For maybe a year now, I've had intermittent issues with what I assume is the security behind an HDMI link. I'll go to turn my PS3 on, and no sound or video will come through. Then I'll try my Xbox 360 and either most of the time or every time, it'll come on and work for playing games I think, but DVDs and Netflix Instant will flash a white screen with the XBOX logo and give me a secure HDCP link error.
I think I've read that this is a problem unique to HDMI, but I can't figure out if it's more likely the TV, or the consoles, why it happens so rarely but somewhat regularly, or how to deal with it.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?
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Cheap shitty non-certified cables do exist (penny cables from Amazon), and old cables may not support the certification your devices need.
$3 later, you have a new cable and can tell us if that was the problem.
Always test the cable when something like this happens.
Might this be my old-ish TV(maybe 6 or 7 years old)? Any other ideas?
But before you go ahead and drop hundreds of dollars on something that might be the problem, I suggest bringing one of your consoles and HDMI cord to a buddy's house and testing the system(s) on his/her hd tvs. Yes, it probably is the TV, but there's nothing wrong with being certain before plunking down $$$.
If your TV has spare VGA or Component inputs you can get the appropriate cables for your consoles, they will still run at 720p/1080i, will have zero HDCP issues and all for the fraction of a price of a new TV.
The VGA cable for the 360 is great and will give you the option to hook it up to any old monitor.
It comes in handy way more than you think it would.
I have this cable as well, and it has made my life quite a bit easier.
So I'm losing no quality? I presume I just lose the audio, and have to run separate audio cables?
I don't see much difference in testing my HDMI cables on another TV, because the problem is already so intermittent on my tv.
Now I'll have to go and try and determine whether I own any component cables by eyeballing the cord.
I have it arriving tomorrow to hook up my Astro A40s while HDMI runs to the TV.
I don't think I'd notice the difference in audio quality.
Yes you can - the standard X-Box/PS3 Component cables and VGA cable both have standard Red/Black RCA composite audio connectors as well.
The Cable OnTheLastCastle linked is useful if you are using HDMI and have a seperate Amplifier, which is probably not much use to you since you want to avoid using HDMI.
*edit*
Get whichever of these is suitable for your TV:
Playstation 3 Component Cable
Playstation 3 VGA Cable
X-Box 360 Component Cable
X-Box 360 VGA Cable