TV disappears as audio device on single display

I have two monitors and a TV connected to my Windows 10 PC. Whenever I set the TV (connected through HDMI) as the only active display, its audio device disappears from the playback devices list in sound controls, and Windows defaults back to my regular audio output (speakers).

If I use the TV in addition to the other displays (i.e. I extend the display to it), the audio device does appear and Windows automatically switches to it as intended.

Why does the TV disappear from the audio devices list, and how can I force Windows to detect it again?

I’ve tested with a laptop, and it is able to use the TV as a single display without losing the audio device, so I suspect it’s a software problem on the PC.

Specifically, I noticed this change in behavior around the time I installed the May 2020 update.

I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Nvidia drivers (thereby also reinstalling the HDMI audio drivers), but that has no effect on the problem.

Solution 1:

I think I just found a possible fix to this issue: Open Device Manager, and right click on “Audio inputs and outputs” and select “Scan for hardware changes.”

May have to do it if it keeps disappearing, but works for me when my TV disappears from the list.