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Lightning strike blows out all HDMI ports?

93K views 86 replies 47 participants last post by  Ratman 
#1 ·
Not sure if anyone has heard of this before, very strange. After a lightning strike it appears that besides being left without Cable/internet for a couple days now, that also the HDMI ports seems to have been blown on 3 comcast receivers, 2 Onkyo AV receivers, 1 TV, 1 projector, a HTPC, and a PS3. This is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen - it's between three different rooms, all with surge projectors.


Since I have no incoming cable signal to my house, I think maybe the surge can through the coax cables (which I did not have through surge protectors) and then through my cable boxes' hdmi port to my other devices.


Have any of you heard of that before - a surge taking out only HDMI ports?
 
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#52 ·

I live in the Lightning capital of the world.  The Johannesburg area in South Africa.

 

I regularly have clients and my own equipments HDMI boards taken out by Lightning, EVEN WHEN THE EQUIPMENT IS UNPLUGGED FROM POWER.

 

The cause is an Electro Magnetic Pulse  induced into long runs of HDMI cable, usually connecting Receivers to Projectors and TV's.

 

Two solutions I have just found are

1. Fitting a "Vision TC2 HDMI Repeater" to each "long run" HDMI cable, as it has a ESD protection.

2. Fitting the Ethereal HDMI


 

NO ! I'm not their rep.  I just use the equipment.

 

John
HDMI™ SURGE PROTECTOR


Stock No. HDM-SP


• Model: HDM-SP

• Inline HDMI Surge Protector
 
#54 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnesch  /t/1397994/lightning-strike-blows-out-all-hdmi-ports/30#post_24001841


I regularly have clients and my own equipments HDMI boards taken out by Lightning, EVEN WHEN THE EQUIPMENT IS UNPLUGGED FROM POWER.
Just unplugging the power is insufficient. All conductive paths, including cable and satellite feeds, network cables, grounds, etc. to all connected gear have to be unplugged or protected.
Quote:
The cause is an Electro Magnetic Pulse  induced into long runs of HDMI cable, usually connecting Receivers to Projectors and TV's.
While it is possible for a close lightning strike to induce a damaging voltage depending on the loop area of a cable, it is much more likely that the damage is due to another source.
Quote:
1. ...Vision TC2 HDMI Repeater...

2. ...Ethereal HDMI Surge Protector
HDMI surge protection does not exist. Any practical surge protection device would have enough capacitance (not much is required) to degrade the performance of the link enough to be noticeable. These devices use ESD protection chips similar to those which may already be in your equipment. They cannot handle the current of a surge.


FWIW I think texasbrit is right. From what I have read, tropical Africa is the lightning capital of the world.
 
#55 ·

Quote:
 HDMI surge protection does not exist. Any practical surge protection device would have enough capacitance (not much is required) to degrade the performance of the link enough to be noticeable. These devices use ESD protection chips similar to those which may already be in your equipment. They cannot handle the current of a surge.
 

Well, there is some surge protector in the market.

One of them it's my HDMI Guard. NO equipment can survive DIRECT strike. But for lightning's jolts remains that coming to your delicate equipment it's more than enough to protect it.
 



This is my protector which have superior characteristic.

 

Those components inside the HDMI protectors aren't exsist in your TV system. As a LCD technician I can tell you that the idea to make this device came after many TVs that I saw and try to fix, simply it DON'T have such devices inside.

 

Tal
 
#56 ·
I am not surprised you saw many TVs with damaged HDMI ports. The dirty little secret the manufactures don't tell consumers is that static discharge from something as seemingly innocuous as connecting a cable can damage a HDMI port, let alone a surge from a connected device. Early sets with HDMI had no protection. As I understand it, most sets, at least those marketed in the USA, by now have ESD protection if only to keep down warranty costs. I guess it is possible that low end manufacturers omit it, or higher end manufacturers omit it in certain markets.


So what is special about this device? What components do you use that can handle the surge current without adding enough capacitance to disrupt the HDMI signal? My guess it uses one of the chips with multiple clamping devices that provide pretty good ESD protection and some, if minimal, surge protection.


As I read them, the ratings you published for your device indicate that it has reasonable ESD protection but its ability to handle surge current is inadequate to protect against the kinds of surges frequently damaging equipment connected to cable boxes. IOW it really isn't a true surge protector. If so, it wouldn't be the first. But your device does have an advantage, it is cheaper than competing devices claiming similar capabilities.
 
#57 ·

Hi Colm

 

About TV manufacturers I have encounter Sony, LG, Samsung and many high / low end LCDs. all of them didn't have any protection.

 

The idea that behind my product is of course to give more protection against ESD & surges as long the protector can handle.

 

Most of the surges and spikes are absorbed by the cable networks  and most of it reduced in the way. what is left go directly to the sat / cable receiver and from there directly to HDMI port output and to the HDMI port input of the LCD / HT Amplifier.

 

I have tested my protector almost at it maximum values as the device manufacturer declare, and I was more than happy with results.

 

So, if those spikes aren't exceed  +/- 20KV or other values of the HDMI protector. I know for sure it can help protect any HDMI equipment easily. furthermore, the device can protect many times if not exposed to more than it's limited values.
 
#58 ·
We were away during an electrical storm earlier this week but returned home to a blown Comcast cable splitter, a Sony BDP-S390 Blu-ray player that won't power on and an Epson 8350 projector that won't recognize any HDMI inputs (but seems fine otherwise).
The Square-D whole-house surge suppressor is not blown and all A/V equipment in the theater gets power through a Panamax 5100 connected to an APS Line-R 1200. The cable is connected to only the Comcast DVR in the bedroom and the modem in the study, and the Blu-ray player is connected through the router in the A/V rack, a switch and the router in the study which are all fine, so it's hard to understand how HDMI was affected if not via induction.




Sounds similar to this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by whinnycritter  /t/1331747/hdmi-surge-suppression#post_23566840


I'm now dealing with the second HDMI lightning damage within 3 years. Fortunately, I'm a technician with 45 years experience, so I'm able to replace the HDMI interface chip in the TV again. This time it also took out the HDMI port on my DISH receiver. I've also lost several HDMI switches. NOTHING is getting to my equipment by way of the power line! I have a whole-house arrester on the pole, below the meter, then a Tripp Lite outlet box that boasts $50,000 guarantee for connected equipment, then a Topaz sine-wave UPS, then another Tripp Lite, then another outlet strip with surge suppression. But here's the deal. A very close lightning strike produces an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that will induce thousands or even tens of thousands of volts into ANY nearby length of wire. In addition to HDMI ports, I've also lost the PS2 port on a computer motherboard, along with the connected KVM switch, several ethernet ports, and an expensive video server. So, what can be done? You can start by using the shortest possible cables. Monoprice has HDMI cables as short as one and a half feet, and they have ferrite cores at each end (which may not help, but can't hurt). Second, you can use a sacrificial device, such as an HDMI switch or an extender/booster. Let the circuitry in these cheap (less than $20) devices take the hit. With luck, they won't pass the spike through to your expensive equipment. I'm not sure whether the power available on HDMI will handle multiple devices, but I'm going to give it a try and will post my results here. As for the surge protection built into HDMI ports, yes, these chips do have it, but the problem is not just volts, but energy. That's volts X amps X time. The chips will protect against fairly high voltage, but not many amps, or not many microseconds. That's fine for static discharge, but lighting induced surges involve a LOT of energy, that can overwhelm the protection that can be built into a chip. MOV's that are used in outlet strips can handle it, but they have lots of capacitance, and cannot be used with high-frequency signal lines, as that capacitance will act as a short circuit to those frequencies. As for the available HDMI surge supressors, as yet the price is just too high for me.
 
#59 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bjmsam  /t/1397994/lightning-strike-blows-out-all-hdmi-ports/30#post_24676550


We were away during an electrical storm earlier this week but returned home to a blown Comcast cable splitter, a BDP-S390 BluRay player that won't power on and an Epson 8350 projector that won't recognize any HDMI inputs (but seems fine otherwise).
The Square-D whole-house surge suppressor is not blown and all A/V equipment gets power through a Panamax 5100 connected to an APS Line-R 1200. The cable is connected to only the Comcast receiver in the bedroom and the modem in the study, and the Blu-ray player is connected through the router in the A/V rack, a switch and the router in the study, so it's hard to understand how HDMI was affected.

