# Denon AVR-X4000 handshaking issue



## Autorotate (Oct 10, 2014)

Hello all, I hope I am posting this in the correct section. I will try to put it into 2 parts....

Part1: 

I have recently set up my new equipment (Will list below) and have a problem receiving any picture or sound to my TV. Every other input seems to work fine except my cable input. I have ALL my components going to my receiver via HDMI and then (1) HDMI cable going from the Denon receiver "ARC Monitor" input into my TV "HDMI 1 ARC" input. When I turn on the devices all I get is DENON across the screen. 

I called Denon and they advised me to try and plug the cable HDMI coming from the actual Xfinity/Comcast X1 box (Samsung RNG150N) into the "Game" input. When I do this I get both audio through my surround and video through my TV. 

*Is there a better solution than jumping to the "Game" port?*

Part 2:

Also, Comcast/Xfinity sent me this email in response: _*"I found more information. True surround sound only works with the fiber optic cord , not hdmi cord. hdmi cord only plays stereo. Have customer connect hdmi direct to tv set, and fiber optic cord to stereo system. with audio in x1 guide set it to surround sound, and then customer will see 5.1 lite up on stereo system.This is the only way it works."*_

*I was under the impression that HDMI would work fine with the surround through the ARC? *When I tried switching the X1 to "surround" inside the settings it knocked out my speakers and played through the TV. 

I hooked up through the "game" input with the ARC from the receiver to the TV (the way Denon said to fix) I put on ESPNHD. I then held down the "game" on the Denon controller and switched to multi-channel. The sound played through all of my speakers and the receiver read: Game (TV) HDMI, DIG, PCM, Audyssey M1. 

I hope this wasn't too much for 1 post.......:wits-end:

- Denon AVR-X4000
- Infinity P-363's
- Infinity C351
- Definitive Pro Monitor 800 (rear surrounds)
- Rythmik FV15HP 
- Sony Blu-Ray BDPS3200
- Xfinity/Comcast X1 service (Samsung RNG150N box)
- Sharp Aquos LC-60LE650U


----------



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Sorry for the late reply. :doh:

Part 1 seems like an odd fix from Denon. Did they expand upon that any further? It seems like they are saying that the monitor port doesn't work. :scratch: Did it work hooked up normally with your blu-ray player?

Part 2 seems odd as well. I would think that surround would work though the hdmi channel. :dontknow:


----------



## selden (Nov 15, 2009)

Autorotate,

1. While the different HDMI inputs are supposed to act the same, they aren't quite identical. At the very least, the length of the internal wiring for each of them is somewhat different. It could be that the Game port's wiring is particularly short, for example, so that its resistance is less so it works better for weaker signals. 

2A. The x4000 receiver can provide information (on the TV's screen) about its incoming signal if you press the "Info" button on the x4000's remote or on its front panel. Among other things, it will display a graphic (on the left) showing which incoming audio channels are active and another (on the right) showing which speakers are active. For example, when you play a CD on a disc player which is connected to the x4000, only FR and FL will light up on the left. Then if you turn on ProLogic, many of the speaker symbols on the right should be illuminated. (See page 200 of the x4000's owner's manual.)

What does it show when the Comcast set-top-box's HDMI cable is plugged into the x4000's Game input and seems to be working? Does it always show the incoming signal to be stereo (FL & FR on), or does it sometimes show 5.1 audio? 

Most HD channels include 5.1 Dolby surround sound. Not all of them provide 5.1 all the time, though. 

2B. ARC is used to get audio out of the TV itself and into the receiver. It is not used if you have the cable box connected to the x4000. Your current problem is in getting audio from the cable box to the receiver and video from the cable box through the receiver to the TV. ARC would be used if you have an antenna which connects directly to the TV for over-the-air broadcast TV stations and you want to listen to them using the x4000. Another use of ARC is if you connect some device to the TV (like the cable box) and the TV then has to forward that device's audio to the x4000.

Some models of TVs only send stereo when using ARC. You'll have to carefully read your TV's manual to find out if it's supposed to send multichannel audio over ARC.

And finally, the HDMI circuits in some cable boxes are simply incompatible with AVRs.


----------

