problems with new Onkyo TX-SR604 receiver

[jlyttle]

Hi all, I am having problems, let me decribe and hopefully you all will have some insight. This receiver is part of a new HT setup which includes the receiver, TV, DVD player and cable box. All components are HDMI. I have both the DVD and cable box going to the receiver, and then 1 HDMI cable from there to the TV.

The problem that I am having is that very frequently when watching cable the picture and sound will freeze, sometimes with snow and some ghosting, but mostly just to a black screen. Turning the receiver on and off a few times will fix it. This does not happen when watching DVD's. Plugging the cable box into the TV using HDMI also solves trhe problem, so the receiver seems to be the root of it, but again, is fine with DVD's. Occasionally the screen will go green, and sometimes a message come up telling me that I am watching unautorized HD content and that HD playback will be disabled. The only HD cvontent on my whole system is from the cable box, so there should be no copyright issues. Any ideas? Is it a setup issue, or a bad unit? If bad, any idea why the DVD player works with it just fine? Thanks in advance.

-Justin

 

[MDS]

The problem is likely the cable box. Some of them still don't work well with a 'repeater' device in the middle (the receiver).

 

[jlyttle]

The problem is likely the cable box. Some of them still don't work well with a 'repeater' device in the middle (the receiver).

Thanks for the reply. So this is a relatively known issue? It kind of makes sense, as the receiver is fine all day long playing from my DVD player. OK. So the question is, what can I do? It is a brand new cable box that I picked up from Comcast about 4 weeks ago. Is it defective, or just an issue with this model. If this is the case, what can I do?

 

[MDS]

I would contact Comcast and ask if they have any firmware updates to enable their cable boxes to work with HDMI repeaters. Short of that, I don't know if there is anything you can do other than sending the HDMI straight to the display and the audio to the receiver separately.

 

[jlyttle]

Ugh. I purchased this receiver specifically to simplify cabling lol.

 

[jlyttle]

I would contact Comcast and ask if they have any firmware updates to enable their cable boxes to work with HDMI repeaters. Short of that, I don't know if there is anything you can do other than sending the HDMI straight to the display and the audio to the receiver separately.

The irony being that it is an HDMI cable box lol.

 

[angstadt530]

So this is a relatively known issue?

I hear it's a common problem. A different receiver won't help, so unless Comcast can give you a cable box that will work, you'll have to do what MDS suggested and run the HDMI to the TV and the audio to the receiver. You might be able to buy a cable box, but I have no knowledge in that area, just a thought.

 

[jupi]

I'm desparately trying to get audio thru my TV. I have HDMI cable going from SA 8300HD cable-box into my SR674 receiver. Then I have another HDMI cable from my receiver into my Samsung HDTV.
I get video BUT NO audio thru my TV.

Additional Settings:
SA 8300HD cable-box: I've set Audio Digital Out to HDMI
SR764 receiver: I've set HDMI Audio Out to ON; set Digital Input VIDEO1 to HDMI1 on the front of the receiver.

Alternate Setup
Based on other suggestions, I also tried hooking up Optical audio cable from my cable-box to the receiver. Changed cable-box setting Audio Digital Out to Dolby Digital. No changes to receiver settings. Still no sound thru TV speakers. Am I doing this right???

It's driving me crazy...I would really appreciate any advice on this.

 

[MDS]

The Onkyo settings sound correct but the TV may not accept audio over HDMI. Many do not and include analog audio inputs right next to the HDMI input with instructions in the manual to connect them as well if you want audio in to the TV.

 

[jupi]

MDS, I know the TV DOES accept audio over HDMI because when I connect the cable-box directly to the TV via HDMI, I get both video and audio. It's only when I go thru the receiver, I don't get audio. Any ideas?

 

[markw]

It sounds to me that the receiver doesn't pass audio to the TV.

Actually, why should it? Audio is the receiver's job, isn't it? It's designed as the end of the line for audio and it just passes the video on to the TV. And, by running the video through the receiver, it's not like you can take it out of the loop and just use the TV without the receiver being in the circuit.

If you really, really want your cake and be able to eat it too, just follow MDS's advice and run the red/white analog audio cable to the corrosponding input on the TV. You'll just have to turn the receiver's volume all the way down when using the TV's speakers.

Actually, if you run the STB's HDMI directly to the TV, that STB analog line to the TV, and a digital feed fron the STB to the receiver you'd have the best of both worlds.

But, if it says it should be passing HDMI audio out to the TV, then call Onkyo tech support for clarification. There seems to be a disparity between what the manual/settings say it's doing and what it's actually doing. The fact that the TV can accept HDMI audio from the STB but not from the receiver places the issue squarely in the receiver's domain.

 

[jupi]

No Audio via HDMI - Proposed Solution

Just got off the phone with Onkyo Tech Support. They told me that the cable-box is only sending Dolby Digital signal to the receiver (which can be verified because the receiver display has red dolbydigital symbol on). And the receiver is trying to pass Dolby Digital signal to the TV and the TV is not accepting it. That's why there's no audio when I go thru the receiver.

But when I connect my cable-box directly to the TV via HDMI, it some how autimatically converts Dolby Digital to PCM which my TV likes. (Onkyo claims that my TV - Samsung LCD LN-S4051D does not like Dolby Digital over HDMI)

So the solution suggested by Onkyo is:
Hookup cable-box directly to TV via HDMI. You'll get both video and audio from your TV.
Then, hookup cable-box to recevier via Optical Audio cable. You'll be able to get surround sound from your receiver.

This makes some sense. This way I don't have to turn-on the receiver just because I want to watch News. But I can enjoy the surround-sound quality audio thru the receiver, if I wanna watch a movie/game on cable.

 

[Nick250]

Good solution. I am with you, I don't want to turn on the whole AV system on just to watch the news or most regular TV shows so I use a similar configuration.

Nick

 

[MDS]

But when I connect my cable-box directly to the TV via HDMI, it some how autimatically converts Dolby Digital to PCM which my TV likes. (Onkyo claims that my TV - Samsung LCD LN-S4051D does not like Dolby Digital over HDMI)

Interestingly the manual says that in some instances setting HDMI Audio Out:On won't work with some TVs and you could try setting the output of the cable box to PCM. That would work for you in getting audio to the TV but it would eliminate Dolby Digital to the receiver for the case where you use the speakers connected to the receiver.

So it looks like their option of HDMI to the TV and optical audio to the receiver is the way to go.