Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems HD621 weirdness

All of a sudden - no changes have been made - my HD621 seems to be acting oddly. Setup is


PVR }
Oppo } into HD621 } into TV
NAS }
Xbox }


Symptoms are that the PVR video appears very briefly, then fails, and has intermittent audio. The Oppo doesn't show at all.

1. NAS and Xbox work fine
2. Swapping PVR and NAS (so PVR-NAS cable-HD621 and vice versa) has NAS working and PVR not.

The implication is PVR and Oppo video out must be kaput, simultaneously, which seems implausible but possible.

But here's the oddity: PVR and Oppo direct to TV both work fine. So I think it's something strange at the HD621, but what ?

Maybe just re-apply your config file. Just in case anything has corrupted.

Have any of your units had a firmware update recently? E.g. The Oppo or PVR?.

A simlar thing happened to me and it turned out to the cable from the HD621 to the TV which must have got damaged in some way. It worked OK for some devices but not for the some HD signals. A signal booster sorted the problem and when I replaced the cable, everything worked without the booster.

In your case, I would try reassigning the Oppo to an unused HD621 input to see if there is any change and to try and isolate the source of the problem.

Gents

Thanks for the hints. Haven't been any firmware or other changes applied to anything - one day it worked, next day it didn't.

I've spent the week swapping things around to try and get some consistency of error, but no luck. Some of the bits are hard to get to so I'm going to strip it all out and rebuild it step by step and see.

Cheers
Mark

I may be experiencing a similar problem with my HD621. Like you, it worked just fine since I got it (which was only 6 months ago), then one day the problem appeared.

My HD621 is connected to a G68. The HD621's video output is to an EPSON projector. When the projector is connected, there is no video and the sound comes and goes: about every 5-10 seconds, the G68 clicks and the sound disappears; 2 seconds later the G68 clicks again and the sound returns. This process cycles continuously(G68 click/sound loss; G68 click/sound returns).

When I disconnect the HDMI cable from the projector, the G68 works fine - no clicking, and the sound is continuous. Alternatively, I can leave the HDMI cable connected and disconnect power to the projector and the G68 again works fine.

Thinking it might be related to the cable or projector, I tried connecting the HDMI output to a small LCD TV using a different HDMI cable (this cable is much shorter: 3 feet instead of 20 feet). The problem is still present.

I'm guessing the problem is related to HDMI handshaking, which is only done when it is connected to a Video device.

It might be worthwhile for you to try the same thing I did - disconnect the video output, and see if the sound problem disappears.

A few weeks ago, I sent my HD621 to Meridian to address the problem. The service manager (Shane) said he could not reproduce the problem. He sent it back to me, and my problem persists. The unit is unusable. It would be helpful to hear from you (or anyone else) who might be experiencing the same problem.

I'm tempted to buy an HDMI booster to see if that solves the problem, although the fact that the problem was still present when I used the short HDMI cable and small TV makes me think that won't help. (Cliff - what booster did you use?)

*edit*
I researched "HDMI handshaking" issues, and discovered this is a common problem with HTPCs (Home Theater PCs). There is a device called "HDMI Detective Plus" which (in theory) solves handshaking problems. I am going to order one of these and see if it helps.

Along the way, I learned that some HDMI cables are better than others at maintaining the handshaking - so this might be why a change of cables helps sometimes. Also, some display devices are more apt than others to have the problem, which may explain why some of us experience this, and others don't.

Hi Fred

I used one of these which is bit cheaper than a Detective. Could be source connection in your case.

Cliff - might have been worth a try, but I had already ordered the detective. Unfortunately, the detective didn't solve the problem. I just have to assume my HD621 is defective. Shane, the Meridian-America service manager, returned from vacation and is having me send the unit back to him for another look.

Have you tested to set both devices to 720p? These problems are rarely hardware related.

OK, I'm going to have to put mine down to cosmic rays / invisible goblins. I took everything apart, put it all back together again, using the same cables and no software changes and...it all works fine.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions.

Welcome to the marvelous world of digital video misery (HDCP, EDID, CEC, ....)

Good to hear it's solved !

My problem is also resolved. On the HD621's second visit to Meridian service, the technician was able to reproduce the problem. He replaced the main processor board, and the unit is now working fine.

If anyone is interesting in borrowing my Gefen HDMI Detective Plus, IM me (no charge - except you need to pay for shipping both ways). In theory, this using should resolve Handshaking issues, which is what I assume Mark was going through. The device didn't help me, but I'd feel better if my purchase could help somebody.