I have an odd display problem I would like help with

[Tracy Pospeshil]

I'll try not to be long-winded, but I will try to give you all the info you need.
Currently I have a Dell desktop computer running Win7 Pro. I use the HDMI out into a Pioneer elite SC-05 using HDMI2 input. The HDMI goes from there to my LG plasma tv, HDMI input 1.
Here's the deal. I'm having issues with the HDMI signal not being recognized, now and again. I don't know if it's the SC-05 or the LG TV that's having the occasional brain fart. If we switch between HDMI inputs on the tv it works, every time.
This NEVER happens with my blue Ray player, and never once happened with my last PC-based DRV (mac mini). With the Dell, it's a regular thing.
Can I run VGA out of the Dell and into the TV, while still running HDMI into the SC-05 and not screw things up?

 

[Latent]

It may help if you can set the windows machine to not keep detecting the displays edid data every few minutes which it does by default.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/7947-force-dvi-hdmi-resolutions-refresh-rates.html

This may help

The brand of graphics card can make a difference as some cards have more edid override options I think.

 

[Tracy Pospeshil]

Thanks Latent. I'm going to read that whole 32 page post before I try anything since I have NO idea what the EDID is.
It does kind of sound like your on to something though. Here's the one, repeatable, situation where I can make it happen.
If I were to go into the settings and change the monitor resolution. You know how the display will blink off, then on again, when the resolution changes? Well, the TV will always be blank.
I'll try playing around with it, I'll take the SC-05 our of the loop and run HDMI right to the TV and see if it still happens.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks Latent. I'm going to read that whole 32 page post before I try anything since I have NO idea what the EDID is.
It does kind of sound like your on to something though. Here's the one, repeatable, situation where I can make it happen.
If I were to go into the settings and change the monitor resolution. You know how the display will blink off, then on again, when the resolution changes? Well, the TV will always be blank.
I'll try playing around with it, I'll take the SC-05 our of the loop and run HDMI right to the TV and see if it still happens.
Thanks again for your help.

Connecting the laptop straight to the TV will not isolate the problem. A TV is an end device and not required to have repeater architecture. The receiver on the other hand is required to do repeated handshakes according to HDCP protocol since it is a sending and receiving device. This goes right back to your laptop. So there is whole different set of protocols for direct connection to a TV and via an another device. This is where the trouble comes.

Make sure you video card is HDCP certified. Non certified units cause a lot of trouble. Computer hardware is notorious for not being certifies, as it is expensive. Non certified products cause no end of trouble.

The other thing is that I would migrate to Windows 10.

On my HTPC running windows 7 there would be occasional HDMI/HDCP issues waking from sleep or after booting which would settle down, but sometimes need a reboot.

Since migrating to Windows 10 there have been zero issues. I think Windows 10 give a better HT experience.

 

[Tracy Pospeshil]

Thanks TLS guy. I think you're right on the money with the 'handshake' issue. I decided to go a different route. The computer is used for things that I don't need surround for, i.e. tv news, 'normal' tv watching, etc. If I'm watching a movie, I use a disk most of the time. I don't want to put that many hours on my receiver anyway. So, what I did was run the HDMI from the PC to the TV, and use the TV speakers. The BluRay player is HDMI to the receiver.
I would, in the future, like to solve this problem as I do stream movies, but I don't think they are typically anything other than Stereo anyway.

 

[Latent]

You can use ARC over hdmi or digital optical output from tv to AVR to run sound to the AVR when PC is connected directly to the TV if you want as well.

 

[Tracy Pospeshil]

Thanks Latent. I appreciate the input.

 

[Don G.]

I assume you replaced the cables to make sure one wasn't bad. HDMI cables, especially the inexpensive ones, are prone to random failures. I thought I had a bad HDMI port on my TV. Turns out I had a intermittent issue caused by the cable I was using.