For me it was through the cable too. I had basically the same thing - a comcast cable receiver connected HDMI to an AV Receiver, which was also connected to an EPSON 8350 and a PS3. I believe the surge went through the cable and out through the HDMI of the comcast receiver, and traveled through the AV Receiver HDMI ports to whatever was connected. All of them lost HDMI access. I guess those HDMI ports are not build to take much of a surge.


It actually effected 3 rooms for me. Only equipment that survived was in my house was a Sharp Aquos LCD TV - so I guess they much have better quality ports.
 
#60 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TorTorden  /t/1397994/lightning-strike-blows-out-all-hdmi-ports/30#post_23976863


And some people think I'm nuts for disconnecting my AV equipment during thunderstorms., :p
 

I had coworkers that think you and I are crazy.

 

If I hear of approaching lightning, or if I am away from home and there is risk of lightning, equipment gets powered off, phone cord to answering machine gets unplugged, power strips and UPSes get unplugged, and coax lines are disconnected. Others in the neighborhood have lost TVs and DVRs, but so far I haven't.

 

My coworkers tell me that, outside of several thousand dollars, nothing can protect from a direct strike. However, as some have stated in this very thread, it doesn't have to strike your house to do damage to your (and Comcast's) equipment; a strike a few houses down can be just as destructive if the surge comes through the phone line, coax, or the power lines.
 
#61 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dapriett  /t/1397994/lightning-strike-blows-out-all-hdmi-ports/30#post_24676635


I guess those HDMI ports are not build to take much of a surge.

I "fixed" the problem for good by switching to component video, which looks just as good to me and cost under $200:

HDFURY Gamer 2 Component - $159.00
HDMI® | 3 RCA Component | Toslink Wall Plate - Coupler Type - $10.04
35ft 18AWG CL2 Premium 3-RCA Component Video Coaxial Cable (RG-6/U) - $21.27


I subsequently discovered that the USB section of my laser printer also bit the dust during that storm. I "fixed" that problem with a $7 USB to Centronix cable.


Retro techno?
 
#62 · (Edited)
I just recently had to repair and replace my denon HDMI board even though my system is protected by a surge protector. The only other two sources that could have caused my damage are 1) my antenna 2) coax cable. I have since disconnected my antenna since I hardly ever listen to radio anyway. HOwever, I am looking for ways to protect my devices from surges that may come through the coax line

Would something like this work?

http://www.amazon.com/TII-Broadband-Cable-Lightning-Protector/dp/B0016AIYU6/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t


http://www.parts-express.com/cable-...source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pla


IT sounds like if there is a direct strike there is little hope of protection. but maybe something linke that surge protectors for the coax line would protect against other random spikes

Let me know your thoughts
 
#65 ·
Unplugging is really the only option...if lighten can travel several miles through air, it has no problem jumping the air gap between a small UPS switch. UPS/surge protectors are meant to handle surges on the power line from transient strikes the line further away or irregular power down, not so much direct strikes very close to you house on at your house...that includes whole house UPS' too. There's a reason why all the surge/UPS protectors generally have a statement in their warranty's such as Leviton's whole house surge protector product:

“Power Surge” means an electrical transient or spike on the AC power or communication lines, including those caused by indirect lighting , against which surge suppressors of this type are generally designed to protect as recognized by industry standards.

That being said, a lot of home insurance will cover damage from direct lighten strike which a lot people seem to forget about when losing a lot electrical equipment from a direct strike.
 
#67 ·
After losing my HDMI board two times in my Denon, I am thinking about going to a UPS instead of just a surge protector.

I will have on it my cable box, lcd tv, dvd player and my denon receiver. HOwever in researching UPS, I am reading about Pure Sine UPS versus simulated sine UPS and I am confused.

Do I need Pure Sine UPS for my intended use?

