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HDMI problem with Sony TV

fenlander

fenlander

Active Member
My new HDR-FOX T2 arrived from Humax Direct on Monday and I am generally very impressed. However, there is one problem that is making me wonder whether I should keep it or send it back. The HDMI output from the Humax is not detected by my Sony KDL-32V4500 TV.

I have checked these forums and Digital Spy and understand that there is an issue with 1.02.07 software and HDMI with some televisions. My box was delivered with 1.01.09 and behaved in exactly the same way with the original software and with the 1.02.07 upgrade installed. The TV happily works via HDMI when connected to my PC, so it's not the TV that's causing the problem.

I have tried power cycling the Humax and the TV, tried all 3 HDMI inputs on the TV, tried using VFormat to connect at various resolutions, and tried a different HDMI cable. I called Humax support and was told only that the 1.02.07 update should fix the problem (it didn't). I subsequently emailed them and have received no reply - not even an acknowledgement.

So, firstly, has anyone any other suggestions I could try?
Secondly, if I have to continue to use SCART, will the HD picture quality be seriously compromised when my local transmitter switches over in March/April? (The TV is 720p, by the way).
Thirdly, I you were me, would you send the box back? Is this a deal breaker?
 
If the TV is not recognising the input at all but the PC can, i would suspect the TV is at fault rather than the box.
Does everything else work normally via HDMI with the tv? Xbox/PS3 etc?

Have you checked with Sony to see if they have an updated firmware for the TV? or if there is a known issue?
Of course it could be an issue with the box, but i would go through a process of elimination first as it sounds extremely unlikely not to get a picture at all.

The difference between Scart & HDMI is primarily the picture size. So although you would be able to view HD broadcasts, they would not be in True HD as they would need to be downscaled for the Scart connection.
 
One other thing you should test is to plug the PVR into another TV using HDMI to make sure it is not a complete HDMI failure but the common incompatibility failure with the Sony TV (Panasonics are reported to have problems too). Also have you upgraded the firmware in the Sony TV to the latest available?
 
ChrisDaniels said:
If the TV is not recognising the input at all but the PC can, i would suspect the TV is at fault rather than the box.
Does everything else work normally via HDMI with the tv? Xbox/PS3 etc?
Click to expand...

Sorry, my wording was unclear. When I connect my PC to the TV using HDMI, the TV recognises the input and works correctly. I don't have any other devices with HDMI outputs.

Sony don't list any upgrades for this model, but I'll give them a ring.
 
Update: I tried the Hummy with my neighbour's Panasonic and it worked perfectly. Sony advise that there is no known issue with the TV and no firmware update available.

It appears there is an incompatibilty between the Humax and the Sony TV. Colin at Humax support was pessimistic about any fix being likely, so the box is booked for return to Humax.
 
I think you would be best to borrow another HDMI device from someone in that case to check if the TV is faulty.
But if it can see the PC, it suggests it is not.

Are you manually selecting the input on the TV?
Your TV more than likely doesnt auto-switch to the input like the old Scart connections did - does my head in that.
 
The Sony maintains a list of detected HDMI devices which has to be updated when a new device is added. It just doesn't see the Hummy, so cannot even register it. I'm not bothered about auto-switching.

I'm resigned now to returning the box and looking for an alternative. A pity as the Hummy is very slick - a huge advance on my 9200T. However, with 5 years experience of Humax upgrade schedules, I don't hold out much hope of seeing the Sony issue resolved in any reasonable time frame.
 
The Digistream PVR seems to being getting good user feedback.

This is one of those cases where both parties claim to be following the spec (for HDMI) to the letter. Problem is there is not a one to one match between the Korean and Japanese alphabets. Sony are the ones who have a history of embracing and extending standards in their own unique way though. It is one way of sucking the unsuspecting owner into an all Sony set up I guess. :rolleyes:
 
Have you tried setting "Control for HDMI" (in 'HDMI Setup') to off on the TV - Sony's HDMI controls are not generally compatible with other manufacturer's euipment.
 
@FifthHorseman
Thanks for the suggestion. I will try it in the morning - the box will have to be unpacked! Still, if it works it will be worth it as it's really difficult to find an alternative that matches up to the Hummy. I've always assumed that the control would have to be ON to enable the HDMI ports.
 
Can the OP clarify what he means exactly by "The HDMI output from the Humax is not detected by my Sony"? Do you mean that even if you manually select the HDMI input the Hummy is connected to you get no sound and/or picture or that it just doesn't appear in the devices list?

FifthHorseman said:
Have you tried setting "Control for HDMI" (in 'HDMI Setup') to off on the TV - Sony's HDMI controls are not generally compatible with other manufacturer's euipment.
Click to expand...

Yep, Sony's Control for HDMI only appears to work with Sony devices.

