# Onkyo TX-NR709 HDMI hanshake issue



## informel

I just bought an Onkyo TX-NR709 on boxing day (the lower the price by 400$:sn
connected everything up and everything was OK.

On the next day, I had no signal message displayed on the TV. I thought I had a bad HDMI, replaced it and it was fine... well for a couple of days. hen it started again.

Today I had the same problem, 'No signal' on my TV, but found something; I went to a non hidef signal and I got an image on my TV, so I went back to hidef channel and they where OK, so it looks like the Onkyo has a handshake problem with HDMI connections.

Anyone having a similar problem?


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## tonyvdb

Try turning things on in a different order than you have been. Make sure you have the most recent firmware installed as well on the 709.


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## Mike P.

Turn on your equipment starting with the end of the chain and work backwards, TV first, 709 second, source third.


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## gsmollin

Handshake issues have deviled HDMI since the beginning, but are becoming less tolerable as the standard has aged. Many times the problem is that HDMI handshakes are supposed to be kept up-to-date even when the equipment is off, but this part of the spec is not met too often. That's right, HDMI consortium allows the HDMI logo on equipment that does not meet all of the spec! So it's always a crepe;-) shoot with this standard.

Be sure your HDMI equipment is always powered, and placed into standby when not in use. That way the handshake may be maintained. Otherwise, the recommendations for sequential powering may help.


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## greglett

Might also be your tv. I have a similar problem an it's my TV. I contacted the Tv manufacturer and they had me upgrade the TV software via the tv's USB port.
That worked for a few months and the problem cropped up again. Usually pulling the power plug on the tv for a few minutes would reset the port. My other tv's don't have the same issue.


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## informel

tonyvdb said:


> Try turning things on in a different order than you have been. Make sure you have the most recent firmware installed as well on the 709.


I have the latest firmaware on the 709 and it is not a power sequence problem as I do have problem sometimes when a go to a non hidef channel (that always work) and coming back to a hidef channel.

Last night I had that problem, so I pressed display on the remote and I could see on the 709 that he could not recognise the signal sent from the Scientific Atlana (explorer 8300HD) and I cannot upgrade the firmware on this one. I also had the same problem with my bluray DVD and I beleive this one has the latest firmware too.


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## tonyvdb

Try changing the HDMI cables out. Sometimes this can also case issues.


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## informel

tonyvdb said:


> Try changing the HDMI cables out. Sometimes this can also case issues.


Did that.
I removed the original one and replaced it with a shorter and better cable, same issue


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## jimpreis

Hey man! 

If my problem isn't exactly the same, it's real close. Sometimes after watching my BlueRay player and shutting everything down, my 709 will not output an HDMI signal; I get the dreaded 'NO SIGNAL' msg on my screen. This happens frequently enough that yanking the power to the surge suppressor is becoming really annoying. (And that fact that the 709 doesn't have a detachable power cord makes it even more frustrating.)

I thought my HDFury ha gone bad and wasted $135 overnighting it to Taipai and it turned out not to be the case. (HD Fury takes HDMI in and outputs component as that is all my TV has inputs for.)

I think I'm hosed and I don't know that any other receiver wouldn't have the same problem.

1) Sounds like the root cause is the HDMI spec
2) I'm outputting to the HDFury so that's going to cause all sorts of skepticism from Onkyo (we'll see)
3) My gut tells me even if I got a brand new 709 (mine's 4 months old) it would probably do the same thing

Cables make no difference. Order of powering on makes no difference.

My gut tells me to buy a new TV.

I'm frustrated and have no idea in which direction to vent my frustration, but if I had to pick a target, I'd start with Onkyo.

Suggestions and feedback welcome.

Cheers all!!!

Jim

TX-NR709 Receiver
Cisco 8640HDC Cable box
Panny BluRay DMP-BD65
Panny TH-PHD8U TV
Logitech Revu Google TV
WD TV Live Hub Media Center


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## tonyvdb

Sadly this is not only an Onkyo issue as a matter of fact my friend who has a Yamaha 2700 has had to revert to using component to his Sanyo Z2 projector because it simply wont pass the handshake. 
I know people who have Denon as well as Sony who also have issues. If you want to blame anyone Blame the HDMI consortium for causing all the grief.


