To All
The intent of this thread is to provide the Sony Communiity with some general troubleshooting advice for people who are experiencing issues that are related to a device that is connected via HDMI. Below are 4 steps that should resolve many issues. If the do not, see the advanced troubleshooting section.
#Note: When you plug or unplug HDMI devices, it is best practice to switch the devices off completely.
Step 1 - Handshake
One of the most common causes of devices not working via HDMI is what is commonly referred to as a ‘HDMI handshake problem’. HDMI Handshake is the process of each device recognising and authorising each other in order to send signals between devices.
If this process should fail, the easiest solution is to power cycle all devices – meaning switch everything OFF from the power socket on the wall. Leave OFF for about 30 seconds and switch on again.
Step 2 – Loose Connection
If Step 1 does not resolve your problem, you will need to check if the HDMI cable is securely seated correctly. It is possible that the HDMI cable has dislodged itself, due to any number of reasons. Switch all devices OFF and check that the cable is fully inserted into the correct HDMI port. Sometimes its best to unplug it and re-plug it back in again.
Step 3 – Replace Cable
If the above 2 steps fail, try replacing the HDMI cable with another one – preferably a decently shielded HDMI cable. If you have a spare HDMI port, try using this too – incase there is a problem with the actual port itself.
Step 4 – ARC Issues
This step is specifically for people who are having problems with ARC (Audio Return Channel) on connected sound deviced such as Soundbars, AV Receivers and Home Theatre Systems. The above 3 steps should fix most problems but if not, sometimes the ARC needs to be enabled in the settings of the device.
The specific setting for ARC is generally located in either the HDMI settings or the ‘Control for HDMI’ settings. Many devices require HDMI-CEC (Control for HDMI) to be enabled in order for the ARC setting to be enabled
Also ensure that Bravia Sync is enabled on your TV if it is a Sony (or equivelant HDMI-CEC name on another brand)
Advanced Troubleshooting
If all of the above steps have failed, this is where thing become a little bit trickier and requires time and patience. The purpose is to identify which device is causing a conflict and preventing other HDMI devices from working.
- Disconnect and unplug ALL HDMI devices that are connected to the TV.
- Test the TV with all devices disconnected – this is to ensure that the TV functions properly on its own.
- Connect 1 device directly to the TV and test.
- If the first device works, unplug this device and test the next one – ensuring only one device is only connected directly on the TV. Do this for each device.
- If all devices work on their own directly connected to the TV, then we need to ensure which device is causing an issue. Connect 1 device back onto the TV and test again – if you have an external audio device such as a Soundbar, AV Receiver or Home Theatre System, ensure this device is connected first.
- Slowly add each device to the TV, testing as each device is connected
At some point you should come across the device that is causing the issue. Once you do, try the following to see if it helps:
- Ensure that you have the latest firmware installed on the device and then factory reset it and re-set it up again.
- Disable the HDMI-CEC functions and test again
- Try a couple of ‘ferrite cores’ on the HDMI cable and/or power cable. Available on Amazon and other places – ensuring you get the correct size for the cable.
- Try a HDMI-CEC Less adaptor such as THIS ONE
At currect, this community has identified 3 devices that can cause conflicts. These are:
- TIVO - Rebooting the TIVO box should resolve the problem
- HUMAX - Such as HDR-2000T. These devices do not have HDMI-CEC functions at all, however it has been confirmed that the HDMI-CEC less adaptor as suggested above fixes a compatibility issue. See HERE
- Sky Q Silver - There is a known issue according to the Sky Forums. The HDMI-CEC adaptor (see above) should help.
Hopefully this had helped
Cheers
