Intermittent HDMI cable connection

[Corazones]

After my excessively high TV aerial mast blew down in a storm (I'm in a very poor signal area in the middle of woodland), I decided to switch from Freecycle to Freesat via a dish, and I had a little Manhattan SX box installed. The Smart HD TV is a Samsung of 2013, which is wall mounted. Picture quality is excellent from the SX box when it works, but the HDMI plug and lead supplied with it seem to work loose every couple of minutes; firstly sound is lost, and then the picture. If I reverse the cable end-to-end, it's the same.

I overcame this temporarily by pressing the back of the plug towards the TV, but in a minute or two it's loose again. So that's definitely the problem. The set has two HDMI sockets, but it's the same with both. They have never been used before, so they're not worn.

I figured that the "springiness" of the cable was slowly prying it out of the socket. So, as a botched solution, I taped the HDMI cable on to a bracket on the wall exactly level with the HDMI socket on the TV. That is much more satisfactory, often for a whole evening's viewing, but I can't live with it like that.

So two questions, please:

1. Might a more flexible cable solve the problem? Manhattan seem to have turned a blind eye to my request for a replacement for theirs. If that might be the answer, can anyone suggest a particular cable that's better but not excessively expensive?

2. Is it possible that the specification of an HDMI socket on the TV might have changed slightly since 2013, making the more recent plug a loose fit?

Many thanks,

Alec.

 

[just pumps]

Sounds like the cable is under stress and slowly coming out of the socket. There are cables available which are more flexible

 

[Corazones]

Yes, that's what I figured, jp, but which cable? I guess the ultimate solution would be a flat cable like the Ugreen from Amazon, but it's expensive.

 

[just pumps]

Mine are flat and wouldnt say expensive but cant recall where I brought them.

 

[Lucid]

I am a little surprised that you lose audio first, unless this is the audio out from HDMI ARC to a sound bar. You see, other than the ARC channel on pin 19, the rest of the pins carry a mix of data, so there are no dedicated audio-only channels in a HDMI cable from source to TV.

However, you might find it useful to get hold of some short-body HDMI plug leads. Here is an example: https://www.cables4all.co.uk/hdmi-cable---6m---featuring-slim-hdmi-plugs-2167-p.asp

I have used similar where the HDMI sockets have made it difficult to use a regular plug without it fouling something.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

poundland do hdmi cables. if your cable is only required to be a couple of feet long any cable will do as being a digital signal its either there or not. if the cable comes straight out of the back of the tv you could try a right angle adaptor so that the cable is not trying to lever itself out due to its own weight

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393359322018?hash=item5b960aeba2:g:7egAAOSwtzVfhFCQ

 

[Corazones]

I am a little surprised that you lose audio first, unless this is the audio out from HDMI ARC to a sound bar. You see, other than the ARC channel on pin 19, the rest of the pins carry a mix of data, so there are no dedicated audio-only channels in a HDMI cable from source to TV.

However, you might find it useful to get hold of some short-body HDMI plug leads. Here is an example: https://www.cables4all.co.uk/hdmi-cable---6m---featuring-slim-hdmi-plugs-2167-p.asp

I have used similar where the HDMI sockets have made it difficult to use a regular plug without it fouling something.

Thanks for that explanation, Lucid, it's interesting to speculate what's going on in there. It's as if the audio goes first, then within a second or less it either restores to normal or continues to a full picture loss and occasionally re-boot. As for the cable, there are so many options to choose from - flat cable, right-angled plugs, thinner cable - and such a variation in price! I don't think a short-body plug would help in this case though, the lead has to go far enough back to jump over a SCART connection just below it. Maybe my best bet would be to choose what seems to be the most flexible, buy it from Amazon, then if it doesn't do the job I can return it straight away.

It's strange, some of the old leads in my box of unwanted PC bits - can't recall what they were for - are so flat that each wire protrudes and the weight is minimal. An HDMI version of that might be ideal. Or I could even choose what appears to be the most thin and flexible round type.
Alec

 

[Lucid]

Ah, right, there's very little time between sound loss and picture loss. That makes more sense. When I read your OP I was expecting minutes or hours of sound loss.

There's a certain delay in the picture processing chain due to all the deinterlacing, upscaling and picture drive circuitry that could easily account for a second or so of delay. Audio doesn't need this level of processing, so you'd hear sound loss fractionally before picture loss.

