New HT and have annoying problem, help appreciated

[Savage40]

Well, about 6 weeks ago I got my HT set up and it has been amazing. I have never had a setup even close to this before and all I can say it was worth every penny.

Quick gear check:

Denon 3312CI Receiver
Epson Pro Cinema 6010 PJ
Visual Apex 120" electric tab-tension screen
EMP Tek 7.1 Impression Series Speakers
PS3 for Blu-Ray and to connect to my Home Theater PC

The problem I am having is that when watching a movie or something the picture and sound will cut out, as in the screen go dark and sound stop for about 5-6 seconds and then the sound will come back and the picture like 1 or 2 seconds later.

When this first started not long after I set everything up it only happened maybe once in a while, now it tends to happen at least every 10 minutes, sometimes 2-3 times within a couple of minutes. It is very annoying while trying to watch a movie and all into and then BAM no sound or picture.

Does this sound like it would be a problem with the Receiver or Projector?

 

[bikdav]

Are you using HDMI connections? If so, that might be the problem. My guess is that the HDMI cable from the source [the PS3/PC combination _ if I'm picturung your set up correctly] is at fault. You may want to try another HDMI cable and see if that stops the problem.

 

[TLS Guy]

Well, about 6 weeks ago I got my HT set up and it has been amazing. I have never had a setup even close to this before and all I can say it was worth every penny.

Quick gear check:

Denon 3312CI Receiver
Epson Pro Cinema 6010 PJ
Visual Apex 120" electric tab-tension screen
EMP Tek 7.1 Impression Series Speakers
PS3 for Blu-Ray and to connect to my Home Theater PC

The problem I am having is that when watching a movie or something the picture and sound will cut out, as in the screen go dark and sound stop for about 5-6 seconds and then the sound will come back and the picture like 1 or 2 seconds later.

When this first started not long after I set everything up it only happened maybe once in a while, now it tends to happen at least every 10 minutes, sometimes 2-3 times within a couple of minutes. It is very annoying while trying to watch a movie and all into and then BAM no sound or picture.

Does this sound like it would be a problem with the Receiver or Projector?

This is a classic repeater HDMI(HDCP) repeater handshake problem.

Since is is audio plus video and the projector only needs an initial handshake, this problem is either the PS3, the receiver or the HDMI cable between the two.

Step one is to use another HDMI cable.

The next step is to make sure your PS3 and receiver have the latest firmware. If not update it.

If the problem persists, then get hold of another BD player and see if that still has he interruptions. If things are OK the problem is the PS3, if you still have the problem, then your receiver needs the HDMI board replaced under warranty.

Onkyo, have had a lot of problems with their HDMI boards, and Denon have in their low end units. I'm not aware of problems in the better units like you purchased.

You need to sort this out ASAP as you may well have a warranty claim.

This issue should not happen at all.

Since this has been progressive I suspect an electronic hardware fault.

My hunch is that you have a bad receiver, but you need to follow it through as I outlined.

Are you sure your receiver has enough ventilation? Not leaving enough free space around a receiver for ventilation is a fast route to big trouble.

 

[FirstReflection]

That really, really sounds like an HDMI cable problem - possibly just a loose connection at that!

Definitely check all of your HDMI cable runs before anything else. With HDMI, unfortunately, one hiccup anywhere in the chain can cause a dropout like this. It isn't like the old component connections where you could check each part of the signal chain individually. With HDMI, one connection goes down, the whole chain goes down, so it could very well be your long HDMI run from the receiver to the front projector or any other HDMI cable or HDMI plug.

But yeah, it seems like it could very well just be a loose connection. So check every HDMI plug in the chain. I'm betting one of them is loose

 

[Grador]

I agree with everyone's assessment of an HDMI issue. If the cable run from the receiver to the projector is long i would suspect the problem lies there. To rule out the receiver I would try bypassing it, try plugging the projector strait into the BD source. If the problem still persists try a different HDMI cable, preferably a short one.

Hope this gets solved soon so you can enjoy your new setup!

 

[Impelled]

Me too, sounds like the HDMI cable has a fault or isnt built well enough to give you the bandwidth you need.
5M leads cause this problem more.

If you buy another cable, get one with good reviews.
You dont need to pay silly money.

