DVD via HDMI sporadically loses signal

[telehead]

Hello all, I am a rank newbie in the world of Home Theater, a lurker of this forum, and thought I'd run an issue by you all.

I have a Samsung HLP5067W DLP HDTV and recently bought a upconversion DVD player to take advantage of the 1080 while watching DVDs.

I have noticed when watching a DVD the screen goes black for a second(can still hear audio), then comes back on. It is impossible to replicate and it seems to do it without any pattern.

My system looks like this:

Samsung HLP5067W HDMI > Toshiba SD-5980 DVD coax audio > Yamaha RX-V557 Receiver

I thought it was the DVD, and the cables. So, I have tried a Panny DVD-S77, the existing Toshiba, and have used a Monster HDMI and generic HDMI cables. It happens across the board. I thought it was the DVD till it happens with any DVD.

I have disabled all HDMI related settings on the TV and am letting the DVD manage the signal to limit the possibilites.

Am I getting interference from some other source? Is my HDMI port on the TV bad? Its pretty frustrating. I fight computer issues all day, the last thing I want to do is troubleshoot my friggin DVD!

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[telehead]

I'm not above responding to my own question

I just got off the phone with Samsung tech support and they said that there is a problem with HDMI connections and the HDCP protocol.

Apparently its the decoding and encoding of the encrypted DVD (Lord of the Rings) that is causing the loss in signal.

When I asked what the workaround was I told to use component, or that Toshiba might have a firmware upgrade. Use component?!? Then what is the point of having an upconversion DVD player?

Anyway, please tell me I'm not the only person to run into this or is the Samsung CSR blowing smoke?

 

[Mort Corey]

He's likely telling you the truth. It's not HDMI that's the problem per se, but it's implementation of the HDCP protocol. DVI seems to be more stable in that respect. If your display also has a DVI input, you might want to try an HDMI/DVI cable and run separate audio. HDMI just doesn't seem ready for prime time at this point. That's life on the cutting edge.

Mort

 

[telehead]

He's likely telling you the truth. It's not HDMI that's the problem per se, but it's implementation of the HDCP protocol. DVI seems to be more stable in that respect. If your display also has a DVI input, you might want to try an HDMI/DVI cable and run separate audio. HDMI just doesn't seem ready for prime time at this point. That's life on the cutting edge.

Mort

At the moment, the DVD has Coax running to the receiver(audio), and HDMI to the the HDTV(video). Unfortunately, I don't have a DVI input on either the DVD or HDTV.

I never even knew that HDCP would even come into play seeing how HDMI is a derivitive of DVI.