Problem with HDMI connection.

I am connecting my PC to my TV to use as second monitor using a hdmi cable/connection. The TV has 4 hdmi ports, however after a while one of them stopped working properly, ie I got 'noise' on the screen, a bit like lines of 'glitter' across the screen.

Anyway I switched to a second port and that seemed to work fine....for a while, then that too developed the same kind of problem.

Anyway I try a third port and that works fine. However I am getting worried now because I have only had the TV about 3 months and the ports seem to only last a about a month and a half.

I connect a cable to the port almost every day and disconnect it after, so the port sees a lot of 'action' and I am wondering if I have damaged it. It seems a delicate connection consideing the size and weight of the cable, the metal contacts/threads look about a millimetre of less wide, easy to damage I would imagine.

Anyway I have a look at the ports and they appear fine as far as I can see (not very easy to see in though!!), however I notice on the cable one of the pins appears to be short.

According to this image it is a +5 volt pin

formatting link

However also note on the image the same pin seems to be short, as it does here:-

formatting link

So I expect it is not needed.

Actually that is disappointing as it appears to rule out a fault with the cable, which is easier to resolve.

It woudl be handy if you could have a look at your cables and tell me if they all have this 'feature' (I only have one cable).

It does however make sense it is not the cable, because othersewise it would not work in any socket, and it works in the two I have very rarely used.

It is this TV by the way:-

formatting link

Maybe that is why it was so relatively cheap?

It will be a real pain if I have to return it, however it looks like I will, should be no problem as it's only 3 months old.

Also I expect a lot of other TV's will have the same problem as HDMI has a lot of delicate connections going to it.

It also has a VGA connector so maybe I should get a VGA cable instead?

Or I have been thinking of getting a short male to female connector and leaving it in the socket so it experience less stress.

Any thought? Anyone had similar problems?

Reply to
Colin Trunt
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OK I tried connecting again and the TV died, no picture, an led light works and some of the buttons make noises but black screen and it won't rspond to the remote.

Back for a refund!!

DO you guys switch off TV and PC when connecting by HDMI?

Reply to
Colin Trunt

Boy oh boy ... Just consider what an HDMI port is actually intended for, and then stop to consider whether it's likely to be designed for repeated plugging / deplugging. As far as hot connecting goes, no, you shouldn't really. A short 5v pin ensures that as the cable is inserted, all other pins connect first. If you really must keep disconnecting from the TV, you would probably do better to go for the VGA socket, which is more robust than an HDMI connector, and should be able to accept the same resolution as you are shoving up the HDMI. That's probably not the resolution that you're actually seeing anyway as, unless the TV has a full HD panel - which it probably hasn't if you say it was cheap - the image will be being scaled to match the panel's (low) resolution.

Even using the VGA socket may not result in a much longer life. You are talking heavy cables here, and (normally) printed circuit mounting connectors, often these days with surface mount pins. Add that to the fact that the set will be built with lead-free solder, and repeated flexing of the joints from repeated connecting / deconnecting, is sure to lead to early demise, as you have found to your cost. A sacrificial extension cable, or HDMI splitter box is, I feel, the only way that you are going to protect any TV from damage caused by what you're trying to do.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

Thanks for that. I agree about the socket being delicate. Anyway I always plugged in with the TV on. Lets face it you have to turn on the TV or the Computer first so which one? Also if it is plugged in when the TV is switched on the short 5v pin makes no different hence that indicates it is intended to be hot plugged.

It is full 1080 hd, cheap for the price and spec.

Obviously what I am intending to do is connect my PC to the TV via the HDMI port, I mean thats what it is intended for!

As I said the TV is now kapput, screen is alway black it went when I was hot plugging the HDMI, I though for a while the PC was also f*cked, but luckilly it was not but I had to fiddle with the video card to get it to boot as I occasionally have to it is not help in it slot very well and can move a bit.

Thanks.

Reply to
Colin Trunt

"Colin Trunt" wrote in news:eI4sn.560807$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe25.ams:

I think you should take a little time to ensure that your PC graphics card is fitting correctly and is firm in the slot (Power Off first :) because these cards use a lot of power and it's possible, with a loose card, to short that power through the data pins which does irreversible damage to both.

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Reply to
RubbishRat

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