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Hi there, hope someone can help as this is driving me crackers.

I have a Sony 40W4500, Onkyo 606, Sky HD, PS3 and Xbox, all connected through the amp via HDMI cables.The problem started when I replaced the Xbox, but is now affecting the other components too.

Basically, when I first turn on a HD source then I don't get any picture or sound. After a (variable) period of time then both appear and once found then I can happily switch between sources no problem. I've swapped all the cables, tried all the cable inputs, done a factory reset on the amp and adjusted all the display settings on the Xbox (tried every mode inc 720) but to no avail.

I've consulted the dealer and Onkyo who advise that it's a common problem with components handshaking over HDMI.

Is this a common problem with HDMI, as it's not one I was aware of?

Thanks in advance for any help or info!

Hi sswain,i would connect your sky hd box,and x-box elite direct to your tv,then use optical cables to your amp as you will not benifit putting these units through your amp.but your ps3 connect to your amp,then to your tv via hdmi cables,This will give you the new audio codecs.Dolby true hd/dts hd master audio,the ps3 will decode the new hd sound and then send it to your amp as pcm.I have a onkyo 605 amp and thats how i have wired my system up.your tv has 3 hdmi imputs so you have enough.hope this helps you.

Thanks for the reply Grant, especially after having to wade through such a long post! I can see how this would work and will probably be how I end up resolving it, but I must admit that it does have its drawbacks (I'll need to replace most of the cables for a start).

What I'm trying to find out is if HDMI is as flaky as I'm being led to believe, or is something at fault?  If it’s a common problem then how will I know if any new kit I buy will work?

Does everyone have similar problems? What Hi-Fi and it's readers must see a ton of kit, do you get a lot of issues?

Any replies would be appreciated, even if it's only to say "yes, everyone knows that" Cheers.

Hi sswain,No its not a problem with hdmi,its just that sky hd only gives you dolby digital 2.0(stereo sound) where an optical cable will give you dolby digital 5.1 sound(on selected hd broardcasts).same goes for your x-box 360.Its the best way to set your system up,And i know its a hassle.but it will be worth it in the end.Hdmi cables dont feel the same as a good old clunky scart cable,But you would not want to go back to that lol.

Thanks Grant, don't worry I'm not hankering after my old scart leads

No, I meant is it common to have HDMI handshaking issues?

Hi SSwain

I have come across this problem too with a different model Onkyo receiver when used with other items such as blu ray player and you use the receiver as a switching unit. Onkyo were top dog and were on the case straight away and were aware of the problem and certain ways of curing it. We had a Onkyo TX-SR507 amplifier (new model) hooked upto a Panasonic TX-P42V10 (new model) and this had handshaking issue's also.  There were 2 ways to solve this, step 1 was to send it to Onkyo to get it updated, which maybe would of took some time, step 2 was that Panasonic them self issued a firmware update to update the tv itself as they found this would be a quicker way to solve the problem, they are a big company and have people on the ball making updates regulary, so this is what ended up happening, Panasonic sorted the problem out in conjunction with Onkyo and bobs your uncle, it was up and running.

So in answer to your question, yes its a common issue with HDMI handshaking as Onkyo's products are great but its very hard for them to know how each manufacturer's HDMI will respond, hence this issue, so i think you will either need to contact Onkyo directly and see if they have a fix for this (you will need to quote your make and model of tv as they are so precise with sorting these problems out) or you contact Sony to see if they have a fix for this.  If Panasonic issued a fix for their tv's to work with Onkyo receivers, i should not see why Sony cant do the same.

I hope this helps.

Regards> M

Thanks M.

It's strangely reassuring to know that it's a common issue and not some faulty kit. I'm currently in contact with Onkyo but for some reason hadn't thought to check with Sony so I'll do that.

Much appreciated!

See also

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/329219/ShowThread.aspx#329219