HDMI Television Handshake

General Questions
#1

Short version:
Do all HDTVs have HDMI handshake issues and will getting a new TV fix a handshake problem?

Long version:
A year and some change ago, I bought a 1080p high definition television. About 11 months into owning it, the HDMI inputs stopped working. I know it’s the HDMI inputs because the same devices work using component cables. I know it’s not the HDMI cables because the devices work on my other (smaller) HDTV and all HDMI inputs stopped working at the same time. Unplugging the cables doesn’t fix the problem. Shutting off power to the TV and devices doesn’t solve the problem.
I call the customer service. They send out a repair team who swapped out the main board on the TV. Problem solved. The HDMI inputs are working again.

Fast forward 1-2 months, and the sound goes out on the HDMI ports. I narrow it down to the HDMI ports again, and call customer service again. This is considered a failed repair and I’m still under warranty. They ship out a new TV and I ship back the old one.

The new one didn’t even last a month before I get the same issue.

I’m being told this is a HDMI handshake issue and that all HDTVs have it; therefore, they won’t replace the TV with another model. This seems like a load of crap to me. I paid for 4 HDMI inputs so I could hook up all my devices. I want my HDMI inputs. (There aren’t enough component inputs.)

My question to the collective knowledge of the SDMB is: “Are they feeding me a line of crap about all HDTVs having handshake issues and are there models without this problem?”

Every instinct says they’re full of crap and they did a poor job of engineering their product. I’ve also been told Sony is working on a fix for the issue, but I’ve found posts on message boards saying that dated in 2007, so I have no intention of waiting for a fix that may never come.

#2

I can’t say for certain if Sony is right, but it looks like there’s some truth to it: This document (PDF warning) covers the “HDCP handshake problem” and may shed more light on the issue.

#3

I see nothing in that document, though, that would indicate that the problem would start after a fairly lengthy period of time. If it’s a handshake issue, it should start more or less immediately, not after months of use (unless the problem is very intermittent).

#4

Anything that starts after a period of time that isn’t the result of a physical change that has some explicable compatibility issue (for example) tells me that it’s a malfunction as a result of flaky hardware, which would be my first hunch. It sounds like Sony just wants to wash their hands of it.

#5

Thanks for the initial replies. It looks like I accidentally implied the TV is a Sony. It’s not. It’s a Westinghouse, but they have told me Sony is working on the problem.

#6

I had this problem on my Sony Bravia. The HDMI inputs would start failing to get a signal. After some time, I was able to fix it by changing the HDMI configuration on the TV to the basic mode. I’m can’t remember what the actual option name was as I am not at home now.

Basically the TV configuration for the HDMI input was for the TV to be able to control the HDMI source device. This was causing no end of problems. Disabling this mode caused everything to work fine again.

Hope this is clear and helps you.

#7

We just got a brand new giant plasma screen TV. Is this going to be a problem? Already there aren’t enough HDMI inputs and we’re going to have to get some sort of box or something.

#8

What do you have going in to it? A cable box that allows you to connect component will provide just as good a picture, and free up an input.

#9

I’ve not had this problem with my almost year old Panny plasma. The only things I hook up via HDMI are the DVD player and a laptop.

#10

No cable box. We’ve got the Xbox and the media computer, and the Blu-Ray player/home theater in a box is coming. We need one more HDMI input and we ain’t got it.

ETA - and I should have known the price for the TV was too low - no s-video! We just assumed it would have it.

#11

Ugh. An HDMI switch is what you’ll need. That one’s wireless, so you can program it into your universal remote (which you’ll now need). I’d recommend plugging the Xbox into your theater system, if you got one that’s HDMI compatible (which I imagine it is, if it’s coming with the bluray).

As for S-video, it’s on its way out. Many AV receivers are shipping these days without S-video input/output.

#12

I can’t believe it’s got so few inputs, really. Only two HDMI, and not very many anything-else, either.

We use a Harmony remote, so I’m sure I can program it to talk to an HDMI switch.

#13

Any chance it has a DVI input? That’s HDMI but without the sound, and a little dongle adapter can be had from monoprice.com for a few bucks.

#14

One of the HDMIs is both. (Insult to injury.)

#15

Huh? Like it’s a dual input, with both slots *right *next to each other, so you have to choose between the two? That sucks! Got a model? I’d like to look it up/avoid it.

Edit: Hey, thisjust popped up on Gizmodo’s deals of the day!

#16

Like, one of them is HDMI/DVI. I don’t even know what that means, but it’s running the media computer on HDMI just fine. The whole TV confuses the hell out of the boyfriend, who is a video professional (not that that means he knows anything about new TVs, of course, but still)