"Buffering" issue

[zanzibar]

So I've had this issue for years now and have never been able to solve it. When watching a blu-ray the movie will occasionally stop for a few seconds, like its buffering, then proceed. It seems to happen more often when there are high volume points in the movie feed. It happens with multiple AV receivers and different blu-ray players too. Usually it occurs just a couple times per movie but today I put on a new disc with movie "Dunkirk" and its happening repeatedly, very annoying! It's not a disc issue either since new and used discs experience same problem. One thing I haven't changed out is the HDMI cable since it runs thru the ceiling back to the projector and would be difficult to reverse or replace, could this be the issue?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[lovinthehd]

What hdmi cable spec was it? How long is it? What's all the gear involved and how's everything connected? Always a good start with specifics.

With various bluray players and avrs and discs it seems to point somewhere other than to those items generally, altho perhaps hdmi handshake issues. To test hdmi cable with another you could just run it direct from avr to projector?

 

[zanzibar]

Blu-ray player: Oppo BDP-093
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V683
HDMI spec: 30' high speed HDMI-4 cat2 cable with ethernet 24 AWG E302625.

I like your idea of test running a different cable. Will try if you think this could be the culprit. If so, what would be a preferred cable?

Thanks!

 

[lovinthehd]

Blu-ray player: Oppo BDP-093
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V683
HDMI spec: 30' high speed HDMI-4 cat2 cable with ethernet E302625.

I like your idea of test running a different cable. Will try if you think this could be the culprit. If so, what would be a preferred cable?

Thanks!

Hard to know but for typical non-active hdmi cable 30 ft is a long run. This is just 1080p content you're concerned with? An hdmi high speed cable from that "era" should be fine (not sure what HDMI-4 cat 2 particularly means, tho, ethernet never really came into play in hdmi IIRC). These days for a 4k setup I'd look to Ruipro active optical cables but you may get by with something like Monoprice's active Redmere cable....

 

[zanzibar]

I'm only looking for 1080p. I was looking at the Monoprice Redmere cable but wanted your opinion first. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm only looking for 1080p. I was looking at the Monoprice Redmere cable but wanted your opinion first. Thanks for your thoughts!

Good luck on figuring it out! Stuff can be weird

 

[TLS Guy]

So I've had this issue for years now and have never been able to solve it. When watching a blu-ray the movie will occasionally stop for a few seconds, like its buffering, then proceed. It seems to happen more often when there are high volume points in the movie feed. It happens with multiple AV receivers and different blu-ray players too. Usually it occurs just a couple times per movie but today I put on a new disc with movie "Dunkirk" and its happening repeatedly, very annoying! It's not a disc issue either since new and used discs experience same problem. One thing I haven't changed out is the HDMI cable since it runs thru the ceiling back to the projector and would be difficult to reverse or replace, could this be the issue?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Test it with a good cable. For a run of 30' you need an active cable. I recommend hybrid cables like Ruipro.

You have leaned a hard lesson. You never put any AV cable in a location where it is hard to change without putting it in conduit. More than likely you will have to open up walls and ceilings to get this done. Run Tech Tube, so you can easily change cables in future. Leave a tape in the tube also for pulling another cable in future. Cables fail, especially HDMI cables.

Designing and building a system were you can not change cables, is a bad system period.

 

[zanzibar]

Thanks for the feedback. So I purchased the Ruipro Ultra-Slim HDMI Active Optical Cable 4K 60Hz 4.4.4 (10M). I made sure to align the source end with the source for proper direction but am still experiencing the same issue. I can't be the only person running cable from the front of the room to the overhead projector. Did I pick the wrong cable?

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the feedback. So I purchased the Ruipro Ultra-Slim HDMI Active Optical Cable 4K 60Hz 4.4.4 (10M). I made sure to align the source end with the source for proper direction but am still experiencing the same issue. I can't be the only person running cable from the front of the room to the overhead projector. Did I pick the wrong cable?

No you did not, but you might need a voltage inserter to power the cable. I'm using a 35' Ruipro cable, but I use a Legrand Voltage inserter. I have had no problems at all. It has been rock solid stable. If you problems continue after that, then either the sending unit or the receiving unit is faulty and needs to be replaced. You seem to have eliminated receiver and peripherals, so that leaves the projector.

The reason for using a voltage inserter is that the power draw of all types of active cable exceeds the HDMI spec. Some units work with it and some don't.

With the Ruipro cable and the voltage inserter, I have zero problems.

If you have trouble after that the most likely unit at fault is with your projector, which would likely mean a bad HDMI board. The cost of replacing that would make it wiser to go for a new projector. Unfortunately HDMI failures are far too prevalent.

 

[zanzibar]

Good news is I found the culprit. Bad news is I'm an idiot! I knew it couldn't be the projector since the issue was present with the previous projector as well. So I never tested the Blu-Ray Player>Receiver connection which was an upgraded cable from a company called Insten. After replacing it with a random stock cable the issue disappeared. Even gave it the "Master and Commander" test and had no issues. The moral of the story is you never know where you'll find the problem and everything must be checked. Thanks to those who helped track it down!