Sincerely
 
#68 ·
I live in an apartment. Recent storm here fried 2 satellite receivers, modem and all HDMI ports on LG 3 year old tv. Have replaced modem, receivers ( no cost), however am not happy using components on tv. Satellite rep says board for HDMI ports can easily be replaced for appoximately $100, that I should find one online. I am having no luck in finding the model number for same. Has anyone tried this? Is the board for the HDMI ports called the video board or is it the main board? I have read so much and am thoroughly confused. I did have all connected through Monster surge protector. Any info is appreciated. thanks
LG LV5500 model
 
#70 ·
I have my Home Theater on two APC Backups/surge suppressors. Lightning hit right outside my house and fried my Yamaha 765, but did not hurt the Samsung 63" tv, the Samsung Blu-Ray player, the dvd player, Dish Hopper with sling, or the speakers and sub. All were hooked to the APCs. Luck of the draw. I purchased an Onkyo 636, since that was my second Yamaha and I was ready for a change. I looked into getting APC to replace the Yamaha, but if you ever read their warranty, it would be a waste of time.
 
#73 ·
I had this happen to me recently and lost most of my HT gear and some computer gear etc. My question is would this gear with bad HDMI be worth anything to someone? I see some of you have had your equipment fixed, so not sure if the cost associated with it would make it worth anything. I just hate to throw a $4000 JVC projector and $1500 receiver in the trash if someone could salvage them.
Thanks in advance
 
#74 · (Edited)
The hdmi ports usually end up going out, and it does not take a lighting storm to do it. Unfortunately brand to brand runs into the same issue. If you are handy You can take the back off your TV. Follow the traces on all your hdmi inputs, and they will lead to a single hdmi controller chip. Remove and replace the chip!!

Voila, all your hdmi ports will be working again.

It is usually a square chip like the one below.


To remove and replace it requires you have a solder station and materials, and the willingness and patience to change the chip. Usually most TVs will be close to upgrade time when this happens anyway, But giving it a go on the old TV even if you just buy a new one, can be a learning experience, and make a good TV for a spare room or cabin, Or even a nice present for the needy.

Unfortunate they do not make more board chips on removable dim like a lot of OP sockets found today. The whole hdmi thing is really a production fault that should be fixed. People's hi end tvs could easily last 25 years or so. But today your lucky to get 5 or 6 out of your hdmi ports, no lightning required.
 

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#75 · (Edited)
I don't think that just ANYONE can replace the HDMI Chips (see typical photo above)....there is an entire De-Soldering SYSTEM that is used to heat up ALL of the Pins at the SAME Time for a Very SHORT period of time so the chip itself it's overheated....and when soldering the new chip on to the PAD you have to have the RIGHT amount of Solder...too much will short out the very closely spaced pins. So, leave it to the EXPERTS at a Repair Shop that has the RIGHT Equipment and EXPERIENCE to get the job done right....and BTW, MOST Repair shops only have the "expertise" to swap out entire Board Assemblies, so SHOP AROUND and check on the COST of a Factory Authorized Repair (which would probably be a Board Swap anyway)....
 
#76 ·
So my WOW technician came out today and figured out that my ONE TV was no longer working receiving a picture due to my HDMI port(s) from last week's bad weather.

I find that...odd.

You would think that it would have zapped more of my TVs if that was the case wouldn't you? Everyone else here is replacing multiple appliances.
 
#77 ·
#78 ·
I know, this thread is old but it seems like it is still relevant with some good discussions. Last year we had a lightning strike close to our house which took out the TV, security camera recorder, HTPC, LAN port of printer and a video card of another computer. It seems to me that the HDMI ports were the common denominator, except for the printer, so to make a long story short and bearable I replaced all of the parts and repaired them myself for about the same as my insurance deductible. Everything was hooked together through the tv, except the printer.

Well 2 nights ago we had another close lightning strike and it took out 2 of the HDMI ports on the tv and a HDMI port on the new HTPC. I do not have to replace anything this time because there are other HDMI ports to use - next time it will be time for more repairs. I came looking for answers and I suppose I got them - disconnect the HDMI ports when bad storms are coming.

