Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 800D Region Free Help Required

Malcolm :

I tried the 96 Menu, no help in there I'm afraid.


Rolski :

Have now checked all outputs from the HD621. Everything switching just fine.


Chris : (Caldham)

As above. The HD621 works just fine.

Some good news though.
I've tried the Composite out. All regions work on Sound and Vision.
A result at last. So it looks like an HDMI issue, as you correctly mentioned. Thnks.


Rick : (AudioImages)

As you suggested, I checked the Plasma and it is set for PAL & NTSC.
Good news with the Composite though.
More good news as well. All Regions playing OK on Component.So kudos to you for the reminder.
Do you have any further ideas on the HDMI front, now that Component and Composite are proven ?

Holtz'

PS : Damn it!! I forgot to check HDMI direct from the 800 to the Plasma.

Hi Holtz,

Glad to see you're making progress. Obviously the next thing to try is the 800 direct to plasma with HDMI.

With all this cable swapping are you sure you've got the in/out connections on the HD621 in the right sockets (I got caught with this when putting my 800 and 421 back - that's one of the problems stretching round the back of a rack I guess)?

Chris

OK : I finally took the HD621 out of the loop and tried the 800 direct to Plasma.

All regions work great, on sound and video.

• Region 1 :~ Deinterlace, 720P, 1080i, and Auto all work.
• Region 2 :~ Deinterlace. 720P both OK; 1080i and Auto don't work.

No prob's there then. (Well hardly)

So naturally I then start to look at the HD621

Going back through the HD621 (and after a load of F@rtarsing around swapping out HDMI leads) I now have sound and vision from all regions from there as well ......... but not totally.

The Sound is fine, but the picture is intermittent, flashing on and off at 5/10 sec intervals.
Eventually the picture give up and the 800 reads 'DVI Error 4' ???

I have checked my configuration setting, and they all seem to be correct.

So I am none the wiser and still in need of suggestions .... anybody ?


.... Holtz'.

Intermiitent at a few seconds interval looks like HDMI handshake problems. What to do? Sorry, no idea.

Try "hard" power cycle of HD621 - i.e use power button on the back and wait for at least 6 seconds before turning on again.

DVI error 4 is indeed HDCP handshake issue. I cured mine with a new cable - it doesn't need to be expensive, just properly designed and built. My issue was the design of the plug used on some cables not electro mechanically providing a 100% reliable connection on my then DVI equipped TV. This problem affected any cable that used this type of plug, cheap or expensive. So try getting a cable on sale or return. Thanks to Linn Sight and Arcam for determining the root cause of the problem and Meridian coming up with a series of updates for making their HDCP handling more robust in these circumstances.

Malcolm :

That was one train of thought I was playing with but couldn't come up with a solution.

Geir :

I have 'Power Cycled' every time I make an adjustment, all to no avail sadly.

Ian :

I have changed the HDMI cable on 3 different occasions, none of them completely solved any of the problems.

You mention that Meridian released a series of updates for HDMI handling. When (approx) was that ?

800 Set up > Information :

• Region code 1
• Firmware 1.71
• Compiled 31/01/05
• Microcode W - 2411
  -------------DVS - LDR - DSL - 720A
• Drive code LV18
• DSP1 code 001E

Could it be that these updates were included in firmware that followed on from the presently installed 1.71 version ?
This may well be the solution.

Thanks Guys.
.... Holtz'.

Don't forget to check the HD621 firmware too....

+1 on Rolski's point. You need 1.08 minimum to iron out all the little glitches.

I was quite an early adopter of G series and HDMI. I beta tested the changes probably five or six years back and they made it into a G98 release not long after. Not sure about 800 as G series was ahead of the 8xx development wise at the time but I would assume that a firmware update in the last four or five years would have them included. Iirc the changes seemed to concentrate on HDMI hot plug and HDCP hand shaking, both of which would have aided an intermittent electro mechanical connection of the plug/socket.

When you changed HDMI cables, if they were all from same manufacturer it is possible that they all had the same plug so may all suffer the same issues. May be worth trying a cable from different manufacturer.

Hi Ian :

I have now tried 4 other HDMI cables, 3 of which were from separate brands.
2 of the 3 tried resulted in no picture at all. The other gave me what I have now - sound and vision, but with an intermittent picture.


I haven't yet done so but I will check out the HD621 firmware, as Rolski & Malcolm suggested.

• OK : I've just checked the 621. It's running Firmware 1.08.
• Is that up to date ?

With so many different units involved it becomes even more difficult to know how to go about solving the problem.
It could well be something relatively simple such as a HDMI cable.
Or it could be the firmware, in any one (or more) of the units .
Then again it could be something completely different and probably a little more costly.

Is it possible that the Panasonic Plasma itself, (TH-37PV500B), is not up to the job ???

Although 5/6 years old (or even older, I can't remember). I've never had any reason to even think of changing it.
Maybe it's time to do so, though It seems rather extreme to shell out for a new Plasma just to be able to 'possibly' watch a movie on the 800.
A movie I could well enough watch on my Oppo 93.

Update :
I've just tried the 800 again, first time since Wednesday night.

• Using the same lead that gave me the intermittent picture.
  
  Composite :
• DVD-A's and all Region Discs play Sound & Vision.
  
  HDMI :
• DVD-A's play Sound & Vision.
• Region 1. Sound but no picture.
• Region 2. Sound but no picture.

I'm back where I started !!!

Would you like to upgrade your firmware to v2.72 for the 800D and then reset region free and see where that gets you ?

I have an 800D with region free through a HD621 without any problems.

V2.72 gives you 1080P on the video selection menu.

Send me a PM if you are interested.


Cheers,


Steve M