WMC 8 loses TV signal after switching TV/Amplifier off/on

[Peterdeg]

Posted this over on http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows ... 03965.aspx but thought I should try here as well

Ok, a 'fun' one that's just started happening to me. I've been using this setup for a month and while I've had problems I've managed to fix them but this is a new one and has me stumped.

Whenever I finish watching TV and switch the amplifier/tv off, when I switch it back on I end up with (what I gather is the infamous) black screen. No time limit is required, even if I turn the off and back on immediately, I have the problem.

If I then I hit the guide button, the guide is displayed but the preview box for the current channel shows 'No TV signal'. Changing the channel gets things going again. What I discovered last night though is that any recordings running when you switch back on fail.

What I've seen:

• Watching something
  TV and amplifier off
  Amplifier on. I hear audio for a few seconds, followed by the Windows 'lost/found hardware' chimes, then silence
  TV on, black screen

I don't see how switching the HDMI connection off/on should break the tuner cards.

I've tried removing the MHEG registry entries, updated BIOS/video drivers/tuner drivers and disabling the power-saving options for the PCI-e bus.

The only changes to the system before I noticed the problem starting, was me changing fan speeds in bios and the patch tuesday we've just had (no, I haven't backed out the patches yet)

Any suggestions? (my wife is about to murder me because "all I want to do is watch tv and I can't do that any more")

Setup:

• Windows 8 Pro x64
  WMC 6.2.9200.16384
  Asrock 970 Extreme4, AMD FX-4100, 8GB
  AMD Radeon HD6670 Silent 1GB
  2 x AVermedia PCI-E TwinStar DVB-T A188D
  Pioneer VSX-922 (HDMI connection to pc for video, optical connection for audio)
  Samsung TV (HDMI connection to amplifier)

[jjhtpc]

It sounds like you are having an HDCP handshake issue. They are know to cause some problems.

I have a couple of questions for you though. You have a reciever that is capable of decoding from HDMI. Why are you passing an optical audio cable to it?

My suggestion would be to do a dual screen. Pick up a DVI to hdmi adapter. Run the HDMI port to the AVR. Run the DVI to the tv via the adapter. Set up bitstreaming audio and enjoy hd audio steams.

As long as you setup your DVI port that goes to you tv as your main screen you shouldn't have any problem.

[crawfish]

AMD Radeon HD6670 Silent 1GB
Pioneer VSX-922 (HDMI connection to pc for video, optical connection for audio)
Samsung TV (HDMI connection to amplifier)

As you are already using optical for audio, you might want to consider connecting the PC directly to the TV for video. I've been doing that for 7 years with Sony LCDs and Panasonic plasmas and have had zero issues. Now you might think you could connect everything to the TV and use its optical out or even ARC if you have it, but most TVs won't pass multichannel audio from HDMI inputs over those connections, so you can't eliminate the PC->AVR optical connection. Of course, you will continue to be unable to get lossless multichannel audio out of your PC over optical, but the only complication you'll introduce is the necessity to switch inputs on your TV between PC and AVR. Remote control macros can help with that.

Other possibilities include buying an HDMI Detective or similar device to keep the HDMI alive at all times or try a different video card. It's possible Nvidia will work better with your setup. For my single monitor gaming system, I have a GTX460 connected with HDMI to my Pioneer VSX-21TXH, and it works fine. However, my main system is dual monitor, and connecting the GT430 to the AVR causes 7x64 to do stupid things like lose the display when I switch inputs or shut off the AVR, so I connect it directly to the TV.

[Peterdeg]

I have a couple of questions for you though. You have a reciever that is capable of decoding from HDMI. Why are you passing an optical audio cable to it?

It's a dual-zone ampllifier, so I was trying to get zone one for most applications on the pc and use zone two for music outdoors (eg. let kids play videos/games inside while the adults are outside)
At first stab at it, it was going to be simpler to do with audio/analog connections.

Thanks for the feedback

| Guess I'll have to get a Gefen. Bizarre how it's been working since March (with Play TV tuners) and the last month (with the Avermedia tuners) with no problem and now it starts playing up. Just 'lucky' I guess.
| Tried switching audio to the HDMI this morning. Powered off/on the amp/tv and Windows had no sound. The audio properties said that HDMI was 'disconnected'

[jjhtpc]

you will need to choose the audio device if you didn't have sound. it should recognize the ability to bitstream.

[Peterdeg]

Well, the Gefen seems to have fixed things <touch wood>
Have had one instance of the screen going pink/green when switching to the desktop (have had it before) I'm working under the assumption that that's a video driver issue.