DVI => HDMI Issues

[fuegodecosta]

First of all here's my setup:

TV A: Currently Westinghouse LTV-32w6, upgrading to larger TV later this year.
TV B: Will be the Westinghouse after upgrade.
HDMI Switch: Monoprice 4x2 True Matrix High Speed HDMI Powered Switch w/ Remote Controller (HDMI x.v. Color)
HDMI Cable 1 & 3: High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 CL2 (24AWG) w/ Net Jacket - 6ft
HDMI Cable 2: High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 CL2 (24AWG) w/ Net Jacket - 8ft
HDMI Cable 4: High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 CL2 (24AWG) w/ Net Jacket - 15ft
HDMI Keystone Jacks: Couplers bought off eBay.
Video Card: XFX GX285XZWFF GeForce GTX 285
Motherboard: Asus M3NHT-Deluxe/HDMI
OS: Win XP Pro
HDMI => DVI Cable: Tried an old RCA brand cable bought from Walmart.

My problem:
I am not getting a signal from my computer though HDMI. I can see my TV from the nVidia control panel, but when I select it as the monitor, I hear the Windows connect and disconnect sounds a couple times, but no image. Then it switches back to the monitor. If I try connecting directly to the TV it works fine. Also, if I remove my video card and connect via HDMI from my motherboard, I have no trouble, however then my graphics capabilities are severely limited. I am guessing my problem stems from the fact that my RCA brand cable may be too old and low in quality. I was thinking I might try a DVI=>HDMI adapter with an HDMI cable. But I wasn’t sure if that would be any better than a DVI=>HDMI cable. Here’s what I was thinking about getting:

Option 1:
Adapter: DVI-D single link Male to HDMI Female adapter
Cable: High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 CL2 (24AWG) w/ Net Jacket - 6ft

Option 2:
Cable: HDMI DVI cable CL2 (24AWG) w/net jacket- 6ft

What do you guys suggest I do? Would either of these be better? Also, do you think that I will be able to get a good enough signal in the other room without a repeater or extender?

Also as a side note, in the future I plan on replacing my HDMI switch with a 4x4 matrix switch and adding 2 more TVs on the other side of the house (about 85 feet). For the cable runs I plan on using HDMI => Cat 6 extenders. Don’t know if this would be relevant to the above. I wouldn’t mind your input on this either.

Thanks.

 

[amdchuck]

If I try connecting directly to the TV it works fine.

What do you mean by that? Do you mean that if you eliminate the powered HDMI switch, it works fine?

 

[fuegodecosta]

Yes, if I plug it in using the RCA brand DVI => HDMI cable from the computer directly to the TV it works. I can't do that all the time though because I have 2 other devices that use HDMI and my TV only has one input.

 

[amdchuck]

Doesn't that seem to point to the HDMI switcher as the problem then?

Not sure what, if any, support the manufacturer offers but if the DVI>HDMI cable works just fine plugged directly in to the TV then there are really only two possible causes....the switcher or I guess possibly the HDMI>HDMI cable that would connect the switcher to the TV.

I mean, if it works until the switcher is put in the chain, those are the only possibilities, right?

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Hmm, hard to tell from your diagram & description - currently you have no "TV B", so you are testing by connecting the DVI-HDMI cable directly to TV A, and also testing by connecting HDMI 1 directly to your mobo? If so, I'd agree with amdchuck that your switcher is probably bad. I'd suggest you try it again but plug HDMI-1 into the other switcher HDMI output & see if that does anything.

 

[americanaudiophile]

HDMI can be very tricky. Your switcher is probably not making a "handshake" with the PC video card. If the video card is not HDCP compliant and the motherboard is then that would also explain the problem. If you use a DVI adaptor you won't get sound. 24awg cables are pretty thin. Better cable might help.

 

[fuegodecosta]

Not sure what, if any, support the manufacturer offers but if the DVI>HDMI cable works just fine plugged directly in to the TV then there are really only two possible causes....the switcher or I guess possibly the HDMI>HDMI cable that would connect the switcher to the TV.

I don't think the problem is necessarily with the HDMI switch as it is working with my PS3, DVR, and HDMI from my computer's motherboard. I also tried changing out the HDMI cable from the switcher to the TV with all my other HDMI cables and still no luck.

Hmm, hard to tell from your diagram & description - currently you have no "TV B", so you are testing by connecting the DVI-HDMI cable directly to TV A, and also testing by connecting HDMI 1 directly to your mobo? If so, I'd agree with amdchuck that your switcher is probably bad. I'd suggest you try it again but plug HDMI-1 into the other switcher HDMI output & see if that does anything.

Yes, for now I don't have a TV B, so I am testing with TV A. I didn't have any luck changing to output B on the switch.

HDMI can be very tricky. Your switcher is probably not making a "handshake" with the PC video card. If the video card is not HDCP compliant and the motherboard is then that would also explain the problem. If you use a DVI adaptor you won't get sound. 24awg cables are pretty thin. Better cable might help.

My video card is HDCP compliant. Also it has audio pass-through capabilities. Using a SPDIF cable from my sound card, I am supposed to be able to get sound from the DVI port through a DVI => HDMI connection.


I am still waiting on Monoprice to come back online. When it does, I think I am going to try the adapter/HDMI cable combo so I can use what seems to be a better cable.