Use HDMI for audio only
I prefer to use my TV (LG 32LE4600) as a monitor for almost everything, but I find it handier to use the laptop screen when I am facing my study desk.
Sometimes I like to leave music playing in the background while studying. I was using the laptop’s built-in speakers to avoid the annoyance of the headphones’ weight, but their sound quality leaves a lot to be desired.
So I decided to use the TV’s sound, which is far better. I selected Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output
in pavucontrol (I use PulseAudio) and noticed it was as if the TV were disconnected, even though
the HDMI cable was plugged in.
The solution I came up with on the spot, and which worked well, was to use xrandr to make the TV
show a scaled-up version of my laptop’s 13.3" screen:
xrandr --fb 1366x768 --output LVDS1 --auto --output HDMI1 --auto --scale 0.711x0.711
And then go into my TV’s power saving options and select Screen Off.
It looks like a hack, and there is probably a simpler way, but this solution is working very well.
(Now, back to studying…)
I’m a Brazilian computer engineer based in Germany, passionate about tech, science, photography, and languages.
I’ve been programming for about two decades already, exploring everything from mobile apps and web development to machine learning. These days I focus on cloud SRE and data engineering.
I volunteer in the open source and Python communities, helping organize PyCon DE and PyData Berlin, mentoring, and contributing with code and translations.
On my blog, I share Linux tips, setup guides, and personal notes I’ve written for future reference. I hope others find them helpful as well. The content is available in multiple languages.
Browse my gallery for some of my photography.
Away from the keyboard, you’ll find me at concerts, playing clarinet, cycling, scuba diving, or exploring new places, cultures, and cuisines.
Always happy to connect! 🙂