problem - AV rec. failing when channel surfing?

[scott911]

Hi - I'm sorry that this is going to be vague, but this doesn't appear to have a strong pattern, and I'm hoping from this basic description, someone's knows what's going on here...

System : Time Warner 8300HD cablebox/DVR - hdmi - Sherwood Netcastle R-872 (w/ Genesis Faroudja processor IC) - hdmi - Samsung 1080p LCD.

Above mention system was working fine - then Cable company replaced the DVR - I was hearing some hard drive noise.

Now - it appears that the Sherwood is having trouble with changes to the output formate from the cable box. When I change from standard def. to high def. the tv displays that it's search for a signal from AV unit - sometimes it just shows "snow". Turning cable box on/off usually helps. Problem also comes up when going from high def to low def. - and sometimes randomly between any channels.

Plugging cable box directly into TV, and everything works. It seems like the video process in the Sherwood is having a problem adapting with the incoming signals that the new cable box is giving it...

 

[highfigh]

Set the cable box to one resolution- the highest available and it might solve the problem. When the receiver has a loss of good video signal, and loss of synch qualifies for this, it may go to a "no video" mode. Next time, if this doesn't solve it, select that input for the receiver again and see if it comes back.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi - I'm sorry that this is going to be vague, but this doesn't appear to have a strong pattern, and I'm hoping from this basic description, someone's knows what's going on here...

System : Time Warner 8300HD cablebox/DVR - hdmi - Sherwood Netcastle R-872 (w/ Genesis Faroudja processor IC) - hdmi - Samsung 1080p LCD.

Above mention system was working fine - then Cable company replaced the DVR - I was hearing some hard drive noise.

Now - it appears that the Sherwood is having trouble with changes to the output formate from the cable box. When I change from standard def. to high def. the tv displays that it's search for a signal from AV unit - sometimes it just shows "snow". Turning cable box on/off usually helps. Problem also comes up when going from high def to low def. - and sometimes randomly between any channels.

Plugging cable box directly into TV, and everything works. It seems like the video process in the Sherwood is having a problem adapting with the incoming signals that the new cable box is giving it...

Your new box must have HDCP repeater architecture. The TV being an end device does not have to have repeater architecture. Obviously your Sherwood receiver is a few generations out of date in its HDCP codes. The new regs and codes require that any device outputting HDMI must make repeated handshakes with a sending device. Some older units run into trouble here, because the codes were vague and have had a lot of updates.

Check and see if Sherwood have a down loadable update.

 

[scott911]

hmmm . The Sherwood is about two weeks old... That of course doesn't mean they shipped it with up to date firmware - i will check with them.

Even before swapping out the DVR/cable box, it did "lag" before switching channels- it's interesting that now it is simple not adjusting.

Thanks to both of you for the comments - That definitely helps me narrow down the issue and better understand what is going on.

 

[scott911]

"The new regs and codes require that any device outputting HDMI must make repeated handshakes with a sending device. Some older units run into trouble here, because the codes were vague and have had a lot of updates. "

hmmm (again) - I actually turned -off the features (on TV and perhaps also Sherwood) that referred to hdmi handshaking - When listing to just a CD on my DVD player, I wanted to be able to turn off the TV without it trying to be helpful and send a turn off signal to the DVD player as well. I think there were two settings referring to that functionality- I must have gone too far...

 

[scott911]

Set the cable box to one resolution- the highest available and it might solve the problem. When the receiver has a loss of good video signal, and loss of synch qualifies for this, it may go to a "no video" mode. Next time, if this doesn't solve it, select that input for the receiver again and see if it comes back.

Could the fact that this started happening with the replacement cable box mean that perhaps the new box is not putting out a good enough video signal - i.e. bad cable box?

I'll give the one resolution option on the cable box a try, but doesn't that mean that the cheap loaner made in mexico cable box is now charged with the task of upconverting all signals to 1080p instead of a $1300 Sherwood Faroudja processor or Samsung LCD processing?