 

[Savage40]

Thank you all very much for the suggestions! I will be swapping out HDMI cables one at a time today when I get home. If I experience the same problem then I will move on to the receiver.

Many, many thanks!

 

[TLS Guy]

I agree with everyone's assessment of an HDMI issue. If the cable run from the receiver to the projector is long i would suspect the problem lies there. To rule out the receiver I would try bypassing it, try plugging the projector strait into the BD source. If the problem still persists try a different HDMI cable, preferably a short one.

Hope this gets solved soon so you can enjoy your new setup!

That will not prove anything. A TV is an end device and only makes an initial HDCP code handshake.

However a receiver, since it inputs and outputs HDMI, has to have repeater architecture, and is required to make repeated handshakes though out play.

It is almost always on these repeater handshakes that the problem arises.

Hopefully it is a cable, but this failure has been slowly progressive, which sounds unfortunately, like a hardware issue.

 

[slipperybidness]

Me too, sounds like the HDMI cable has a fault or isnt built well enough to give you the bandwidth you need.
5M leads cause this problem more.

If you buy another cable, get one with good reviews.
You dont need to pay silly money.

I second the cable. That is the most likely source, the easiest to check, the cheapest to replace.

I had a similar problem recently when I did some HT re-arranging. A cable that worked fine for years when going from the cable box to the receiver started doing this drop-out thing when I used it to go from the receiver to the TV. It started off only every now and then and got progressively worse after about a week.

I'm glad it was just a cable. I told my GF that I hope the problem is cheap to fix because whatever it is, it will be replaced. It drove me crazy.

 

[Savage40]

I second the cable. That is the most likely source, the easiest to check, the cheapest to replace.

I had a similar problem recently when I did some HT re-arranging. A cable that worked fine for years when going from the cable box to the receiver started doing this drop-out thing when I used it to go from the receiver to the TV. It started off only every now and then and got progressively worse after about a week.

I'm glad it was just a cable. I told my GF that I hope the problem is cheap to fix because whatever it is, it will be replaced. It drove me crazy.

Amen brother! At first this only happened once in a while and I chalked it up to a fluke, but now it probably happens about 20 times during the course of a single movie and is not acceptable to tolerate. It literally ruins every movie or show I watch.

 

[Grador]

That will not prove anything. A TV is an end device and only makes an initial HDCP code handshake.

However a receiver, since it inputs and outputs HDMI, has to have repeater architecture, and is required to make repeated handshakes though out play.
.

I understand what the repeating device has to do, not sure why taking it out of the equation wouldn't be diagnostically relevant. Would be interested to hear more detail, possibly in a PM as I'm not sure it's directly relevant to the thread.

 

[GranteedEV]

I suggest a Blue Jeans HDMI Cable with the shortest possible length you can plausible run.

 

[TLS Guy]

I understand what the repeating device has to do, not sure why taking it out of the equation wouldn't be diagnostically relevant. Would be interested to hear more detail, possibly in a PM as I'm not sure it's directly relevant to the thread.

The issue is trying to gather information, by connecting the PS3 to the TV. This is a repeater handshake issue. The initial handshake that a TV is required to have is robust. The repeater handshake a receiver is required to make is far from it and fraught with problems. In fact the whole repeater architecture design is a total disgrace forced upon us by tossers in Hollywood.

 

[Grador]

The issue is trying to gather information, by connecting the PS3 to the TV. This is a repeater handshake issue. The initial handshake that a TV is required to have is robust. The repeater handshake a receiver is required to make is far from it and fraught with problems. In fact the whole repeater architecture design is a total disgrace forced upon us by tossers in Hollywood.

Gotcha, now that I'm thinking about it that way I understand how it must be the repeater handshake, also couldn't agree more about the pointlessness of HDCP.

 

[Savage40]

Thanks all for the tips and advice. The first cable I swapped out, the one between PS3 and the receiver seems to have been the culprit. I started a movie and it did black out once at the very beginning, but the entire rest of the movie was flawless.

I thought it was going to be the long 40' I ran from the media cabinet to the Projector as I am using one of those HDMI wallplates in the media cabinet and someone told me to just run straight cable and avoid using the hdmi wall plates.

 

[Impelled]

Nice.
Its good the 40 foot length + sockets works ok.
Although it might be the cause of the other glitch you saw.