Intermittent HDMI Cable??

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Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
mkgrady said:
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What I don't get is how a hdmi cable or jack can work intermittently. I imagine the contacts don't heat up and cause this. I would think the connection would be good or bad all the time.
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Surrounding or connected equipment can change local ambient temperature during usage. Internal connections (wire to pin) can have micro-fractures that expand, contract with change in local ambient. Microscopic movement is all it takes.... but I'm doubting it's the cable if these are brief intermittent signal losses. I'd be more inclined to believe it's a momentary failure of the HDCP handshake.
 
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curt swartz

Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
Location
San Jose, CA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Cheap HDMI cable can be very sensitive to electrical noise. I have seen T8 electronic ballasts and paddle fans located several rooms away cause the TV picture to go black. You might want to check with the customer to see if something is being turned on at the time they loose picture.
 
GeorgeB

GeorgeB

ElectroHydraulics engineer (retired)
Location
Greenville SC
Occupation
Retired
M

mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
hbiss said:
Let me ask you this- customer describes the picture as "bad", what does the picture look like? My experience with HDMI is either it's there or it isn't.

-Hal
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Customer says very intermittent or works for hours at a time. Same problem wether connected to cable box output or DVD player output. But you know customers. Not everything they say is true.
 
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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
GeorgeB said:
25' is marginal with 1080P, and probably unusable with 4k unless very high quality products are used. While there are multiple good sources, I find the technical info at Blue Jeans Cables http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/hdmi-cable.htm to be very good; they don't market via FUD as Monster does, and in my experience offer superior products.
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Thanks. That site provides a lot of good info. Still don't know if I should just replace the cable though. Have not heard any update from customer.
 
hbiss

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
mkgrady said:
Customer says very intermittent or works for hours at a time. Same problem wether connected to cable box output or DVD player output. But you know customers. Not everything they say is true.
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My point is that the word "bad" is very subjective. What does the picture look like? Like I said, my experience with HDMI is either there is a picture or there isn't. I've even had it flash on and off constantly every few seconds. No such thing as bad picture. Maybe there is something wrong with their TV which makes me wonder why are you blaming the HDMI cable or even you? Has this same setup ever worked before you touched it?

I understand that to go out and buy a new HDMI cable even to test is going to cost you money. If it were me I would want something more to go on than the customer saying that sometimes there is a bad picture. I would have to see it for myself at least, otherwise I couldn't do anything. There are so many places this could go wrong I would just be spinning my wheels otherwise. Does he have a smart phone and could he do a video of the TV screen at least?

-Hal
 
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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
hbiss said:
My point is that the word "bad" is very subjective. What does the picture look like? Like I said, my experience with HDMI is either there is a picture or there isn't. I've even had it flash on and off constantly every few seconds. No such thing as bad picture. Maybe there is something wrong with their TV which makes me wonder why are you blaming the HDMI cable or even you? Has this same setup ever worked before you touched it?

I understand that to go out and buy a new HDMI cable even to test is going to cost you money. If it were me I would want something more to go on than the customer saying that sometimes there is a bad picture. I would have to see it for myself at least, otherwise I couldn't do anything. There are so many places this could go wrong I would just be spinning my wheels otherwise. Does he have a smart phone and could he do a video of the TV screen at least?

-Hal
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I suggested he try several things that might prove the hdmi cable was either good or not. I have not heard back from him. I am thinking that means he might have found something other than a bad cable. I would just call him if he were a regular customer but I do not expect to work for him again. Thanks to all for your input. I learned some things as usual!
 
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