For the record I do not have traditional cable running into my house - we live in the country and have an antenna that receives internet via wireless signal. We do have cat 5 cables running all over the place for the security cameras all over the place. The first lightning strike was extremely close so I feel that nothing would have prevented the damage that it caused. I'm a retired master electrician with many years at a utility company so I'm familar with what lightning is capable of causing. I just wanted to share my experience.

My 75" tv was very simple to repair. It has 2 boards so I replaced both of them for $325 with a phillips screwdriver. The tv sold for about 2K originally. If your is like mine it will be easy to repair if you can perform minor repairs, do it at your own risk of course.

I built a new HTPC and installed it in a cedar box so it doesn't look like a computer. The old HTPC was in a aquarium filled with mineral oil. The old HTPC still worked using the VGA port, (onboard HDMI port bad) so a new video card fixed it so now it is downstairs in the playroom tv.

Repairing these HDMI ports is .going to get expensive eventually. Thinking of getting a seperate monitor for the security system so at least it will seperate some of the equipment.
 
#79 ·
@AXMRDR

You NEED to check your house grounding. Make SURE the electrical panel is grounded properly to a ground rod pounded into the ground, right outside where your service entrance (meter) is. Follow the ground wire outside, and you might have to do a little digging to find the rod. Make SURE it hasn't come disconnected from the rod. I've had that happen on an previous house we owned. If it has, sand or wirebrush the end of the rod, and get it re-connected. Be careful though, as there could be a voltage differential there capable of knocking you on your butt at a minimum.

Once you KNOW that's correct, then check and make sure any internet cables, or coax cables from an outdoor tv antenna or whatever coming into the house from and outside headend/or entrance box is ALSO grounded to that rod, NOT to a separate one somewhere else, and/or NOT grounded at all. If they aren't fix it.

Then, make sure all your electrical outlets are properly grounded, AND don't have reverse polarity. Buy a checker for this at Home Depot, Lowes, or your local hardware store. IF any aren't right, get them fixed.

All of that I mentioned on mine are all perfect, and I've had two lightning strikes within 300' of our house in the last few years that blasted the tops off of trees. I almost jumped to the ceiling out of my living room chair due to the sound, YET, all my FTA satellite dishes, (KU and a BUD) outside OTA tv antenna systems, and everything else survived. NO damage at all.

Yes, even IF it's all correct it's still possible to lose equipment to a ground pulse, BUT, it's much less likely.
 
#80 ·
Thanks for your reply. You may have missed the part where I mentioned being a retired master electrician, I failed to mention that I wired the house myself. It is grounded properly. The induced voltage from a lightning strike can be huge if there are wires around to get induced to. It seems like the hdmi ports are very sensitive to voltage spikes. I feel like the first strike was induced by the camera cable system but it would be hard to prove.
 
#84 ·
@AXMRDR I love them. I've now had one of them long enough to have changed the original batteries out twice. I used to get damaged electronics with voltage issues, brownouts and the like. I've never had any damage since getting these though. First one was ordered in March 2009, second one in September 2015. Newer one presently runs all my electronics, tv, Blue Ray, Tivo, vcr, FTA satellite receiver, Firestick, WDTVlive, Chromecast with Google tv, router & cable modem, and Ooma Telo.

Handles them all well. I can go an hour or so through a full power outage, before it dies completely. That's plenty of time to wait it out, or decide to crank up the generator. I have one wired into the breaker panel with a lockout, but it's not automatic.
 
#85 ·
Wow, that's an impressive track record.

That is a great idea to power the internet modem with one. I use android tablets quite a bit around the house to pass the time. Dang, I may have to get 2 because the wifi and security hub are in 2 different locations.

Our utility company service is pretty good about not having brown outs or voltage spikes - minus a lightning strike to a line. At our old house we had a back-up generator that started after 20 seconds of losing power, that was pretty nice. It was mandatory to keep power to our sump pump to prevent our basement from flooding. Our new house has a walk out basement so I didn't see the need for an automatic generator. We have a smaller generator now but like yours, this one isn't automatic. It's the simple things like electricity that are hard to live without lol.
 
#86 ·
dapriett;
I didn't see where you are located and if there was a reported nearby lightning strike? I have to assume it is a rural area.
None of those manufactures questioned what took out their equipment? Does your insurance cover any of that?
 
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