H25 HDMI output Strength

[Andy Schenck]

Any help is welcomed here...I am gearing up for college football season and am trying to hookup 4 Directv receivers to a newly acquired DMON-4S quad multiviewer (http://decimator.com/Products/DMON-4S/DMON-4S.html). I have one HR34 box and 3 H25 boxes. The setup is a little complex...won't go into details. The bottom line is that the HR34 displays perfectly through the device, however none of the H25's are detected. I know all of the ports on the device are working because I brought in some other receivers from other rooms (HR21 and HR24 models) and they all displayed perfectly too. So my question is does any body know of any issues specific to the H25 models that would prevent them from being detected? And if so is there any remedy short of getting other models? And no, I don't want to permanently move any of the other receivers from around the house to this setup because they are all DVRs and the H25s are not...just need them for viewing on Saturdays and Sundays.

Again any help is appreciated as I am perplexed here...I have reached out to the manufacturer of the DMON-4S but have not gotten a reply as of yet...

Thanks.

 

[harshness]

Perhaps it has something to do with HDCP? I read where the GenieMinis require HDCP even if the content isn't flagged and wonder if that may also be a property of some of the H25 models.

You might try sending an HBO channel (or some other known flagged content) through one of the adult sized boxes and see if it blacks out. If the associated quadrant blanks on a flagged channel, the HDCP handshake isn't answered and you get nothing. I don't imagine that a quad converter would be HDCP enabled and I believe that more than a few of the inexpensive SDI converters aren't either.

 

[Andy Schenck]

Thanks for the feedback...but I think that may be one step too far. The device has a little LCD readout on it and it gives the status of each of the 4 ports. When I attach the HR34 to it the status of that port immediately changes as it detects it. When I attach any of the H25's to the device, the status does not change and remains at NO INPUT. They simply are not being detected.

But just for kicks I was just able to pull up HBO on the working receiver in quadrant one without issue.

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys Andy Schenck!

I agree with harshness that it's likely an hdcp issue related to the H25. When you said it worked with HBO, was that through the Genie or the H25? I assume you are using the HDMI dongle from the H25 to the DMON-4S. Do you have the component dongle to see if that works?

 

[Andy Schenck]

Yes, HBO is working through the Genie through the device. The setup is a bit more complicated as originally stated...the DMON-4S only takes SDI inputs, so I have 4 HDMI to SDI converters. The DMON-S4 takes these 4 SDI inputs and provides one HDMI output. I have tried all different combinations of receivers to the different converters (the Genie outputs fine from all 4 converters and all 4 ports on the device) and none of the H25's are detected through any of them. Component output is not an option. I know all of the H25's are fine since I hooked them up each directly to the HDMI port on the TV and was able to activate them. So I guess I am hearing that the H25s are simply not compatible, for HDCP or some other reason, with this setup. What a drag.

 

[harshness]

So I guess I am hearing that the H25s are simply not compatible, for HDCP or some other reason, with this setup. What a drag.

Apparently the H25 isn't able to deal with the response that it is getting so it is shutting off the HDMI port (although I thought the prescribed response was supposed to be a green screen). It may be possible that a firmware update will fix this.

For now, it would appear that you are indeed sans paddle.

 

[texasbrit]

But the H25 does not enforce HDCP except on premium channels, whereas the HR34 does, so these results are the reverse of what you would expect if it was an HDMI issue.
But I checked the spec on the DMON device and it appears to be an SDI to HDMI converter, not the other way around????

 

[Andy Schenck]

Yes that is correct...the DMON takes SDI inputs and converts to HDMI output...that is why I needed the 4 HDMI to SDI converters...so HDMI out from H25 receiver to HDMI input of converter...SDI out of converter to SDI in of DMON-4S...HDMI out of DMON-4S to HDMI in on TV. But again, the DMON device does not detect an input when going from H25 to converter to DMON...but it works perfectly with exact same setup using H21, H24 or H34 receiver (those are all I have!).

Confused...

 

[texasbrit]

So the problem is in the HDMI to SDI converters....which manufacturer/model number are those?

EDIT: try setting the H25s so they only have 1080i checkmarked in the menu, and native "off".

 

[Andy Schenck]

Here is a link to the converters if that helps...

Amazon product ASIN B00EIR5CTU

 

[texasbrit]

Did you try setting native to "off" with only 1080i checked?

 

[Andy Schenck]

I'll try that tonight when I get home...thanks for the suggestion.

 

[harshness]

So the problem is in the HDMI to SDI converters....which manufacturer/model number are those?

I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion.

If the converters work with the adult sized boxes, that suggests that they do indeed work. I suspect that the H25s are having issues with the DMON as the converters only relay the data, they don't add to, edit or respond to it.

 

[texasbrit]

I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion.

If the converters work with the adult sized boxes, that suggests that they do indeed work. I suspect that the H25s are having issues with the DMON as the converters only relay the data, they don't add to, edit or respond to it.

I'm suggesting that possibly the handshake between the H25s and the TVs is not getting through the converters correctly........

 

[harshness]

I'm suggesting that possibly the handshake between the H25s and the TVs is not getting through the converters correctly........

If it gets through for the HR34, it should be able to make it for anything else that asks.

In this case, I would imagine that the go-ahead has to come from the DCOM as I would think it would need to "harmonize" its inputs regardless of what the displays want or need.

 

[texasbrit]

With native "on" I am not sure how the DCOM can do this....

 

[harshness]

If the DCOM is being force fed a particular stream configuration rather than being able to negotiate common ground could be the problem.

Native only works if the terminal device supports it.

 

[raoul5788]

If the DCOM is being force fed a particular stream configuration rather than being able to negotiate common ground could be the problem.

Native only works if the terminal device supports it.

Isn't that what texasbrit said, but understandably?

 

[harshness]

It is, but texasbrit seemed to be talking about the handshake not passing and I'm betting that the handshake is indeed happening and resulting in a "stinkpalm" with the H25 throwing in the towel and shutting off its output.

It isn't clear whether native is on or off yet but that doesn't really impact whether the devices are able to communicate -- only why they might not be able to come to terms.

 

[texasbrit]

It is, but texasbrit seemed to be talking about the handshake not passing and I'm betting that the handshake is indeed happening and resulting in a "stinkpalm" with the H25 throwing in the towel and shutting off its output.

It isn't clear whether native is on or off yet but that doesn't really impact whether the devices are able to communicate -- only why they might not be able to come to terms.

Right. I'm not sure how this config can handle multiple receivers which may not all be configured the same. It seems likely that the signal is being rejected at the DCOM, as you say because it can't "come to terms" with the multiple devices. Maybe all the receivers are set to native "off" except the H25s...... My suggestion is that the OP makes sure all the receivers are native off and set to the same output resolution.