# Cable and a few channels?!?



## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

Hey guys! 

I was watching TV last night. For some reason some HD channels work great and others Don't even come in with a black screen or very choppy. What could be causing this? I was also watching HBO Gladiator and I wasn't getting sound from the rear speakers. Is it bc of the speakers hooked up in Rear position instead of the SLR SRL


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

newyorkmets54 said:


> Hey guys!
> 
> I was watching TV last night. For some reason some HD channels work great and others Don't even come in with a black screen or very choppy. What could be causing this?


Cold be a bad connection on your cable feed to the TV or Receiver?


> I was also watching HBO Gladiator and I wasn't getting sound from the rear speakers. Is it bc of the speakers hooked up in Rear position instead of the SLR SRL


Yes, if your only running a 5.1 speaker setup with a 7.1 capable receiver you must use the side surround terminals and leave the rear ones empty.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

What's your source: OTA, cable, or dish?


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

Cablevision


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

It's very weird. Some channels look amazing. Then I get to like the cable stations like Discovery HD and TLCHD MTV either don't come in at all or are very choppy


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

Is the choppiness audio and video? Are you connected by HDMI?

Start by verifying you cable connections, swapping out your HDMI/Component cables if possible to rule out a bad cable.

After that, you should be in contact with your cable company and they should work with you to fix the problem (could be a bad connection to your house, or a bad cable box).


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

I have never had an problem with the channels until the connection has been through the receiver.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

what receiver are you using?


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

Harmon Kardon AVR 254
choppiness is audio and Video


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

If it's connected via HDMI this could be an HDMI handshake issue. Just to verify, the picture/sound is fine when connected via HDMI directly to the TV, or via component/digital audio cable?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Hmmm, not sure as it should have no issues passing video through the receiver as its HDMI 1.3a


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

ok i just got home and fiddling around. My tv now says 
Copy Protection
The YPrPb output is blocked.

The message looks like it is coming from the stb.

On a side note. My speakers in the rear are connected to SBL and SRL however it says in the menu that they should be in the surround left and surround right in order to work. This is too much work!!!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

newyorkmets54 said:


> My speakers in the rear are connected to SBL and SRL ..... This is too much work!!!


Thats not correct, lets see if I can help you here.

On the back of the receiver you will have 7 speaker terminals. The main Left and right along with the centre.
these ones are fairly self explanatory. Now for the surround channels. Surround Back Left (SBL) and Surround Back Right (SBR) do not use these.
Use the Surround Side Right (SSR) and Surround Side Left (SSL) speaker terminals even if you have those speakers on the rear walls.

does this help?


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

i am going through hell with this thing. I'm about to just return everything. Is anyone out there! lol. I can't hear anything out of my rears... the picture and sound cutting out and getting messages from my box with copyright protection


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

It definitely sounds like an HDCP handshake issue (Gotta love DRM, huh?). Just to verify, the picture/sound is fine when connected via HDMI directly to the TV, or via component/digital audio cable? Also, do you have any other HDMI sources (DVD player, Xbox), and do they also have this problem, or is it just your Cable box?


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

Just my cable box. some channels are fine. ESPN HD all picture is there but the sound is cutting in and out. The picture on the receiver of the speaker location are blinking and it seems like its just cutting in an out.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

I'd contact your cable company for a replacement box. If the problem persists, we can look at other potential solutions.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I've talked to him via PM and he is going to run his STB directly to the Display using HDMI and see if that makes any difference. He will run an optical cable from the STB to his receiver so he still gets audio.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

Sounds good.


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## newyorkmets54 (Jan 19, 2009)

It is DEF the cable box. I rebooted the cable box. Now everything is working fine through the receiver! Thank goodness. I may go replace the cable box anyway.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

I would. If you're paying them a rental fee, you shouldn't have to put up with a clunker.


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