HDMI Limitations with Hopper

[az99]

I just got a 2 Hopper setup and I am pulling my hair out from the Hoppers very poor HDMI signal strength.

This configuration works perfectly with 2 DirecTV HR-24's.
My setup is the 1 Hopper feeds 1 main TV and uses a powered HDMI splitter/amp to feed another TV 50' away. The distant TV does not work.
The other Hopper feeds a 4way HDMI splitter/amp. 3 HDMI outputs go directly to TVs. Those work. The 4th goes to a HDMI to Cat5 that runs 50'+. That one does not work.

Dish tech says the HDMI output of the Hopper is only good for about 30'.

Anyone have any suggestions.

Thanx

 

[boba]

Spend $7 and add at least one Joey that is the way the Hopper system was designed.

 

[lakebum431]

I have a 100' run from a Hopper to a second TV in the bar area of my basement. Works just fine. Goes through a 1x2 powered Monoprice switch.

 

[az99]

Spend $7 and add at least one Joey that is the way the Hopper system was designed.

I already have 2 Hopper's for 2 people and was told the way I am doing it for rarely used TV locations was fine.

 

[Scherrman]

How much money did you spend on HDMI cables, splitters and a Cat5 extender? Or did you already have all of that from when you had DirecTV?

 

[az99]

It was all there from my DirecTv setup and working perfectly.

 

[356B]

Dish tech says the HDMI output of the Hopper is only good for about 30'.

Anyone have any suggestions.

Thanx

I'm running a HDMI 75 feet from Hopper to TV, no issues. Sounds cable-ish to me...... Is your service from the dish updated coax? Hopper does require RG6, if applicable.....

 

[harshness]

I'm running a HDMI 75 feet from Hopper to TV, no issues. Sounds cable-ish to me...... Is your service from the dish updated coax? Hopper does require RG6, if applicable.....

The RF signal coming into or going out of the hopper doesn't have much to do with the HDMI signal going out.

I'd assume that the splitter is causing the problem as I would think it should be regenerating the HDMI signal from the Hopper. That one TV works and the other doesn't suggests that the Hopper is probably doing its thing.

All devices that once worked fine may fail.

There may be some additional complications with HDCP.

 

[JM42]

It's almost certainly a compatibility issue between the Hopper/splitters/TVs, and not related to "poor signal strength." The signal from the Hopper stops at the powered splitter. The splitters are not just giving a "boost" to the Hopper signal but are essentially copying what the Hopper sends, rewriting it, and transmitting an entirely new signal.

What are the resolution settings of the Hopper? Do all the TVs have the same capabilities (1080i vs 720p, etc)? Have you tried one of the working TVs at the problem locations?

Unplug (not just power off) everything, then plug in just the problem location, Hopper and splitter and see if anything changes.

I've helped many "hopper friends" install splitters and HDMI runs, several well over 50 feet without issue.

 

[navychop]

Did you swap the output cables off the splitter? This could narrow down if it's the switch.


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[az99]

I did try the 50' HDMI cable without the splitter. No go. Dish sent out a tech who then called his boss. He said the HDMI output strength of the Hopper is very weak. He said anything over 10' is not recommended. So 1 tech says 30' and 1 says 10'.

Maybe the older Hoppers were better. They are now trying to sell Joeys so the shorter the HDMI run the more they sell.

And after another 2 1/2 hours on the phone explaining the problem at least 7 times to various people and 1 hangup when I asked to speak to her supervisor, I was left with the option to cancel and pay a $480 cancellation fee for my less than 1 day use or add Joeys for additional fees and $14 monthly charges.
At this point I am going to look into some wireless HDMI units.

Thanx for all the suggestions.

 

[harshness]

At this point I am going to look into some wireless HDMI units.

HDMI extender wall plates and CAT5e/6 are probably the cheapest solution to long-run HDMI. Monoprice is selling their plate set (up to 90') for around $17.50 for a pair. Just add two runs of CAT6. They sell 50' shielded CAT6 cables pre-made for $16.14 each if you lack the tooling or motivation.

 

[Scherrman]

You may want to look into what harshness said. Going with the wireless HD route can be very expensive, at least a couple hundred bucks.

 

[JM42]

Stressing again "poor signal strength" is almost certainly NOT the issue. If it is a 10 foot run from Hopper to splitter, or Hopper to cat5 converter, then it is only a 10 foot run as far as the Hopper is concerned. The splitter or cat5 adapter is regenerating the signal.

I have two new-ish (3 month old) HWS with longer runs through splitters and no issues.

 

[az99]

HDMI extender wall plates and CAT5e/6 are probably the cheapest solution to long-run HDMI. Monoprice is selling their plate set (up to 90') for around $17.50 for a pair. Just add two runs of CAT6. They sell 50' shielded CAT6 cables pre-made for $16.14 each if you lack the tooling or motivation.

That is the other part of my setup that does not work. It is a 50' Cat 6. Works fine with DirecTV HR-24 or Samsung DVD.

 

[agentc13]

Have you tried hooking the setup to a blu-ray/dvd (or any other device that outputs over hdmi) and just make sure that there is no issue with the wiring?

I know you said it worked fine with Direct, but it's always possible that a random failure happened at the same time as the switch to Dish.

Maybe you've tried this and I missed it, but if it works it's a Hopper issue, if not it's wiring.

 

[Jim5506]

10 ft HDMI on the Hopper is absurd, I would think 30 ft would be a minimum standard probably more like 50 ft, Other Dish receivers I've heard running 75' HDMI cables.

 

[Benyth]

I have an splitter on my HDMI to send the signal to another room with about a 70 foot run. I needed a HDMI extender to get a good signal:

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011012&p_id=8120&seq=1&format=2

This one from Monoprice worked great. Just put it at the end of the run and play with the EQ until you get a good image. Mine didn't need a power supply, it just runs off the power on the HDMI line.