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Weird HDMI Cable

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  • 08-02-2012 10:06pm
    #1
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭


    Bought a tesco own brand HDMI cable earlier in the week - it's causing a weird situation.

    I have it hooked up to a Netgear Digital Entertainer, when I turn on the digital entertainer I lose my saorview signal.

    If I unplug the HDMI cable from the Digital Entertainer my saorview signal comes back straight away.

    If I use a different HDMI cable to hook up the Digital Entertainer I have no issues.

    So, is it just that its a dodgy/rubbish HDMI cable? (and I thought all HDMI cables were created equal)

    The strange thing is that of the two cables I bought that day, neither of which was exactly cheap (both were over €10 each), one was 'tesco' brand and the other was 'tesco value', and it's the 'tesco' one that is causing issues.

    Is there anything I could try to sort out the cable? Don't really fancy going back to tesco with it and trying to explain the situation.


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    #2
    rob_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34 ✭rob_


    Tails142 wrote: »
    Bought a tesco own brand HDMI cable earlier in the week - it's causing a weird situation.

    I have it hooked up to a Netgear Digital Entertainer, when I turn on the digital entertainer I lose my saorview signal.

    If I unplug the HDMI cable from the Digital Entertainer my saorview signal comes back straight away.

    If I use a different HDMI cable to hook up the Digital Entertainer I have no issues.

    So, is it just that its a dodgy/rubbish HDMI cable? (and I thought all HDMI cables were created equal)

    The strange thing is that of the two cables I bought that day, neither of which was exactly cheap (both were over €10 each), one was 'tesco' brand and the other was 'tesco value', and it's the 'tesco' one that is causing issues.

    Is there anything I could try to sort out the cable? Don't really fancy going back to tesco with it and trying to explain the situation.

    What version HDMI leads are they?

    1.3/1.4???

    I would bet thats the prob, and to be honest €10 for a lead is bottom of the barrel, not all leads are created equal.


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    #3
    PseudoFamous
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭PseudoFamous


    rob_ wrote: »
    to be honest €10 for a lead is bottom of the barrel, not all leads are created equal.

    I will say right now that that is wrong. I have never paid more than 3€ for a HDMI cable, and they have all worked perfectly. Granted, I don't use 3d, so I can't comment on their ability for that, but all other features work fine, and have done since I bought them.


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    #4
    rob_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34 ✭rob_


    PseudoFamous wrote: »
    rob_ wrote: »
    to be honest €10 for a lead is bottom of the barrel, not all leads are created equal.

    I will say right now that that is wrong. I have never paid more than 3€ for a HDMI cable, and they have all worked perfectly. Granted, I don't use 3d, so I can't comment on their ability for that, but all other features work fine, and have done since I bought them.

    Dunno about you, but I have worked in the AV industry, and i can promise you with hdmi leads you get what you pay for.


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    #5
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,906 ✭✭✭kirving


    It's a digital signal. It's either there or it's not, so gold-plated, oxygen-free, blah blah blah is not going to make one bit difference. A €2 euro v1.4 Tesco cable will do the same job as a €100 v1.4 Monster cable. I LOVE asking tech salespeople the difference.

    Different specifications however, may not be compatible obviously. What make.is the TV OP?


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    #6
    Echoes675
    Registered Users Posts: 256 ✭✭Echoes675


    It's probably to do with the level of shielding in your cable. The cable you're using could be causing some kind of electro-magnetic field that is interfering with the other devices.

    Have a look on amazon, I bought a cable for £9 that is triple shielded. Works great! I have at least 4 other hdmi connected devices to my TV along with a couple of scart connections too, no interference on any.


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    #7
    ZENER
    Registered Users Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭ZENER


    Does your Saorview signal come from a separate box or is it built in to the TV ?
    You don't say whether the suspect cable gave a picture from your media player, did it ? Personally I'd bring the cable back and simply say it doesn't work and ask for a different cable.

    I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", I'm also a tech so fully aware of the characteristics of cables and digital signals and their transmission. I've never spent more than 10 euro for a standard 1.5m cable nor would I. I have, however, spent 100 euro for a 10 meter cable for a projector because there wasn't a cheaper one available at the time.

    Another boards member involved in development in HD and associated chipsets for HDMI posted a good article a while back. Perhaps a search might provide some more info ?