I've got a Sony TV (KDL-40EX603) and the Hummy doesn't appear in the HDMI devices list, and neither does it auto-switch (although that may actually be a benefit as PVRs, by definition, do things on their own so you wouldn't want the TV randomly switching on/changing input). My Hummy is now connected through my Sony Home Theatre system and again, it doesn't auto-switch that either.
 
I have a 5 year old SonyKDL-W40A12U and an HDR Fox T2 (1TB) which was purchased in November 2010.
There is only one HDMI socket on the TV so I purchased a Neet HDMI switcher with four inputs via Amazon. This
came with a credit card size remote control to switch between the inputs if necessary. Up until the recent OTA update this worked every time automatically, ie whenever the Fox T2 was switched on and HDMI manually selected on the TV, the TV connected to the Fox T2 OK. Since the last OTA update, I am occasionally faced with a black screen and have to select the appropriate input on the Neet switcher using its remote control. It seems to happen when the HDR T2 is recording and is switched out of standby. The black screen does not happen when I'm using the DVD player. It is no problem really to select the input via the Neet remote control but the problem has only occurred since the last OTA update. Coincidence or not?

Edit:- Just read this again, sorry about the rambling - the point I was trying to make was that the Neet kicked the screen in to life

In all other respects the Fox T2 is brilliant and the HD pictures (from Crystal Palace) are breathtaking. Even the wife has remarked how good the quality is (she never usually notices these things!)

Gerry
 
All sorted. A series of idiot mistakes - by me, Mea culpa. I'll explain...

Two and a half years ago, when I set up the Sony TV + Hummy 9200, I set the TV's HDMI inputs to Skip (under AV-setup), effectively rendering them invisible (I had no HDMI components at the time). I then forgot all about having done this.

When I got the Fox-T2 this week and tried to connect it, I could (of course) find no HDMI options in the Sources list to connect to. I went into Setup on the TV and concluded that the Hummy would need to be registered in the Control for HDMI screen before it would become selectable as a source. However, the TV would not register the Hummy - because it is not a compatible Sony component. I then embarked on a whole series of elimination tests trying to find a hardware issue instead of doing what I should have done in the first place, if only I'd remembered turning the HDMI source options to skip. When FifthHorseman suggested turning the Control for HDMI off, the light finally dawned. I re-enabled the HDMI options in the sources list and the rest is history.

Thanks to everyone who helped and sorry about the waste of time. The Hummy was packed and just waiting for a return number from Humax. Fortunately, Humax are about as bad as everyone else at returning phone calls, so the call back from Sales I was promised yesterday afternoon never materialised. I'm really pleased he Hummy will be staying - none of the alternatives appealed at all.
 
Lol never mind.. We all make mistakes. Sounds like a silly option in the Sony though lol
Does SKIP stand for "Sony's Krafty Ingenious Plan" ?

It might aswell have been labelled "Do you want to turn off the HDMI so that when you get an HDMI device from another manufacturer you will think its broken and go out and buy a Sony ? YES/NO" :D
 
My Samsung TV only list HDMI inputs (or indeed any other AV inputs) which actually have something connected to them. The rest which are not connected are listed below but are greyed out and are non-selectable. Seems like a much more sensible way of doing it surely?
 
My Samsung lists them all, but sorts them to In Use, and Not In Use.. If only there was an option to auto-switch though like with old Scart..
Its such a pain having to switch inputs with the remote when i want to use my 360 grr :mad:
I dont want to buy an auto-switcher either as the TV has a special "Game Mode" which is meant to improve the picture and latency.. double grr :mad::mad:
 
Greecian said:
I have a 5 year old SonyKDL-W40A12U and an HDR Fox T2 (1TB) which was purchased in November 2010.
There is only one HDMI socket on the TV so I purchased a Neet HDMI switcher with four inputs via Amazon. This
came with a credit card size remote control to switch between the inputs if necessary. Up until the recent OTA update this worked every time automatically, ie whenever the Fox T2 was switched on and HDMI manually selected on the TV, the TV connected to the Fox T2 OK. Since the last OTA update, I am occasionally faced with a black screen and have to select the appropriate input on the Neet switcher using its remote control. It seems to happen when the HDR T2 is recording and is switched out of standby. The black screen does not happen when I'm using the DVD player. It is no problem really to select the input via the Neet remote control but the problem has only occurred since the last OTA update. Coincidence or not?

Edit:- Just read this again, sorry about the rambling - the point I was trying to make was that the Neet kicked the screen in to life

In all other respects the Fox T2 is brilliant and the HD pictures (from Crystal Palace) are breathtaking. Even the wife has remarked how good the quality is (she never usually notices these things!)

Gerry
Click to expand...

The latest update, V20 downloaded yesterday, appears to have corrected this. Volume in SD & HD is now the same.

Gerry
 
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