TV / DVD player conflict - help please

Factual Questions
1

I have exhausted my troubleshooting arsenal so I am here to seek assistance.

My TV does not play nice with my DVD player. When I switch the input from TV to DVD, I can use the DVD player, but when I return to the TV all is frozen. To resurrect my TV I have to power off the DVD player and reboot the Firestick. Every time.

This is the setup:

3-year-old Samsung Smart TV. Firestick in installed in HDMI1, DVD player is connected to HDMI2. My main TV watching is YouTubeTV, but there is also, Netflix and Amazon, all via the Firestick.

What I have tried in order to resolve the problem:

  • Flip-flopped the DVD/TV HDMI inputs
  • Used a different Firestick
  • Replaced the DVD player HDMI cable
  • Tried updating the TV firmware (no update available)

It seems to me that the issue is narrowed down to either the actual TV or the DVD player (likely the TV, I’m guessing). Sound about right?

Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks,

mmm

2

How is the Firestick powered, through the USB on the TV or a separate USB power supply? Maybe the TV cuts power to the USB port when changing inputs. It shouldn’t, but it’s easy to check.

3

Thanks, Dag.

The Firestick has its own power cable that plugs directly into an electrical outlet.

mmm

4

Then I would look into the HDMI-CEC setting on the devices. There may be a conflict somewhere.

5

I’ve had issues switching between native applications and my tv box if I don’t exit out of say, Netflix, and then go back. It’s also happened with Prime and Youtube as well so it’s not just the app on the TV. I then have to uninstall the app and reinstall them.
To be clear, I have an LG Smart TV with native Support of the above apps and use a tv box for cable and have them set up similarly to you. Try exiting out of the apps on the Fire stick before you switch over to the DVD player.
I would then try what @Dag_Otto suggests and disable the CEC settings one at a time and see where the problem lies.

6

Youse guys are the best. I think it is fixed.

@Dag_Otto suggested monkeying with the HDMI-CEC setting, which I was not familiar with, and that seemed promising, until I couldn’t locate it on my Samsung. So on to The Google, which informed me that different brands have different names for it and Samsung calls it Anynet+.

Great, back to the telly. But no Anynet+ in sight, not even when searching the e-manual within the TV.

But then I found a setting called BD Wise (who comes up with these names?). It was toggled on, so I offed it.

I also tried @swampspruce 's suggestion to exit all apps before firing up the DVD player.

I did both of these, so I don’t know which one led me to success.

But here I am, happy as a clam. At least until the next think goes wonky.

Thanks, guys!

mmm

7

Glad to help. :+1: