HDMI Solutions
HDMI Problems?
On this page, I will try to offer some quick solutions to issues you might be having with HDMI.
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Picture but NO SOUND on HDMI
The first area to troubleshoot is Video with no Sound.
Aside from the simple things like...
Checking connections (loose, unplugged), making sure you go from source to Receiver to TV. Activating connected inputs on TV and Receiver, Power ON for source unit, receiver, TV. Components are plugged in the wall for electricity-hey you have to check off the obvious...
.,
There could be a more in depth issue in the menu selections of the components.
There are a few things to check when you have picture but no sound on an HDMI source. These are only suggestions based on personal experience and are only offered to assist.
Typically there is an easy answer and solution for the problem as HDMI is pretty simple. It just depends on what you are connecting and other menu selections involved.
First of all, what is the source you are having problems with? Check the Source.
Cable and Satellite boxes: Make sure you have selected audio to output on HDMI in that devices Menu and not another port, like optical or coaxial, from the Cable or Satellite box you may be using.
DVD, Blu-Ray and PS3 players: Again, check the system settings to ensure where the audio is being fed from. Make sure audio priority is set to HDMI. People play with menus all the time and sometimes can accidentally change something.
SONY branded players actually have an easy setup menu that will eliminate a lot of guessing when hooking up your player.
Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player
NOW, does your Receiver have Passthrough or Active Intelligence (Repeater) for HDMI. see the page on "Why HDMI" for a description on this.
In many Receivers with Active Intelligence, you can actually switch off the Repeater, which then sends two channel audio to the TV, and that's all you get at the Receiver as well.
Check the HDMI settings in the Receiver to make sure the Receiver is set to "AMP"
NOT "TV + AMP" as this actually turns off the Active Intelligence capability and thus sends what the TV is asking for by becoming a Pass Through device.
You can also try to turn off the component or unplug HDMI and replug, as sometimes there is just a hiccup in the sync between devices.
If none of these solve the problem, check the cord with another HDMI enabled component and connect directly to the TV to check sound, and eliminate the possibility of a bad cord.
Remember you have to follow the chain of progression. Source-Receiver-TV
Sound but no Picture or NOTHING at all
Picture with no Sound is a little more complex to explain...
First, think of your computer. What is the resolution of your monitor? How does the computer know that. You sometimes have to tell it.
Using your Bluray or DVd player, see if you can find resolution settings for HDMI and make sure they match what your TV is capable of.
HDMI typically will automatically determine the resolution right out of the box, because the components talk to each other.
But sometimes, again, people mess with the menu and can fool the HDMI plug.
Cable and Satellite boxes are more known for these issues because they don't talk to the Consumer Electronics companies to ensure compatiblity and reliability.
Other cases and more typical issues occur when running multiple outputs from the same unit.
Again, SONY Blu-Ray players seem to be the best selection due to their apparent ability to output on multiple jacks (most others don't even offer this), but there are some limitations to HDMI itself in order to protect the content from being recorded at 1080p.
You CAN output HDMI and Component at the same time, but typically, HDMI has to be set to 1080i to do so, otherwise Component will be dumbed down to 480i or p resolution output.
This year, SONY has changed that and will allow HDMI to be output at 1080p and Component at 1080i. Again, This is set up in their Easy Setup Menu.
It's important to note that some Blu-Ray discs may still prevent this in order to protect the content, so always keep that in the back of your mind if other movies are working and some don't.
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