Having problems with HD Cable box and receiver.

[Mog]

I am trying to run everything through my receiver which is a Sony DA2400ES so I can use the HDMI switching. When the picture comes on it blinks every 15 seconds, the picture and the sound.

I thought it might be the video upscaling fighting with the HD cable box so I switched it to direct signal, but it still flickers. Any suggestions???

 

[markw]

clarification.

So,areyou saying that even with the cable box connected directly to the TV via HDMI, it still flickers every few seconds?

Which component is new? The cable box or the TV? ...or both?

Have you used any HDMI device (upscaling DVD?) with the TV before?

 

[TLS Guy]

I am trying to run everything through my receiver which is a Sony DA2400ES so I can use the HDMI switching. When the picture comes on it blinks every 15 seconds, the picture and the sound.

I thought it might be the video upscaling fighting with the HD cable box so I switched it to direct signal, but it still flickers. Any suggestions???

My guess is that it is the cable box. We have had a lot of issues with these. What is it, and how old is it? Cable companies are inclined to fob you off with old boxes that do no have repeater architecture. Some can have firmware updates, and some need changing out. If the cable box works when connected to your TV, which is not required to have repeater architecture since it is an end device, but not when connected via the receiver, then the HDMI version on the cable box is too old.

New receivers are not allowed to give a stable picture, when connected to an HD device of a generation that does not have repeater architecture. This is all part of Hollywood's draconian DRM.

 

[Mog]

Thanks! I didn't know that. As for the previous reply, the picture only flickers if
it goes through the receiver. When I hook up the cable box directly to the TV it is fine. The LCD TV is new, so is the receiver, the cable box they said was new
but who knows?

Is there any way to get a firmware update for this HD cable box? It is a Samsung SMT H3050? Anything you guys could do would be great! Thanks again!

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks! I didn't know that. As for the previous reply, the picture only flickers if
it goes through the receiver. When I hook up the cable box directly to the TV it is fine. The LCD TV is new, so is the receiver, the cable box they said was new
but who knows?

Is there any way to get a firmware update for this HD cable box? It is a Samsung SMT H3050? Anything you guys could do would be great! Thanks again!

Is this box owned by the cable company? Who is your cable company? If this is their box, then they have to provide you with the service you are paying for.

 

[bandphan]

I've had some issues with the HDMI cables causing the flicker during the handshake between hd and non hd channels. Try a different cable /s also.

 

[Mog]

I live in the Charlotte NC area, and we have Time Warner. I have them coming out today. Would they be able to change the firmware on site? If not I really appreciate the help. I hate when I have A/V problems that I didn't cause!

 

[markw]

Since the box passes a working HDMI signal directly to the TV, I'd be somewhat suspicious of the receiver.

It's too bad you don't have an upconverting DVD player that outputs HDMI to isolate the problem.

 

[Mog]

My Sony BD 550 is upconverting. Playing Blu-rays and normal DVDs works fine, it is the signal coming from the box or my receiver interpreting that signal.

 

[Mog]

Thanks for all of the help! You were right. It was a firmware problem in the new Samsung HD cable boxes. The cable guy swapped it for a different brand, and the problem was solved.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for all of the help! You were right. It was a firmware problem in the new Samsung HD cable boxes. The cable guy swapped it for a different brand, and the problem was solved.

Thanks for the feedback, glad to help. Someone needs to tell Samsung that although they make TVs. a lot of people want to connect to processing devices between the DVR and the TV. The HDCP codes for the two situations are different.

 

[markw]

thx for the feedback.

It's great that you could isolate it to that one component and they swapped it, no questions asked.