Regarding flat leads, they are available. Bear in mind that HDMI signals are very high energy compared to SCART signals. There are two implications of this. The first is that the cable will radiate energy that can be picked up by unshielded or poorly shielded adjacent cables. This happens to knock out TV aerial signals in poor coax, and may affect SCART when the cable bodies are close or if the SCART isn't well shielded.

The second is that HDMI doesn't include any error correction. There's error detection, which is not the same thing, and still doesn't fix bit errors. Where HDMI cables are excessively thin then there's not much space left for cable shielding which works both to help minimise signal radiation from.the cable, but also reduce noise intrusion.

Some will mention that HDMI used balanced mode connections which eliminate noise picked up in signal transit. However, that only goes so far. If a data bit is corrupted then balanced mode noise rejection won't get around that. Once it is gone it's gone.

Thoroughly test your signals through all connections, and be aware of the impact that low cost wall wart type power supplies can have on signal reliability too.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Where are your sockets? You can buy L shaped adaptors that help with strain relief

 

[Corazones]

Thanks again, Lucid - so much helpful technical info there that I wasn't aware of. Yes, I'll test again, as far as I can; I will also try plugging the signal in to a spare TV/monitor that's currently in the loft, to eliminate the possibility of a TV hardware fault, in view of the fact that the HDMI sockets on my main TV haven't been used before. My current lashup with the cable taped up level with the socket has given me three days of uninterrupted signals now, but it means that I can't swing the wall bracket.

Incidentally, during the signal interruption phase, I was able to receive excellent signals from wi-fi through my little USB plug-in Kindle Fire attachment, using the "Watch Now" facility on catchup channels. Really handy!

I suppose an L shaped adaptor is worth trying, although I would have thought that it increases that downward pull that seems to cause the problem, Tigercubrider.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

it is not the downward pull that moves the plug out of the socket its the leverage the weight of the cable produces when it sticks out from the back of the tv. imagine hanging all your weight on a screw in the wall that sticks out 1/2 in then do the same with a screw that sticks out 3 or 4 ins. the latter will bend the former will not. if your hdmi sockets are horizontal unlike the one in the pic you can also get adapter like in the pic of just the cable. the adapters are described by different sellers differently so if you decide to try one look at the shape of the hdmi socket (its not rectangular) and try to envisage which one of the adapters will suit, some are described as left/right or 90 degree/270 degree or up down (the last pic is a horizontal down)

 

[Tigercubrider]

Yes- the correct L shape will allow the cable to (for example) come into the socket from the left on the pictures above. A self adhesive cable tie can stick to the tv and act as strain relief.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Yes- the correct L shape will allow the cable to (for example) come into the socket from the left on the pictures above. A self adhesive cable tie can stick to the tv and act as strain relief.

thats what i did with my telly and the vent slots on the back were in just the right place to get a cable tie in to stop the cable moving (and to make it look much neater with all the cables together exactly in the middle at the back so hidden by the stand) (i cant stand seeing cables everywhere)

 

[Lucid]

Thanks again, Lucid - so much helpful technical info there that I wasn't aware of. Yes, I'll test again, as far as I can; I will also try plugging the signal in to a spare TV/monitor that's currently in the loft, to eliminate the possibility of a TV hardware fault, in view of the fact that the HDMI sockets on my main TV haven't been used before. My current lashup with the cable taped up level with the socket has given me three days of uninterrupted signals now, but it means that I can't swing the wall bracket.

BIB - You're using a swivel bracket. I think that's the first time you've mentioned it in this thread. That's kind of crucial information, don't you think? Is there anything else we need to know?

The chances are that as you've moved the TV on the bracket then the leverage of the ordinary cable has acted on the HDMI sockets. The spec of the HDMI sockets hasn't changed. I'm guessing then that you just applied more force than they're designed for because of your bracket choice and moving the set with the cables plugged in but no strain relief.

I've said it before, but I'll say it just once more and add: Get a cable with short-body plugs. Not only is the plug body shorter but they generally use a smaller diameter cable which means it's more flexible. Here, look:

This is my regular HDMI cable (blue) versus my short-body HDMI cable (sliver plug body, white cable). Alec, I took the trouble to take this picture for you. A similar plug/cable will help fix your problem. Now take the advice.

Add some strain relief as per @Tigercubrider and @Sureitsoff? suggested. Restrict any forces on the cable from moving the bracket to just a length of cable between two strain relief points rather than having it pull on the plug body / HDMI socket directly.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Lucid, what make is your preferred hdmi leads? I have used blue rigger in the past but that was for 15m runs