Mini PC HDMI sound problems

Reinstalled LibrELEC attached to TV HDMI port. Didn’t make a difference… no sound. So I installed latest Linux Mint Mate… still no sound or even mention of HDMI in the sound settings. But testing will be so much easier at the OS level vs stuck in Kodi. Yes I could turn on SSH to get to a command line in LibrELEC which is better than a sharp stick in the eye. But from Mint I can also work from the command line and I have access to a browser that I can cut and paste commands from and take screen shots, and audio/video players.

I can also have a few video and/or audio files available to quickly test things.

I chose Mate because I read it was fairly light weight. Installing it was fairly straight forward. After the Install there was still over 200GB available. The computer is very responsive, it has 6 cores.

I don’t know why audio over the HDMI is even a issue in 2026. I would assume a large number of Mini PCs would be attached to a HDMI TV.

I also assume there are way more articles addressing HDMI sound problems on any major Linux distro vs Kodi.

I also checked the DP to HDMI cable I bought, and it does support audio.

HDMI sound problems were the farthest thing from my mind. If I had any thoughts on this I would have tried to play a video under Windows before I wiped it off.

If/when I get HDMI audio working then getting it to work in Kodi should be a cinch.

It’s late so I’m going to wait till tomorrow, but I read something about disabling the Mini’s internal speaker in the BIOS (F10). I’ll try that tomorrow.

LibrELECT install

Below are answers to some questions I asked…

Yes, LibreELEC automatically configures itself to the hardware it’s running on during installation, optimizing settings for the best performance with Kodi.

Yes, HDMI can determine if audio is available through a digital communication process called the “Digital Data Channel” (DDC), which allows devices to exchange information about supported audio formats. This ensures that the source device sends compatible audio signals to the display or receiver.

Linux does not automatically determine if HDMI supports sound during installation. Users often need to configure audio settings manually after installation to enable HDMI audio output.

But I wonder if that’s true? I kinda suspect there might be another HDMI output option next to the the two listed below if the monitor had speakers. How can I “enable” HDMI audio output, if the device is not listed?

The image below is from my desktop PC that has a HDMI monitor, but no speakers… because it’s a monitor not a TV.

On the other hand, the bluetooth headset device below, did not appear until I activated the bluetooth earbuds as seen below, so after install.

Kodi Mini PC HDMI sound problems

The more I think about this the more I doubt it’s a Kodi problem. I did a little googling and saw posts telling you to select HDMI in Kodi. I mean like duh. that is the 1st thing I thought of. Here is a screen from my Linux Mint Kodi setup. My speakerless monitor is connected by a HDMI cable.

As you can see there are 2 choices and HDMI isn’t one of them. This isn’t the same screen shown on my mini. I think there were a few PulseAudio options but again HDMI wasn’t one of the options.

I think I might need to get down to the OS level and LibreElec doesn’t let you do that. It does allow terminal commands via SSH. So I think I may need to install a Linux distro first. I assume it will have the same HDMI sound problem, but at least I can check/change some OS level sound settings. Then again if it’s smart enough maybe it will detect HDMI at install and realize that it is capable of audio.

Installed Kodi on HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini

Well the LibreElec distro that includes and was created for Kodi. I first booted MS-Windows… just to see it work as shipped. I had problems installing booting the LibreElec USB, had to call Amazon tech support. They sent me a step by step email that was close enough to figure it out. Needed to disable Secure boot to allow install. Here it is (yes it starts with step 2)…

Step 2: Troubleshooting & Setup Steps
Access the Boot Menu (The Fast Way):
Plug the USB into a blue (USB 3.0) port directly on the back or front.
Turn the PC on and immediately tap F9 repeatedly.
If the USB appears, select it and press Enter. If not, proceed to Step 2.
Disable Secure Boot (The Necessary Way):
Restart and tap F10 to enter BIOS Setup.
Go to Advanced > Secure Boot Configuration.
Change "Secure Boot" to Disable.
Change "Legacy Support" to Enable (though most modern Linux distros like Ubuntu/Fedora prefer UEFI with Secure Boot Off).
Save and Exit. HP will likely ask you to type a 4-digit code shown on the screen to confirm this change.
Configure Boot Order:
In BIOS, go to Advanced > Boot Options.
Ensure USB Storage Boot is checked/enabled.
Under "UEFI Boot Order," move USB Flash Drive/USB Hard Drive to the top of the list.
Check "Fast Boot" Settings:
In BIOS, ensure Fast Boot is disabled. If enabled, the PC may skip the USB initialization phase to start Windows faster.
USB Compatibility Check:
If the USB still isn't seen, ensure it is formatted as FAT32 (not NTFS) and flashed for UEFI/GPT specifically

Best regards,
Amazon.com

Note the above “HP will likely ask you to type a 4-digit code shown on the screen to confirm this change”. It didn’t do that, the screen just went black, even after manual reboots… the screen just went black, and wouldn’t even proceed with booting Windows. So at one point I tried Ctrl Alt Del to see if it would reboot instead of repeatedly turning it off and on, and at that point it asked me to enter that code.

