HDMI dropout problem

[Bert Coules]

Since there were so many knowledgeable answers in the HDMI cables thread, I thought I'd ask this here. My AV setup is as follows:

Sources: Sky+ HD, Dune media player and Panasonic DMR 85750 BluRay /HDD receiver/recorder feeding an Onkyo TX NR-626 receiver/amp (all connections HDMI). Then:

Onkyo -> .5m HDMI cable -> Darbee Dablet (image processor) -> 4m HDMI cable -> JVC X35 projector

The problem is that after the gear has been on for around an hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) I get a sudden complete loss of audio and video. It takes maybe thirty seconds for the connection to be re-established (during which the "HDMI" display on the amp blinks on and off) then, after less than a minute, the signal is lost again and has to reconnect itself once more. This double occurrence happens every time. Once re-established the second time, everything stays fine however long the viewing session lasts.

This problem has happened before, six months ago - it started when I replaced an earlier (Panasonic) projector with the current JVC model. It persisted for a few weeks then simply went away: I've had months trouble free, but now it's returned.

I've tried substituting different cables and also removing the image processor but neither makes any difference. If anyone here has experienced anything similar, or has any thoughts, I'd be glad to hear from you. Many thanks.

[Bill Wright]

You need a better aerial. A really big one.

Bill

[Brian Gaff]

All you can do is gradually eliminate an interconnection one at a time until the problem goes away.Don't change two things together. My feeling is that its either the original signal or a heap of junk on the interconnection which makes the weakest link need to re establish a lock. It was oh so easy in the old analogue days, as things tended to have tell tale symptoms, but digital copes up to a point and then just cuts out. Brian

[Toby]

To start with, I would do some testing to try and eliminate some things..

With the video playing, if you unplug the projector from the image processor, does the HDMI display on the amplifier flash like it does when the signal is lost? if not, then I would say the problem is further down the line, keep pulling cables one by one until you replicate the flashing HDMI display, I expect this will only happen when things between the amp and then source are unplugged (but I could be wrong!)

You may need to get to the point where you suspect the amplifier, so need to connect the source, through the image processor, directly to the projector, you may be able to get the audio working via an optical cable connected between the amp and the source or image processor while you do this.

[Lee]

Does this *only* happen when the SkyHD is the active source? There have been handshake/HDCP issues with some equipment combinations...

[Bert Coules]

Many thanks to everyone for the replies and advice, and apologies for the delay in responding. I've been doing a few experiments with various sources: so far it seems to be only the Sky+ HD box (via the Onkyo amp and the Darbee processor) which triggers the HDMI dropouts. If that proves to be so, then the next stage is to progressively eliminate items in the chain and try different combinations.

It's a slow process, since the problem doesn't occur until the gear has been powered up for, typically, a couple of hours. And there's also the possibility that it's a a specific action which triggers it, such as changing channels or replaying a recording, though I haven't noticed this particularly.

Thanks again.

[dennis]

It can even be the far end not encoding the video properly which can cause sky boxes to stutter.

[Bert Coules]

That one hadn't occurred to me. Thanks.