975 HDMI "AUDIO ONLY" input

Having trouble. Have my Sony UBP-X800M2, which has a separate, dedicated audio out HDMI. I have the HDMI1 going to my 4k TV and the HDMI2 (Audio Only) going to the 975.

The 975 just keeps showing the Dolby Digital scroll on the display but it never locks and makes sound. Is this because the 975 is waiting for a video handshake to fully lock? Is there a way around this? I know they once offered the HDS-42AVR, but that's discontinued and frankly more than I should need especially when the Sony BRP essentially does the same...

FWIW: I'm using the Sony's Coax output to the 975 in the meantime, but I don't think it's the best sound.

I guess my other option would be ARC... but how would I set that up, and how would it compare to direct audio out from the Sony?

Cheers,
DJ

Hi David,

I don't own either of your devices, but since nobody else has commented I can at least answer your question about ARC. Sending ARC from the TV to the 975 would give you at best the same audio as using SPDIF/coax (compressed Dolby Digital, not TrueHD). Some TVs don't handle passing multichannel from an HDMI input source well.

You may have already done this, but there is a setting in System Settings to direct HDMI Audio Output to HDMI2 (instead of Auto).