HD Audio Passthrough Issue – ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 (Intel N100 HDMI Controller)

[Atmos_Chris]

I am using an ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 motherboard with the Intel N100 processor. When connecting via HDMI, I cannot enable HD audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA). The playback software (Kodi latest) supports passthrough, but the Intel HDMI audio driver/firmware does not allow bitstream output.

Steps Taken:

• Installed the latest BIOS from ASUS.

• Installed the latest Intel Graphics and HDMI Audio drivers, all of my cables are: hdmi 2.1 ultra high speed

• Verified playback software settings.

Request: Please confirm whether the Intel N100 HDMI controller supports Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD passthrough. If supported, could you provide a driver or firmware update to enable this functionality?

System Information:

• Motherboard: ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4

• CPU: Intel N100

• OS: Windows 11 Home 25H2 latest

• Driver version: Intel Graphics 31.0.101.4146

• BIOS version: 0405

[KennethB_Intel]

Hello Atmos_Chris,

Thank you for reaching out to the Intel Community Forum. I understand that you are experiencing issues with enabling HD audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA) via HDMI on your ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 motherboard with the Intel N100 processor.

To assist you further, could you please provide the following details:

• Are the audio passthrough issues occurring only in Kodi or in other applications as well?
• Does the issue happen consistently, or is it intermittent?
• Have you tried any additional troubleshooting steps beyond updating BIOS and drivers?
• Were there any recent changes or installations before this issue started?
• Could you please provide us the SSU logs of your system? You can find instructions on How to get the Intel® System Support Utility Logs on Windows*

Once I have this information, I can guide you with the next steps. We will wait for your response so we can continue assisting you.

Best regards,

Kenneth B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Atmos_Chris]

• The problem does not occur only in Kodi. I have tried and several users have reported that the same issue appears in Plex, MPC-HC, VLC, and LibreELEC as well: the driver does not allow bitstream output, so only PCM or Dolby Digital Plus is passed through.
• The issue happens consistently. It is not intermittent — Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD passthrough never works, regardless of the playback software or setup.

• Yes, I have. In addition to updating the BIOS and Intel HDMI audio/graphics drivers, I also tried:

  • Testing with different HDMI cables (including certified HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 ultra‑high‑speed cables).

  • Connecting both directly to the AVR and through the TV’s eARC port to rule out handshake issues.

  • Adjusting playback software settings in Kodi, Plex, and VLC to ensure passthrough was enabled.

  • Experimenting with Windows registry edits and community‑modified Intel HDMI audio drivers that claim to unlock HD audio formats.

  • Running LibreELEC with kernel patches to see if passthrough could be enabled at the OS level.

  Unfortunately, none of these steps resolved the issue — Dolby TrueHD and DTS‑HD passthrough still does not work, and the output always falls back to PCM or Dolby Digital Plus.

• No, there were no recent changes or installations before the issue started. The passthrough problem has been present from the beginning, right after setting up the system, so it does not appear to be triggered by any new software or hardware installation.
• Yes, I can provide the SSU logs, but not this time. It's too late, some days later..sorry

What I don’t understand is that the Intel 3000 series, and even the 5000 series, supported this feature. I feel a bit deceived, because I bought this motherboard specifically for HTPC use and was expecting it to have this functionality (I didn’t want to go for the 5000 series). Now I’m disappointed, because I can’t use the motherboard for the purpose I bought it for — even though I invested in Atmos speakers.

If there won’t be support from Intel, should I get an audio extractor? But this kind of device isn’t available here in Hungary, and they don’t ship from the US either: https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1695-140-48gbps-hdmi-audio-extractor-with-earc.aspx

Best regards,

Chris

[Atmos_Chris]

Dear Kenneth B.!

* the audio passthrough issues occurring only in Kodi (v21, V22 alpha etc)

* the issue happen consistently

* Yes I tried any additional troubleshooting steps beyond updating BIOS and drivers: i downloaded Cyberlink Powerdvd V20 and V24 and its working! These apps downloaded  something (codedc etc) , now the win11 internal media player plays atmos too.

* there werent  any recent changes or installations before this issue started

So the issue is only in KODI unfotunately, I am waiting for the developers solution.

Thanx

Chris

[KennethB_Intel]

Hello Atmos_Chris,

Thank you for your response. Please allow me some time to conduct a more thorough internal investigation to better understand the issue and identify the appropriate steps to take.

I will make sure to provide you with an update as soon as possible once I have more information to share.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Kenneth B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[KennethB_Intel]

Hello,

Unfortunately, the Intel N100’s integrated HDMI controller does not support Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD passthrough.

Possible Workarounds:

• Use a dedicated sound card with optical or coaxial output connected to an AV receiver.
• Add a discrete GPU that supports these audio formats.
• Consider external USB audio interfaces with proper codec support.

Based on this, I recommend reaching out to your laptop’s manufacturer to check if they can provide options such as integrating a discrete GPU or a sound card.

Please be advised that I will now go ahead and close this ticket. If you require further assistance, please feel free to submit a new inquiry, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Thank you!

Best regards,

Kenneth B.

Intel Customer Support Technician