Acer Laptop won't recognize new HDMI cable

[JimmyC27]

Hi everyone,

Ok so here goes. I have an ACER V17 Nitro laptop running Windows 8.1 update and a Samsung UE40H LED tv.

I have an older HDMI cable that works fine when plugged into the laptop and the tv. The laptop recognizes it automatically and instantly switches to the extended mode.

I just purchased a 10 metre HDMI cable and this however brings no response from the Laptop. the tv recognizes that something is plugged in but shows nothing on the screen. I have used the cable with my media player and it works fine.

I have scoured the internet as best I can and tried everything possible to figure out why the laptop won't pick up anything with this new cable, but works like a charm with the older shorter one.

If anyone has any solutions for me or any ideas I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Manufacturing fault?

 

[JeckeL]

Are you able to use the display selector on the laptop to see if you can switch to HDMI manually? There should be some sort of display menu button most likely on one of the function keys

Do you have any other device you can hook up to the TV with the HDMI cable, like an xbox or playstation?

 

[JimmyC27]

Are you able to use the display selector on the laptop to see if you can switch to HDMI manually? There should be some sort of display menu button most likely on one of the function keys

Do you have any other device you can hook up to the TV with the HDMI cable, like an xbox or playstation?

I did connect it to a Seagate Theatre Media Player and it worked perfectly, yes.

Also I manually made it project to a different screen and it seems to be going but when I look in the 'display options' it tells me that the second screen is connected through VGA and I don't have any options to select the HDMI port.

When I select the source on the tv it tells me initially that something is connected to HDMI 1 when it is plugged in to the laptop, if I shut down the laptop the tv recognizes that nothing is connected at that point. Subsequently when the laptop is started again the tv tells me something is connected again.

 

[Solandri]

I just purchased a 10 metre HDMI cable

10 meters is really long as HDMI cables go. Normally when you make long cables, you make the wires thick so signal attenuation is minimized. But HDMI has so many wires that this is really difficult (the 8m cable I have is nearly as thick as a garden hose).

Likely what is happening is that the laptop just isn't putting out enough power over HDMI for the signal to entirely make it to the TV. Some of it is getting through so the TV knows something is connected. But not enough is making it through for a picture. Your media player is likely pumping out more voltage, enough for the signal to make it to the TV.

Since you can't change the laptop's HDMI port, you've got two choices. Return the cable and get a new 10m cable using bigger wires (yours is probably using 28 gauge wires; my thick one uses 22 gauge). Problem with this solution is that you have a thick cable which is unsightly and hard to get around corners (mine is in the attic crawlspace).

The other solution is to get a RedMere cable. These cost a lot more, but they basically steal some power from the TV, transmit it back to the laptop, and use the extra power to amplify the source signal before it's sent to the TV. This allows you to make longer cables without using thicker wires. I don't know what country you're in, but in the U.S. a 40 ft (12m) RedMere cable costs about $50 from Monoprice.
http/www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1025507

Be aware that RedMere cables are directional. One end must plug into the TV, the other end must plug into the video source.

 

[JimmyC27]

Well I would have thought the same thing about the weak signal, but it works perfectly when i plug it in to my media player, this is the thing that gets me.

I would have no problem going out and buying a higher quality cable, I just don't want to if there is something that i'm doing wrong with this one, or if the higher quality one isn't going to work either.