Sound doesn’t work on TV, it’s coming from the speaker in the Mini PC. I don’t know why but, I just assumed it would default to the HDMI cable, or give me the option to choose that. I’ll flesh this out later.

HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini arrived

Had it sent to a Amazon locker. As I said I was nervous about buying a “renewed” computer. It was packaged very nice… box, within a box, within a box, and smaller boxes within the final box. First impressions… very impressed. The box is only that wide because they included a keyboard, which I won’t be using.

Dick Van Dyke rip… try again

Ok it appears Season 1 & 2 previously ripped fine. Both computer drives couldn’t load season 3. Tried it on the TV DVD player, menu loaded. But some episodes wouldn’t play. WTH? I’m getting so tired of this crap. I checked ebay and I bought them Oct 15, 2018. They go bad in under 8 years? Really? Did they go bad, or were they bad from the beginning? I’m not the type to necessarily watch every episode when I acquire them. I buy favorite shows and watch episodes when/if I feel like it. I just like knowing I have them. Until recently with MASH, which I did watch every episode at least 3 times a year, I just assumed the discs would last 20-30 years. It seems that it is necessary to rip DVD’s especially TV series, because you can find problems quicker than trying to watch every episode.

What TV next?

It seems like the only choice is 4K. So if I understand correctly, that also means all my regular DVD videos will look like crap. I find that especially disappointing for TV shows that were never recorded in anything but SD. It would be nice if there was a 4K TV that could display lower definition videos.

Full disclosure!

I often watch videos where someone is reviewing a product. Often they will say… in full disclosure I must say they sent me this, but it won’t affect my review.. I wonder how much of that statement is just bragging. I’m so important that they want my input.

Looking into taking a sightseeing plane flight

Why haven’t I looked into this before?

I live minutes from the ocean… rarely go anymore. When I was young I’d bike there with mask, snorkel and fins. I live hours away from Disney… rarely go anymore. And with Disney’s woke management… no desire to. I live minutes away from a small airport, but until today… never even thought into taking a sightseeing plane flight.

When I was younger, I thought about trying to get my private pilot’s license. Too late for that to become a reality now. I do like to fly my X-Plane flight simulator. So I have some very, very basic knowledge of flying in small planes, Mostly the Cessna 172. Which is actually one of the planes shown below.

I have flown in a Cessna Citation for work many many years ago. That’s all I know, no other details. Today I’d ask more questions. I have no pictures. This was way before smart phones.

With a little digging I found it’s very affordable. Are you kidding me, $99 for a taste? There are other options but these 2 really… whet my appetite.

A little further down on the page…

Showing off your media collection

I talked about it here. There are so many videos on YouTube of people usually young, showing off their video collection.

Look at me, I have a vast collection… I’m better than you! That’s basically the point of so many of these videos.

They are mostly young people, but a few… not so much. Seems odd that he has so many Frozen video’s in his collection. Is that movie he enjoys watching? Maybe they’re for his grand or great grand children. On the other hand it looks like he has both the DVD & Blu-Ray versions of the first movie. I don’t think a kid would say oh darn DVD, wheres the Blu-Ray version? That seems more like what a grown collector would do.

Now I do have one movie that could sound slightly embarrassing (as a guy) in my collection… Heidi made in 1939, staring Shirley Temple. Now I guess you can try and justify anything. So here is my justification. I first watched this on a B&W TV in the early 1960s as a young boy not a grown man. If I remember correctly there was a time, maybe early Sunday afternoon where they showed old Shirley Temple movies, on TV. And that’s when I saw it. Today especially, I can still relate to Heidi’s grouchy old grandfather, who really didn’t want anything to do with her or people in general, when she was first dumped in his lap. But she slowly endeared herself to him. And he was ready to go to the ends of the earth and kick ass if necessary to get her back when she was taken from him. Add to that, Heidi teaches a girl in a wheelchair to walk. And they revealed it as a present to her father on Christmas. I mean… come on. So I have a certain nostalgia about that movie and it really was a good story.

Also the story of this young girl, Shirley Temple, basically saving a major movie studio, I find fascinating. I thought I remembered that fact and I asked Grok “Did Shirley Temple save a movie studio?”

Yes, Shirley Temple is widely credited with saving Fox Film Corporation (which became 20th Century Fox) from bankruptcy during the Great Depression.

Temple's upbeat, optimistic musicals and comedies provided much-needed escapism for cash-strapped audiences. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously praised her, noting that for just 15 cents, people could see her smiling face and forget their troubles. From 1935 to 1938, she was Hollywood's top box-office draw—outranking stars like Clark Gable—raking in millions for the studio through ticket sales, merchandise (like dolls), and related products.

As a grown man I have no desire to watch Frozen. I guess there are worse things people can do. It’s a harmless hobby.