Test Your HDMI Troubleshooting Knowledge

Passed the test with flying colors...I fight an HDMI handshake issue AT LEAST once a week...I'm pretty sure the culprit is the PS3 because I've had problems with it and multiple displays and multiple receivers...one day the setup works, the next do, nothing. It is infuriating, I've blamed many pieces of equipment and cords and, honestly, its just that HDMI is a crappy, inconsistent connection. I'd LOVE it if someone else came up with a better solution.

I agree, the PS3 causes handshake issues for me as well.

The workaround on my end is to turn on the PS3 BEFORE switching to the input that accepts the PS3 signal, and when I'm ready to stop using the PS3, switch back to a DIFFERENT input before shutting off the PS3. If I shut off the PS3 first, then I can't get my setup to recognize anything and have to shut down completely and back up.

Wow, the cable people certainly take a hit with 5 of 8 answers saying replace the STB. (I know STB can be a media streamer but, I'll bet most are cable boxes.) Would seem obvious that they should be making certain to provide equipment that works for their customers! I hope to not have these problems when my theater is finished. Not sure that my provider will have more than one STB/HD/DVR to choose.

"Switch out/replace the STB." Is this really the fix? I wonder how many I would have to go through before realizing the only solution to my blinking/AV out for 2 seconds problem is to use component cables.

I might just go home and try the component cables on STB to AVR.

My Samsung PN58C680 (plasma hdtv) upon channel changing on STB ALWAYS goes black for 2 seconds as it seems to prepare to show a different resolution or something. So annoying. The Cox building is too far to make several trips back and forth trying different boxes.

They are coming out with a better HDMI solution. They just recently formed a HDMI comity group to set standards and have input from several companies now. http://www.techofthehub.com/2012/01/...-ces-2012.html

Things will get a lot better now with HDMI.

"For some time, HDMI has been the king of home theater cables in terms of convenience and quality. In one cable, HDMI carries high-definition audio and video as well as ethernet (in the latest version). Now, there are challenges to HDMI’s supremacy: From one side, there’s wireless streaming technologies such as Apple’s AirPlay and Intel’s WiDi. Then there are other high-speed cable solutions such as Thunderbolt and Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL).

However, unlike other audio and video cable standards; HDMI isn’t stagnate, it’s an evolving standard.The HDMI standard is now set by the HDMI Forum, a recently formed group made up of companies in the consumer electronics industry. HDMI is currently at version 1.4 which added features such as support for 4K video resolution, audio-return channel (ARC), 3D and ethernet between devices.

At their CES press conference, the HDMI Forum laid out the future direction for the standard. There will be a new version of the HDMI specification coming out the in second half of this year. However, that means we probably won’t see it in consumer electronics gear till 2013. While the new standard has not been finalized, it will probably offer higher bandwidth and broader video timing support. Other items on the enhancement list include improving HDMI control protocol (CEC). The idea behind CEC is to let one remote control to issue commands to one device and it would in turn, communicate to other devices connected via HDMI (i.e. turning off your TV would also turn off your Blu-ray player and A/V receiver). The group is also looking at ways to provide power to mobile devices connected via HDMI (which MHL was designed to do)."

They didn't list the one I was hoping for: During any 3D movie, two to four times, the picture will black out but the audio will continue. After several seconds (maybe 10), the picture will come back on. It's hard to troubleshoot, because it is infrequent and appears 30 or 40 minutes into the movie. I am going from a Panasonic BD110 blu-ray to an Onkyo HT-RC360 receiver, to an Optoma HD33 projector. I have tried switching cables between the bd player and receiver, but the cable from the receiver to projector is 35 feet and I don't have anything to switch and test.

Any other suggestions?

If you are using HDMI from your receiver to your projector and b/c it is over 12 feet long you have to buy a high end HDMI cable. The off brand ones have been known for bad quality on long runs. Most installers will say the same things you can use cheap HDMI cables for short runs 12 feet or shorter but long runs over that you have to switch over to the high end HDMI cables. And I am not saying you have to buy MONSTER cables just saying you are going to have to spend money on the longer runs and get a good certified cable. Switch to HDMI 1.4 even if your devices can't really use the bandwidth I have had no problems once I switch all my HDMI cables to 1.4 spec.

Here is a commercial grade HDMI cable 1.4 spec also it's certified might work for you
http://www.mycablemart.com/store/car..._detail&p=2762

or this one might be better sometimes when you go beyond 16 feet you need to add a booter but you don't have to with this cable below.

http://www.bettercables.com/35-foot-...-ethernet.aspx

HDMI is fine. The four letters that cause pain are HDCP.

I've been using HDMI since 2006 (Pioneer Elite plasma and receiver, blu ray player, dvd player, media server and directv box) and have never had any problems with HDMI at all. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I have no complants at all.

Same here, been using mine for years and never had a problem. Two tvs, a laptop, ps3, xbox (2 different versions), cable box, LG HTIB, and my onkyo AVR and haven't had a problem with any of them other than the one time my cable fell out of the cable box when I moved my entertainment center...

Thanks for the advice, Soulpunisher. I need to be as thrifty as possible, but apparently I got a little TOO thrifty. I'll rip the projector out and watch black and white tv before I buy a Monster cable.

As to the guys who have never had problems, you ARE lucky. I have had problems with certain devices not working with certain other devices all along, and various devices that require being turned on in a certain order to work. I really resent the situation that we are required to accept all because the industry wants to combat piracy with HDCP.

Well I have been where you are at too. I had 3 cheap HDMI cables and replaced them 4 times each before I broke down and spent some doe and replaced them all with high quality ones. I had it go black and come back on but could still hear the sound just like you. Also I had colors that were off and it also did not show everything either. I had some very weird problems and kept thinking it was my devices but every time I replaced my cables it went away then something else weird would happen. This happened about twice a year for 2 years. Since I put in good cables I have had no problems for about 2 years now. I got certified 1.4 HDMI spec cables and have been very happy since.

"Swap the STB." Could just answer that to all and would pass this test... I went through five boxes and two or three models (forget) over the space of about six months. I finally just went to component from the STB and use HDMI for the BD player.

+1 to that brother!

I've decided to live with my issue until Monoprice gets in those Redmere cables.