# HELP!!! NEW SONY LCD TV and ...



## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

I had a Vizio 42" LCD TV in my bedroom using my Direct TV HR10-250 DVR. No problems.

I was just at Costco and saw a 40" Sony Bravia LCD TV which I thought had a much better picture so purchased it and tried to hook it up. Can't get Component Video to work.

Per a call to Sony, Video 4 is for COMPONENT VIDEO and Video 6 is HDMI. HDMI works fine, but I can't get a picture on Video 4 "Component Video". Only sound. If you turn the TV off then back on I get a picture momentarily then it goes BLACK. I called Sony and they said it must be in my Direct TV box settings???

HELP (expects out there please help)

TIA (I really don't want to return this TV, but ....)


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

I hate to ask the too obvious question, but are you sure all five cables are connected to the correct inputs/outputs on both the TV and your HR10-250? I usually have to get in there with a flashlight to make sure my cables are connected inside the right "outline" for the chosen input/output. If your audios are connected to VIDEO 4, but your videos are connected elsewhere, I could see where you might get sound and no picture.

I wouldn't want to return the TV either - sounds like a nice one!


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## rlgold88 (Aug 30, 2006)

Janice805 said:


> I had a Vizio 42" LCD TV in my bedroom using my Direct TV HR10-250 DVR. No problems.
> 
> I was just at Costco and saw a 40" Sony Bravia LCD TV which I thought had a much better picture so purchased it and tried to hook it up. Can't get Component Video to work.
> 
> ...


The component out wont work from the hr10 if the hdmi output is active. Make sure you deactivate hdmi on the hr10 to use component (in case you thoght both could work.)


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## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

Yes, that was the answer. When I unplugged the HDMI the Component Video setting came alive. I'm beginning to wonder if I should keep the Vizio 42" vs the Sony 40" LCD TV. The Vizio has sooooo many more features for the price. I mean I can use the HDMI and/or Componet Video settings without unplugging anything. Same with my Toshiba Plasma TV. I can use either setting.

Is this usual with most TV's to only be able to use one or the other?

I like the picture better (I think) on the Sony, but I'm ready to plug in the Vizio (one more time) before returning it to Costco ... LOL


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## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

I don't know if it's just me, but on both of my TV's I think the Component Video setting looks better than HDMI. Opinions???


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Janice805 said:


> I mean I can use the HDMI and/or Componet Video settings without unplugging anything.


The HR10-250 is the limiting factor, if it sees an HDMI connection then it disables the component outputs. Maybe the Vizio is internally doing something on it's end of the connection to make the HR10 think there's no HDMI where the Sony doesn't, but the root cause of the problem is the HR10-250.

You might want to check out http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40 and look for what others are saying about the two models that you're comparing.

Hope that helps.


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## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

Thanks and I'll check out the forum, but, again, my Toshiba Plasma also honors BOTH connections, so ..... this picking one or the other is new to me. I appreciate the explanation because even SONY could give me an answer.

Does anyone else find Component Video a better picture than HDMI???


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## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

I meant Sony could NOT give me an answer.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Janice805 said:


> Thanks and I'll check out the forum, but, again, my Toshiba Plasma also honors BOTH connections, so ..... this picking one or the other is new to me. I appreciate the explanation because even SONY could give me an answer.
> 
> Does anyone else find Component Video a better picture than HDMI???


Doesn't matter if your TV honors both, the HR10 doesn't. You plug in HDMI and the HR10 turns off component.

Now, I do believe there is a hack over on DealDatabase.com that enables both Component and HDMI at the same time. I haven't tried it as I don't have the need.


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## Janice805 (Nov 27, 2005)

Wolf, now I'm really confused (blonde here = confusion).

When I had the Vizio TV, I ran an HDMI connection FROM the HR10-250 to the TV, and, I also ran Component Video cables FROM the HR10-250 to the same TV. I could switch back and forth on the TV between choosing to use the Component connection or the HDMI. I never had to UNPLUG either.

On my Toshiba Plasma TV (through the HR20, D*'s brand) I also have the same 2 connections that I can switch back and forth with.

???


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

Maybe when those TVs change from HDMI to component, they disable the HDMI port and the HR10 then can enable the component. Just a guess. On the HR20, both ports are active at the same time.  

GH


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Kinda what Groundhog said....

If the HR10 detects a HDMI connection, it turns off Component. Don't ask why, it just does. So in your situation I'd guess that the Vizio would turn off HDMI when you switch to Component, thus the HR10 turns Component on. Your Toshiba must still leave some signals flowing across the HDMI interface when Component is active making the HR10 "think" HDMI is on, thus leaving Component off. 

So I guess it's not really if you have both connections on both TVs, just what each TV does with the connection when you're not watching that input. Vizio removed power from HDMI and Toshiba still leaves it powered.

Don't worry about any Blonde stuff when we're discussing HDTV. Still no standards that are really followed, so every new turn is an adventure. So in the end which device is causing the problem? The HR10 and Vizio play well together. The HR10 and Toshiba can exist on the playground together, but they don't play as well.

Hope that helps! :grin:


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## msmith (Apr 23, 2002)

Janice805 said:


> I don't know if it's just me, but on both of my TV's I think the Component Video setting looks better than HDMI. Opinions???


It's not just you, though in my case the TV's input is DVI (using the HDMI to DVI cable).


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## Gweeto (Aug 17, 2006)

As far as DVI vs HDMI vs Component Video the answer really is it depends on your TV and source. I have found on some of my equipment the Component looks better and on others the HDMI does. I have also seen it on friends TVs. I actually switched their hookups in some cases to component because it looked better. There is a good article at http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html.

As far as certain TV's allowing both to work, could it be that the Sony is honoring the HDMI handshake correctly but the others are not? Therefore because the Sony is doing what it is supposed to the Tivo reacts by not outputing the Component Video? Just my thoughts.


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## Andrew_J_M (Feb 11, 2005)

Gweeto said:


> .....
> As far as certain TV's allowing both to work, could it be that the Sony is honoring the HDMI handshake correctly but the others are not? Therefore because the Sony is doing what it is supposed to the Tivo reacts by not outputing the Component Video? Just my thoughts.


I think that some units keep the HDMI port active even though it is not the selected source because otherwise if the HDMI source was selected the handshake process would have to re-initiated and make switching slower.

I have never seen any setup where a correctly configured component source was visibily worse than the equivalent HDMI. I dislike the implications of HDMI and copy protection but I do use it in my den where it is not easy to conceal big fat component cables.


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