    Ken


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    #8
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭Tails142


    ZENER wrote: »
    Does your Saorview signal come from a separate box or is it built in to the TV ?
    You don't say whether the suspect cable gave a picture from your media player, did it ? Personally I'd bring the cable back and simply say it doesn't work and ask for a different cable.

    I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", I'm also a tech so fully aware of the characteristics of cables and digital signals and their transmission. I've never spent more than 10 euro for a standard 1.5m cable nor would I. I have, however, spent 100 euro for a 10 meter cable for a projector because there wasn't a cheaper one available at the time.

    Another boards member involved in development in HD and associated chipsets for HDMI posted a good article a while back. Perhaps a search might provide some more info ?

    Ken

    The dodgy HDMI cable gives a perfect picture alright, the saorview signal comes from rabbit ears type aerial.

    I reckon as poster above said that the cable isn't shielded aswell as the other one and it's causing interference.

    It's just funny because it's the slightly more expensive of the two cables which is causing the problem, the tesco value cable was cheaper longer and works better!


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    #9
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,906 ✭✭✭kirving


    Are they both the same specification? 1.3/1.4?

    It's an odd problem really, but if the Saorview signal is strong, it may be that the TV has some kind of strange bug whereby the signal in the back is being knocked off by another HDMI pin being connected?


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    #10
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭Tails142


    The tv is a samsung ue40d5520, doesn't seem to be a problem with the port on the back as it happens whichever port I use and doesn't happen if I use a different cable

    Not sure what specification the cable is to, anyway just got another cable so will keep this one on standby as a backup.

    Doesn't sound from the responses like anyone has experienced this type of interference before


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    #11
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,906 ✭✭✭kirving


    http://forums.nzgamer.com/index.php?showtopic=14682

    http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-3-General-Discussion/PS3-HDMI-interference-disrupting-freeview-tv-signal/td-p/13704001

    http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/Technical-Help/Wifi-PS3-interfering-with-freeview-reception/td-p/2916718/page/2

    I found a few links there, by searching for Freeview. Seems to be very very odd, and it's not just related to interference.


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    #12
    andy1249
    Registered Users Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭andy1249


    Dunno about you, but I have worked in the AV industry, and i can promise you with hdmi leads you get what you pay for.

    Nonsense , they either work or dont , as the op found out. Most likely a bad connection on the cable is causing the Op's issue. This can happen with any cable , regardless of the price.
    It is totally impossible for any HDMI cable to have an incremetal difference over any other when it comes to the quality of sound or picture. If it works at all , its as good as it gets.

    A number of people have mentioned version numbers in respect to cables , that is incorrect , HDMI version numbers do not apply to cables and never have , that is merely the manufacturer being dishonest in trying to make a sale.

    See here from HDMI.org , the official site for all things HDMI ,

    http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/buying_guide.aspx

    Quote from the second chapter ...
    When it comes to selecting a cable, the HDMI version number is never relevant. There is no such thing as a “Version 1.4 cable” or “HDMI 1.3 cable” - these terms are solely the creation of manufacturers’ marketing efforts.


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    #13
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭Tails142


    andy1249 wrote: »

    Nonsense , they either work or dont , as the op found out.

    Oh the cable worked alright in carrying the digital signal, it was just that because it was cheap and had no shielding it was causing interference in receiving the saorview signal

    I was always on the side of 'it carries a digital signal so can be as cheap as you like', so while now I wouldn't go as far as buying something with gold plated connections, I would be moving slightly up the scale and looking for something which provides shielding, if you don't use saorview or have an aerial on your roof, this is something that you will probably never experience an issue with but it's obviously a problem for people using saorview and as the other poster showed people in the uk have reported it with freeview


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    #14
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭Tails142


    Also thanks for clearing up that 1.3 and 1.4 nonsense, annoying when companies create rubbish like that


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    #15
    branners69
    Registered Users Posts: 2,695 ✭✭✭branners69


    Tails142 wrote: »
    Oh the cable worked alright in carrying the digital signal, it was just that because it was cheap and had no shielding it was causing interference in receiving the saorview signal

    I had the same problem recently with my Panny 50" tv which has saorview built in and when ever I turned on my av receiver the saorview signal would disappear. I am using a QED HDMI which cost €80+ at the time so this is not down to how cheap/expensive your cable is. When sorting my problem I read that the cheapest of cheap cables have a better chance of not causing the interference but my solution was to use the HDMI port 4 which is the furthest from saorview coax connection!


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