Frustrated and tired... HDMI problems

[AudioNut]

I just put together an HTPC using the following parts:

Asus P8B75-M/CSM
Intel Core i3 3225
8GB RAM
Ceton InfiniTV4
Windows 7 Home Premium x64

The idea is to use the integrated HD4000 graphics. I am only going to run Windows Media Center on this machine.

The problem:

This morning I had it working. I had the HDMI output connected to my system and everything was working perfectly. I had picture. I had sound. I had 5.1 audio from TV recordings. I was able to turn off the system (with the HTPC still running) and turn it back on and still had video and audio. I was very happy.

Then, out of nowhere, I lost video and audio. I rebooted the PC. Nothing. I unplugged all of my other components. Nothing. I bypassed everything in the system except my Yamaha RX-V2700 AV receiver and Panasonic TV. Still nothing.

The bottom line is that the HTPC will NO LONGER connect to my receiver via HDMI at all. There is no indication of any kind of HDMI communication going on when I plug it in. The HDMI logo does not light up on the receiver. The audio indicators do nothing. Nothing happens on the TV screen. All of this WAS working. When I connect to the HTPC via TeamViewer I can see that there are NO audio devices and NO video devices detected.

When I connect the HTPC directly to the TV it works fine. When I connect the HTPC to the receiver using a DVI > HDMI cable it works, without audio.

Things I have tried:

Reinstalled Intel drivers
Clear CMOS
Re-Flash the BIOS
Restore Windows
Different HDMI cables
Every setting I could possible imagine affecting this issue

Things I know:

Drivers are all up to date
BIOS is updated to the latest version
All Windows updates are installed
The HDMI output works - works with the TV
The HDMI on the receiver works - all other HDMI devices work fine
The DVI output works through the receiver
My desktop PC will not display a picture through the receiver over HDMI - This also USED to work!

I have come up with absolutely nothing. I have been at this for almost 17 hours now (not all at once) and I have gotten absolutely nowhere.

[richard1980]

Just a shot in the dark...have you tried changing which HDMI input is being used on the receiver? Perhaps the one you are trying to use is faulty.

[AudioNut]

Thank you for the reply. I have tried every input on the receiver with the same result.

[STC]

Perhaps it's the HDMI board on the AVR?
Have you tried unplugging the AVR for 15 mins?

[newfiend]

Just saw this, might want to contact Yamaha http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/26586 ... o-dropouts

Not sure why but it seems a lot of people have issues with Yamaha AVR's more than others.. Has anyone else noticed this?

Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

[AudioNut]

Well I think I have found a workaround for this. I connected the HTPC using DVI and that seems to provide a solid video signal. The problem was that the motherboard does not have a digital audio output on the back panel. It has a header for a "Digital Audio Bracket - Sold separately" which I found no where on the internet. So, I found an old audio cable from a CD-ROM drive, cut one end off, and soldered on an RCA plug. I plugged that into the S/PDIF header on the motherboard, connected it to a coaxial digital input on the receiver, and I now have sound! I am able to reliably switch between sources and power the system on and off and it is working great so far.

As for Yamaha receivers. I have found the opposite to be true. I am a custom A/V installer by trade and we use Yamaha receivers almost exclusively because they have been the most reliable overall and the least problematic in the HDMI department. Even Denon has really started to cheapen up many of their models to the point where we don't even carry them anymore.

[bobbob]

i love my yamaha avr, not sure one thread, one complainant, represents a lot of people?

[newfiend]

I have seen multiple people with Yamaha AVRs report issues in the past..not just this one. Maybe I'm the only one that noticed.?
And to the OP.. Yamaha makes good products yes.. But you had to "make" one heck of a workaround to get audio to work IMO that should have "just worked" over HDMI, don't you think? You honestly shouldn't have had to do any of that. That last post in the link I gave you said he had Yamaha replace the HDMI board in the AVR and it fixed his issue. Sounds like a problem possibly with that AVR's HDMI board. The average Joe buying that AVR without your electronic skills would most likely be upset.

@bobbob it could be that the Yamaha's are just popular AVR's but there are a few threads with them on here.. as well as other sites.
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... AVR#p33639
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... AVR#p38214
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... AVR#p35686

Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

[newfiend]

More HDMI issues with that AVR here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/752717/my-yam ... 700-busted
and here: http://www.mactalk.com.au/23/25696-ps3- ... ssues.html

I would contact Yamaha and at least ask them.. If you can get it fixed for free...why not?
newfiend~

[AudioNut]

This is the first time I have had any issues with HDMI on this receiver and since HDMI is working fine with every other source I'm not so sure it is the board. The 2700 was Yamaha's first networked AVR and, like a new car, there were some bugs. Some people had problems with it overheating and cooking the HDMI board. I have always run a fain on top of my unit to draw air away from it (I'd do that with any unit) and I have not experienced any problems over the 6+ years I've had it until now. You can find people that have had problems with just about any product. I can have it serviced at no cost because my employer is also a service center for most brands. I'm not convinced their's a problem with the receiver.

I tried to connect the HTPC through the HDMI matrix to my bedroom TV and I could not get a picture. Something in the HDMI portion of the integrated graphics is not wanting to talk to anything but a TV directly.

[STC]

^ I would suggest your next option is to spoof the EDID info from the 4000 output, and see how that goes.

[nick]

This is the first time I have had any issues with HDMI on this receiver and since HDMI is working fine with every other source I'm not so sure it is the board.

I had a similar issue with a ~1 year old 2012 Denon AVR and ~6 month 2013 Toshiba TV. The TV needed repair (panel replacement) and after repair the AVR no longer worked with the TV.

After the repair technician finished with the TV, he hooked everything up again and the HDMI out no longer worked with the just-fixed TV. I suspected the TV since it was totally dismantled and everything worked fine before since new. It didn't seem likely that the AVR would fail from just disconnecting it. Other HDMI sources worked fine on the TV and the AVR worked on other TVs so it appeared to be a new handshaking issue between the TV and AVR.

I tried reverse-HDMI handshaking, using HDMI switches/passthrough, powering everything off, factory resetting everything and nothing worked. Long story short, I sent the AVR back under warranty and they found a short in the HDMI control board. After the board replacement on the AVR, everything worked again.

So, while it could be a handshaking issue between the components, it could be that a component failed in your AVR.

Good luck!

[newfiend]

Have a spare Video Card with a HDMI out? You could also try that instead of using the Mainboard graphics.. Just as a test. Or try STC's suggestion above. Since that AVR has Ethernet.. It is up to date on firmware? I assume since you work with these products daily correct? It could just be an incomparability between the 4000 Graphics and your AVR since everything else seems to work. You can always grab a cheap GT430 and test it to see if it fixes the issue.
newfiend~