damn that is a horrible site to navigate......uggghhhhhh, but lets see if we can start tending to the right direction:

Support ( cough cough....choke....cough):

http://support.ati.com/ics/support/d...asp?deptID=894

How do I (even more cough....cough.....splutter.....no wonder they are losing the CPU race....cough):

http://www.amd-firefly.com/firefly20...eflyclient.jsp

Now this site is definitely worth exploring and will have geeks from a Video focus.......Im just a mainstream geek and PROUD:

http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/

and another resource;

http://www.videohelp.com/

Start with those if you don't have it by tomorrow post back and I WILL find the answer. Proud to be geeky!

[Trussman]

I just back to town, Not sure if you have tried this, but on my MSI Video Card, I had to go into the Video card configuration and tell it which port I was using, wheather it be VGA or DVI. The DVI adapter to HDMI is what is use

I'm not sure if that will help any, but I just thought of what I did

[LMMobile]

Hi,
I got the same PC as you dagnabulous, but with a NVIDIA 8800GT graphic card and I know several others with the same configuration ("reduced price offer to the emplyees where I work"). Same problem and Acer support is trying to hide "problem under the carpet" when you call. Appearently the built-in HDMI port on the motherboard is disabled when they install a "non-compatible" (but maybe better) graphic card. It just would be very nice to know before purchase so I could look for something else. This should not be legal to misslead people to think that they have bought a PC with HDMI. LMMobile.