Diagnose HDMI cable failure; The most difficult part of troubleshooting audio-visual content problems is figuring out which part is the main culprit. With regard to video content, there can be three main causes for the problem: the main source, the monitor, and the cable between them. Here are some suggestions on how to look or get an appointment for HDMI cable.
Signs of HDMI cable failure
One of the most common problems with a faulty HDMI cable is usually white spots. These points may be displayed as stars or snowflakes, and are sometimes very limited, but sometimes disrupt the viewing experience. Sometimes the TV or monitor does not display any image or when you watch it, you will see the image disconnected and reconnected. In addition, a lot of image noise is caused by a broken HDMI cable. Colors may also look dull.
What causes HDMI cable to fail ?
An HDMI connector uses 19 pins, so if any of these pins or separate lines inside the cable are damaged, you will experience several problems. These pins transmit various information such as video, audio, sync data and communication data.
Physical damage can also damage the HDMI cable. For example, if you use a desktop monitor that you regularly plug in and then disconnect the HDMI cable, you increase the risk of cable damage. Many devices come with low quality HDMI cables that can be easily damaged in a variety of situations.
If you suspect your HDMI cable is faulty, disconnect it from the source and destination device and then inspect the cable thoroughly. The pins should be exactly as shown above, and there should be no signs of crushing or protrusion on the wire.
The ports, receivers, and TV settings may be to blame
The main problem with a faulty HDMI cable is that it often shows the same symptoms as other faulty components such as the HDMI port. The easiest way to check this is to use a new cable with a different port from the problem device, and of course you can connect the same cable to a different port from the same device.
When examining these types of problems, you should only change one variable; Now this variable can be cable, source device or port. Meanwhile, if the image is displayed but you do not have access to sound, this problem usually has a separate cause. HDMI cables transmit audio and video bandwidth from one connection, and since video requires more bandwidth, you usually notice problems with the video first.
If you are using surround sound for your home theater system and an intermediate device is placed between the HDMI cables, it is best to remove this intermediate device from the equation first and instead connect the desired cable directly to the TV.
Some visual problems (especially dull colors) can also be caused by colors with a depth of 10 bits or more. If you enable these color ranges on the source device, you should also make sure that the settings for this are enabled on the TV. Note that on many TVs you need to enable these settings for separate ports.
HDMI 2.1 devices may require new cables
The HDMI 2.1 standard was introduced in 2020 with the X-Series Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nvidia 30 Series graphics cards. Many newer TVs and monitors support this standard and offer features such as variable refresh rate and low latency.
Most devices with this port come with a suitable cable. But in the case of graphics cards, for example, if you are looking to get the most out of it, you will probably need to purchase one separately. Of course, not all advanced features require an HDMI 2.1 connection. For example, using HDMI 2.0b, you can transmit 4K HDR signals at 60 Hz, and even some devices using older cables can use some HDMI 2.1 features, such as delay reduction.
In any case, due to the fact that HDMI 2.1 offers attractive and various features, it is better to buy quality cables that comply with this standard so that you can take advantage of all its features.
Cable length is very important
Usually, the longer the HDMI cable, the lower the quality. Therefore, according to existing standards, the maximum length of the HDMI 2.1 cable should be 5 meters. Most HDMI 2.1 cables on the market are about 3 meters long. Even older HDMI standards can be a problem when using long cables.
Of course, the cables we mentioned are passive and do not require a separate source of energy. But if for any reason you have to use longer HDMI cables, it is better to choose between so-called “active” cables that have a separate USB cable for power supply. As you might expect, these types of cables are usually more expensive.
Use of spare cables
The easiest way to diagnose a broken cable is to use a new cable when a problem occurs. So if this is important to you, it is best to have at least one or two spare HDMI 2.1 cables. These types of cables both meet the old standards and are used for the latest generation of this technology.
Source: How To Geek
