OTL HDMI cables

[Richard Kreiss]

-----Original Message-----
From: filepro-list-bounces+rkreiss=verizon.net at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:filepro-list-bounces+rkreiss=verizon.net at lists.celestial.com] On
Behalf Of Brian K. White
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 3:33 PM
To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
Subject: Re: OTL HDMI cables

On 12/21/2011 11:28 AM, Richard Kreiss wrote:
> Had a problem with my home AV system.  On Sunday the picture and sound 
> signal using an HDMI cable failed.
>
> After testing almost everything and finally connecting the cable box 
> and DVD player back to the set itself, everything worked.  This 
> indicated to me that the HDMI connections on the set were working.
>
> This A.M. I reconnected the Sound bar and found that it still did not
work.
> Finally I replaced the Output HDMI from the sound bar cable to the set 
> and everything worked.
>
> Has anyone of you experienced an HDMI cable failing?  This one failed 
> after
> 13 months of use.  I checked the outside of the cable and it was not 
> damaged.
>
> Richard Kreiss

No but it's not uncommon for various devices to have flaky hdmi circuits
that fail after a while or are flaky from day one or are flaky but only
between particular other boxes or are flaky only at high resolutions or are
flaky when everything is set to automatic but are ok when one or more
devices are locked to one resolution / one audio setting.

I was going to recount all the little glitches I've had and my brothers had
and the stuff I googled up about my model of cable box and it's known
issues, and my surround amp, and my brothers different cable box and
different surround amp, and tv, both our ps3's etc... But basically it just
turns out that almost every device can have some quirk and some thing you
just have to live with or work around (by not using hdmi or by locking the
settings instead of auto, or by not sending the hdmi through the surround
amp for switching, etc..) or get your device warranty replaced or repaired.

Google your particular devices for hdmi problems. Some will have known
issues and workarounds, some will have firmware updates, some will have
known issues that are warranty replaceable without much contest. 
Sometimes the issues take years to become certain because either the issue
is infrequent or the issue is because a piece of hardware starts out ok but
then fails after a while.

It's a drag. The magic single cable that makes everything simple isn't and
doesn't.

The one answer may be to use a Logitech Harmony One Programmable Remote
which will allow me to turn on the Sony Sound bar and control the volume
there plus access many of the settings available on its own remote.  I
already have two of these and they are easy to program.  Load the software
on a computer, if not already installed.  Plug in the remote, enter the
model numbers of equipment to be controlled and the program will find and
download the c remote settings.  For the special keys on the remote, you can
"teach" the harmony function and label it.  You then simply tell the remote
the sequence to use in turning on the equipment and what controls what.
i.e. Volume, TV or Receiver/surround sound system.  To do the job right may
take about 30 minutes but it is worth it to have only one remote to use.

This is not an inexpensive solution but they work well and are easy to
reprogram.

Richard