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## jimpreis

Thank you Tony. I hear you and take your message to heart. Just frustrated man.

Have a great weekend!!!

Jim Preis


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## tonyvdb

try turning things on in a different order, that can help alot. Start with the display and then receiver and lastly the source.


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## gsmollin

I have a similar, but not as serious problem with my Yamaha AVR. It won't pass a handshake backwards from the PJ to the BD player, so 24p wouldn't work. A direct connection fixed this problem. It meant I had to give up the lossless audio codec, but fixing the 3:2 pulldown judder was more important, to me.

I suggest you take the AVR out of the video chain. If your TV does not have enough inputs then you may find an HDMI switch that passes the handshake. The advantage here is that they are cheap enough to experiment with.


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## informel

jimpreis said:


> Hey man!
> 
> Cables make no difference. Order of powering on makes no difference.
> 
> My gut tells me to buy a new TV.
> 
> I'm frustrated and have no idea in which direction to vent my frustration, but if I had to pick a target, I'd start with Onkyo.


Do not go and buy a new TV yet,
When you have this problem, press receiver on your remote and press display, you will see your receiver displaying something like "unknown format", not sure if this is the exact message.

So you will see that it is an HDMI handhake problem. Connecting your stuff directly to your TV will probably work, so logically we think it is a problem with the 709; but I am sure that the HDMI handshake is a bit more involve going through the receiver, it might be that the source is not fully compliant, but still good enough when connected directly to the TV.

Oh well, lets wait for HDMI version 1.5:foottap:


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## informel

gsmollin said:


> I suggest you take the AVR out of the video chain. If your TV does not have enough inputs then you may find an HDMI switch that passes the handshake. The advantage here is that they are cheap enough to experiment with.


That is what I did first, going with HDMI to the TV and sending the sound from the TV to the receiver using optical cablem, problem with this (at least with my Samsung TV) is that the sound coming out of the TV is only stereo. I cannot use an optical cable from the Scientific Atlanta DVR because when HDMI is use, the optical is disable.

The reason I change my receiver was because my other receiver did not have any HDMI. It is also easyer for my WIFE:heehee:, one button only, if you send your video and audio separatly, you need to switch the TV and the receiver.


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## gsmollin

informel said:


> I cannot use an optical cable from the Scientific Atlanta DVR because when HDMI is use, the optical is disable.


Can this be corrected through the menu in the DVR? Sometimes there is an audio output setting. There is one in my BD player that helped me split the HDMI video from the audio. Anyway, if you connect the HDMI directly to the TV, does the handshake problem stop?

One thing to keep in mind: The return policy on the AVR. You may not be able to correct this problem, and may have to return the AVR and try another brand. I my case, my Yamaha AVR was about 3 years old, so I didn't want to replace it. If it was still in the return period, I would have returned it.


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## informel

gsmollin said:


> Can this be corrected through the menu in the DVR? Sometimes there is an audio output setting. There is one in my BD player that helped me split the HDMI video from the audio. Anyway, if you connect the HDMI directly to the TV, does the handshake problem stop?
> 
> One thing to keep in mind: The return policy on the AVR. You may not be able to correct this problem, and may have to return the AVR and try another brand. I my case, my Yamaha AVR was about 3 years old, so I didn't want to replace it. If it was still in the return period, I would have returned it.


If I remember correctly, the SA8300 disable the other ports when HDMI is connected (to prevent copying), Also I red that the SA8300 is only HDMI 1.0 (strange because 1.0 did not support surround). I never notice a problem when it was connected directly to the TV, but it does not mean that the receiver is faulty (I am sure that the handshake is more relax on a TV because there is no HDMI out), you can see on the AVR when you press display, it show an error message something like "invalid format" or "unknown format".

I like my AVR and do not want to return it, I will change my DVR for a newer one when the disk craps out.


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## informel

Strange, I have not change anything, but the things works flawlesly


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## informel

Ok, forget it, any problem that goes away by itself, comes back also by itself.
but all I have to do is to go to a non hidef signal and come back to hidef channel.

I can live with that


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