HDMI connection issues

[hrp2171]

Hi,

I finally connected the Dish HD DVR to my TV using an HDMI cable. The difference between component and HDMI was clearly visible right away. However, every once in a while, the screen on the TV goes all green but we still can hear the audio. Other times, the TV just powers itself off and on a couple of times. I had the Dish HD DVR box set to 1080 so I lowered it to 720p and that seems to have helped but only for a littel while. Then it started with all-green screen and power on/off deal again. Sometimes we just turn off the Dish then the TV and power them back on. That seems to help on occassion. Could it be the quality of the HDMI cable? Does it really matter how much I paid for the HDMI cable? This one I bought for only $13.00.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Jerryinvirginia]

Experience has shown that there is little difference between component and HDMI video delivery. You probably answered your own question. The cable COULD be the problem you describe. It could also be the chassis connector on either tv or receiver. The design of the HDMI cable could also create problems. Make sure that this fragile connection is properly supported to remove stress. Wire tie or route cables in a fashion to assure continued operation. You might check to see if your tv has user controlled video options for each input. That could explain the video differences you describe... if that is feature, adjust each input to your liking...

 

[dead3ye]

Sounds to me like the HDMI input connector on the back of the 622. I had to have both of mine replaced because of this issue. It's a well documented problem with the 622.

The next time you get green screen, try wiggling the cable where it plugs into the dvr.

 

[wonko]

Experience has shown that there is little difference between component and HDMI video delivery.

At least until the content providers start enforcing HDCP restrictions...

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Yeah, I have switched to component temporarily because my HDMI port is on the fritz... and no real PQ differences are even noticeable. Just no audio feeding to the tv.

 

[Jerryinvirginia]

At least until the content providers start enforcing HDCP restrictions...

Don't know what you think, but my vote is to forget the restrictions.

 

[kwindrem]

...
However, every once in a while, the screen on the TV goes all green but we still can hear the audio. Other times, the TV just powers itself off and on a couple of times. I had the Dish HD DVR box set to 1080 so I lowered it to 720p and that seems to have helped but only for a littel while.
...
Could it be the quality of the HDMI cable? Does it really matter how much I paid for the HDMI cable? This one I bought for only $13.00.
...

I'd try wiggling HDMI connections at TV and the Sat receiver. Be gentle -- don't want to break something. HDMI connectors can work loose so check that too.

Usually, when an HDMI connection is unreliable, you see sparkles or flashes of noise. When the handshake fails, the TV normally goes black. Green indicates all 0's being received by the TV. A green screen coupled with the TV powering off suggests something very abnormal is going on. It's possible the TV is shutting down to "protect itself" but that's a wild guess.

1080i and 720p bandwidths are the same so switching between them probably won't change behavior if it's related to HDMI bandwidth. Choosing 480p would reduce bandwidth.

Nearly all HDMI cables under 10' long will work at 1080i bandwidth but it's worth trying a different cable just to rule that out. Longer cables are a different story. You need a good quality cable to run 1080i 20+ feet. But you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for a good cable. Check bluejeanscable.com and monoprice.com for quality cables at reasonable prices. There's a decent discussion on BJC's site about HDMI in general and their specifically their different cable offerings.

If it's not the cable I'd also try a different TV or source (DVD player maybe) to see if you can isolate the problem to one device, then have that device serviced.

 

[hrp2171]

Thanks to all for your input. Next time I'm watching TV and it goes green, I'll try slightly moving the connection at the back of the Dish box. I thought about disconnecting the HDMI cable at the TV and using canned air to blow out any dust that might've gotten in there, too.

This is the second cable that I've purchased. The first one kept displaying blocky images.

I was happy with the component connection so if bad comes to worse, I'll just go back to red-green-blue.