Bad HDMI Cable Caused "Grid-Noise"

[Ernest Rister]

Hey gang --

Just dropping a word to follow up on a very, very old thread I made years ago. I experienced pronounced issues watching Braveheart and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In a few scenes, rampant white "grid noise" -- looking like little swarming squares -- danced and flashed over the film image, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. I posted about it, some people were helpful (pointing to reviews by very knowledgeable folk who saw the same thing, only not to the same extent), some people...weren't (yay, insults..but it's the internet, that's going to happen).

Well, after all this time, I finally figured out what was going on. I had a bad HDMI cable. I recently purchased a new 7.2 receiver, and I replaced all the HDMI cables in my home theater -- the Blu-Ray player, the PS3, the DVR, the ouput to the TV. Everything.

Lo and freaking behold, the grid noise disappeared (well, reduced by about 90% as to be almost imperceptible). I couldn't watch Braveheart or HP6 or other titles with the issue -- it depressed me too much. This was like getting those titles back.

So if you're experiencing obtrusive white speckles on your films, consider that it isn't the disc that's the problem...you might have a bad HDMI cable somewhere in the signal chain.

Just passing this along.

[Mahatma]

I would guess that to be a benefit when it comes to braveheart and HP movies

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

I would guess that to be a benefit when it comes to braveheart and HP movies

It affected other movies as well -- even trailers. Still need to go back and see if it corrected some strobing on my BBC Planet Earth set.

[Mahatma]

To be serious:Strange that it afflicted only some movies that problem...Thought the check-sum would have either given great picture,or none at all.

I only have cheapo HDMI cables since they're digital,so either it gets there,or it don't-unlike analogue where quality is noticable in more expensive cables.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

To be serious:Strange that it afflicted only some movies that problem...Thought the check-sum would have either given great picture,or none at all.

I only have cheapo HDMI cables since they're digital,so either it gets there,or it don't-unlike analogue where quality is noticable in more expensive cables.

It amplifies subtle problems that are indeed there, but with proper equipment, you wouldn't notice them unless you were eagled eyed. Reviews for both Braveheart and HP6 mention "slight white specks" in the scenes that made my eyes bleed with the bad cable...with the bad cable, these flaws made the scenes practically unwatchable.

[bigshot]

I can't see how a cable wouldn't create the same problem with one movie as any other. Sounds more like mistracking by your blu-ray player.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by bigshot

I can't see how a cable wouldn't create the same problem with one movie as any other. Sounds more like mistracking by your blu-ray player.

Trust me, Steven -- not the player, or the TV. I even found an article about it a few days ago...a bad HDMI cable can amplify artifacts you wouldn't normally see. I have two Blu-Ray players, saw the same thing on both. It was the HDMI cable coming out to the TV, it's the troof, roof.

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

To be serious:Strange that it afflicted only some movies that problem...Thought the check-sum would have either given great picture,or none at all.

I only have cheapo HDMI cables since they're digital,so either it gets there,or it don't-unlike analogue where quality is noticable in more expensive cables.

Originally Posted by bigshot

I can't see how a cable wouldn't create the same problem with one movie as any other. Sounds more like mistracking by your blu-ray player.

so far, i'm with these two guys!

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Trust me, Steven -- not the player, or the TV. I even found an article about it a few days ago...a bad HDMI cable can amplify artifacts you wouldn't normally see. I have two Blu-Ray players, saw the same thing on both. It was the HDMI cable coming out to the TV, it's the troof, roof.

why don't you post a link to the article you read. so that we can all read it. also, have you not thought it was the receiver? have you connected your players directly to your tv and did those "things" occur then? you need to state what you have done to eliminate everything possible.

[solarrdadd]

why didn't you just post this in the old thread that you mentioned; can you link us to that old thread? i think it would have been better.

[bigshot]

That's a good question... Is the AV receiver doing any image processing? Could those particular disks be slightly out of spec?

[bhampton]

There was something like that in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

It amplifies subtle problems that are indeed there, but with proper equipment, you wouldn't notice them unless you were eagled eyed. Reviews for both Braveheart and HP6 mention "slight white specks" in the scenes that made my eyes bleed with the bad cable...with the bad cable, these flaws made the scenes practically unwatchable.

I think I remember your thread. It was one of the flashback scenes in Harry Potter with a green tint if I recall. I didn't have the BD then but I do now. So I'll have to check it out.

There was a video posted a while back that showed something similar when testing HDMI leads on a PS3, one gave specks whilst the other didn't. That was just the XMB too and not even a Blu-ray disc tested.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by bigshot

That's a good question... Is the AV receiver doing any image processing? Could those particular disks be slightly out of spec?

It was the cable, Steve...I was outputting directly to the TV. I was only going to the old receiver for audio via optical in, as it had no HDMI inputs, and my set only has two HDMI inputs. Used one input for cable, the other for the PS3 or the stand-alone Blu-Ray player, and I would switch the HDMI cable from the PS3 to the Blu-Ray player whenever I watched movies. Now everything goes through the receiver - cable, PS3, Blu-ray player. New cables. Problem's gone now. I had a bad HDMI cable.