TV to DVD player/recorder hdmi connection problem.

Spark

I have a panasonic plasma tv and a toshiba dvd player/recorder. I connected them both with a scart lead for a long time, and it has been working well.
Today I have tried to connect them with a hdmi cable, as the picture should be better than with a scart.
The result was that I had lost all the bbc channels. The other channels worked fine.
I did lose the bbc channels with the scart lead a couple of times, and it was when the scart slipped half way out of the scart socket, I just had to pushed it in again and the bbc channels were there again.
But the hdmi lead and other leads were well in.
I had problems with this hdmi lead when I tried to use it with another cheap dvd player (which I bought to be able to play R1 dvds as my main dvd player is not multiregion). The problem was bad lip sync, so I tried another hdmi lead on that cheap dvd player and then it worked fine.
Could that be that the lead is faulty, or could there be other problems causing the bbc channels to vanish when I use a hdmi lead?
Saying that, I did have some cuts in the freeview signal in the last few days, both on the tv freeview and the dvd player freeview, but the cuts lasts only from a few seconds to a minute, then it comes back. (I did check whether there were some work done on my local transmitter, but it reported no problems). I tried the hdmi cable for a good hour but the bbc channels never came back, all the other channels were allright.

spakkker

Do you get all channels when aerial goes direct to tv ? I assume tv has built-in freeview.
What happens when you use the other hdmi lead you tried with cheapie dvd ?

Poundland usually have them or £1.25 del. - http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMI-Cable-Connectors-1080p-Freeview/dp/B003N3197E

HoofeHearted

How old is the Panasonic TV. Article here says that some older ones have problems. Some can have a software update to correct.

May be a red herring, but seems that there is/was problems with Panny TVs.

Spark

TV (TX-P37X10B) has build in freeview, and my main DVD recorder has build in freeview too. My TV doesn't seem to be in the list of troublesome TVS listed.
At the moment I cannot try anything, it seems that I have no freeview signal at the moment at all, it's dead for all channels.
I am living in a block of flats and we got a communal aerial, (as I am writing, the signal came back for 1 minute then gone off again). Difficult to try anything with a signal like this (it seems getting worst though).
My neighbour is not in at the moment so I cannot ask them if they had any problems with their tv (came back again then gone off 20 seconds later, then back for a while then off for a few minutes now). It's quite bizarre, and it's not the first time it has happened.
Signal still not back.

Spark

Signal back now (for how long :mad:)

birkee

How can a lead be channel selective? It's a faulty lead.

As a caution: My Sony Bravia was set up to my tastes, with a little more colour than the default. (Beatiful picture, but pallid to my tastes) Anyway connecting my recorder via HDMI lead, and the picture seemed flat and lifeless. I was convinced I had a recorder problem, as there was no picture disturbance or noise.
Bought a twin tuner HD recorder, and b**gger me if I didn't have the same problem. Found I got a better picture through the Scart connector. Then I bought Component video leads as being better than the scart, but before I tried them, I suddenly had a flash of insight.

The HDMI signal is controlled by the source, and the specification of picture and sound is in the source.
The TV hands over control to the HDMI source, and the TV picture defaults to factory setting. (pale and lifeless) Then I find, not only that I can adjust the picture on the HDMI channel to match the settings I like, but I can also set up the inputs to every input according to the connection used.

Set the picture on HDMI 1 to the DVD / Hard drive recorder. Set the picture on HDMI 2 to the twin tuner recorder etc etc etc.
The picture on the TV is adjusted to the source on every input, including it's own tuner for normal TV.

Now I've set the inputs to the same settings as the TV, brightness / contrast / colour, everything is hunky dorey. All it cost me is a new twin tuner recorder.

Addition:
Saying that, it all depends on the signal source being there. Ask the neighbour if they have problems.

Spark

I will ask them as soon as they are in.

Now I wonder if something around is not playing up with the signal.
I did notice that when the hoover go too near the TV the signal goes. Then it goes back on when I get away from the TV. When my wall clock changes from am to pm and back, it scrambles the signal too.
I did not change anything in the last few days but I hope the direct neighbours (up and down) are not doing something that interferes with the signal. I heard one of them banging on something a few days ago.

I'll have to buy another HDMI lead for the dvd/recorder then.

Spark

It seems that the neighbours have the same problems with their TVs, for the last 2 or 3 days. So it has something to do with the aerial then. But that still doesn't explain the absence of the BBC channels on my PVR when I used the HDMi lead. Bizarre. Will try again when the signal problem is no more.

birkee

One thing that might be worth considering.
If another resident is not using the shared signal source, have they shorted out the feed (signal lead to earth screening lead) in their own flat. Most likely a plug pulled off a lead, leaving the two connections touching. Maybe, somebody ham fisted putting a plug ON a lead, and shorting it out.
I've no idea whether communal signals are protected against this.

Spark

I wouldn't know about this, but this morning when I 've turned on the TV, there was no signal whatsoever. If there is anything, the picture is very broken and unwatchable. So it is getting worst.
All what I know is that it's not the first time it's happening, it's a regular thing, the signal will go through perfectly for a few months, then it'll play up again, then go back to be good for a few months then ......... I just cannot understand what is interfering with it.

asbokid

Spark wrote: »

I wouldn't know about this, but this morning when I 've turned on the TV, there was no signal whatsoever. If there is anything, the picture is very broken and unwatchable. So it is getting worst.
All what I know is that it's not the first time it's happening, it's a regular thing, the signal will go through perfectly for a few months, then it'll play up again, then go back to be good for a few months then ......... I just cannot understand what is interfering with it.

Have you reported the fault to the managers of the communal TV system? Have you got a freeview box in your apartment? Have you done a full re-tune on it recently? During the digital switchover as analogue TV is turned off, multiplex frequencies have been moved around a bit, and re-tuning is needed.