Can a HDMI Cable or Blu-ray disc's audio blow out speakers?

[TheHighRoller]

Hello guys,

This may seem like a stupid question to some of you, but I was wondering if a Blu-ray disc's audio encoding could possibly contribute to a blow out or mess up a TV's speakers/main board? Or would it be all on a faulty HDMI cable?


When I got my Vizio 55" TV two years ago from Costco, we forgot that HDMI cables were sold seperately. So we went to a store and bought a generic no-name HDMI cable for like $7.99. This thing honestly has no make and model number, let alone a brand (it does have numbers, but they don't look like a model number). I know they say all HDMI cables are the same, but I honestly don't believe that.

Since getting that HDMI cable, whenever we watch a Blu-ray, watch YouTube, or use the PS3 for gameplay (the main Blu-ray player is the PS3), sometimes the image and/or sound will go out for like two seconds, then go back on. Only a few times out of that, the sound will make a faint pop. In total, we may get this go on/go off problem maybe once a week or once every two weeks (but when we do get it, it happens like 3 or 4 times until we change the HDMI cable into another slot- then it starts again a week later). We also sometimes turn off the TV for about 20 seconds and turn it on and sometimes that seems to help.


So in May, I watched a brand new Blu-ray disc that had LPCM 1.0 Mono Audio (48kHz, 24-Bit), and as soon as the disc ended, the speakers blew out. Throughout the film, I thought it was strange how some parts were softer than others (It's a Criterion, so maybe this is attributable to the original audio source). I have since replaced the main board (back in May), and I recently decided to re-watch the Blu-ray again a few days ago, and I noticed that the image would turn off, then back on as it did last time (I heard a faint pop when it did). On the good side though, nothing happened to the audio. So I honestly think this is HDMI cable related.


I'm now planning on buying a better HDMI cable, either Sony or Monster and hope that it really is the HDMI cable after all.


But still, is it possible that the HDMI cable or the Blu-ray disc's audio encoding could have resulted in a messed up main board? I would blame it on the TV, but like I said, the main board was replaced (it was purchased directly through Vizio and installed by a professional), so I don't think the TV is to blame.

[TheHighRoller]

100+ views... I would appreciate an opinion?

[HECII]

It sounds like you might have answered your own question, if it happened a second time with a new board the hdmi cable is the most likely culpret. I guess there could be a video signal getting sent through to the audio side and causing an overload problem. Just replace the cable and see if that takes care of the problem. I have been using an hdmi cable brand called Mediabridge for 4 years that I purchased on Amazon, and I've had excellent results with all of them (several bought for friends and others) and they are inexpensive. They seem to be very well made, with gold ends. They sell for $14 or less depending on length. The link is below.

Have you tried a search on Amazon or others to see if there's any info. on weather the disc is causing problems for others? Maybe it's a faulty blu-ray? I would think that Criterion would not produce such a defective disc though.

I hope this clears up your problem.

http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-a...ctronics%2C491

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by HECII

It sounds like you might have answered your own question, if it happened a second time with a new board the hdmi cable is the most likely culpret. I guess there could be a video signal getting sent through to the audio side and causing an overload problem. Just replace the cable and see if that takes care of the problem. I have been using an hdmi cable brand called Mediabridge for 4 years that I purchased on Amazon, and I've had excellent results with all of them (several bought for friends and others) and they are inexpensive. They seem to be very well made, with gold ends. They sell for $14 or less depending on length. The link is below.

Have you tried a search on Amazon or others to see if there's any info. on weather the disc is causing problems for others? Maybe it's a faulty blu-ray? I would think that Criterion would not produce such a defective disc though.

I hope this clears up your problem.

http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-a...ctronics%2C491

Thanks for the insight.

Yesterday we got HD TV for the first time, and they gave us an HDMI cable.

I noticed that the image/audio going out didn't happen on the channel it's on, yet the channel the PS3 is on (with the HDMI cable I mentioned was maybe faulty) kept having the same issues, even after changing it to different channels. So now I'm sure it is the cable. Hopefully I can find a good cable today/tomorrow and that will be the end of the audio/video probelm.

[Almadacr]

Well if you say that " I know they say all HDMI cables are the same, but I honestly don't believe that " it's not going to change your mind . A hdmi cable works or not it doesn't mater if it cost's $1 or $1000 , yes there are better build cables but that they will change the signal .... no .

This is one of the best value quality hdmi cables out there still cost's a 1/3 of a Monster cable and there's are a lot of guys here in the forum that have 0 problems even with long runs .


Redmere

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by Almadacr

Well if you say that " I know they say all HDMI cables are the same, but I honestly don't believe that " it's not going to change your mind . A hdmi cable works or not it doesn't mater if it cost's $1 or $1000 , yes there are better build cables but that they will change the signal .... no .

This is one of the best value quality hdmi cables out there still cost's a 1/3 of a Monster cable and there's are a lot of guys here in the forum that have 0 problems even with long runs .


Redmere

I was thinking more of the Sony HDMI cable that also supports 3D. It's like $14.99.

[Almadacr]

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

I was thinking more of the Sony HDMI cable that also supports 3D. It's like $14.99.

If it works ... it works it's not the brand that makes quality .

Here's a nice write up regarding HDMI cables C-Net .

You can also check out the sticky that we have here on the site with a lot of info regarding HDMI cables .

HDMI Cables

[Halcro 1]

Well was it the cable?

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by Halcro 1

Well was it the cable?

I think so!

[42041]

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

This may seem like a stupid question to some of you, but I was wondering if a Blu-ray disc's audio encoding could possibly contribute to a blow out or mess up a TV's speakers/main board? Or would it be all on a faulty HDMI cable?

Audio encoding? No. It's possible that a bad cable could short something out and damage the electronics, blowing out the speakers would be quite a trick though. My guess is that it was an issue with the TV.

[ZoetMB]

A cable may or may not be defective, but it cannot blow out a system unless somehow a high voltage was sent across the cable due to a short.

In a digital system, the signal that comes across the cable is simply low voltage square waves where the peak of the square wave represents a digital 1 and the bottom of the wave (or 0) represents at digital 0. That's it. That's why cables (aside from construction issues) don't matter. Either the digital 1s and 0s (in the form of square waves) get across (and at the right time) or they don't. They can't be better or worse or more accurate or less accurate. Many people incorrectly associate analog attributes to digital. You cannot tweak a digital signal. You can't make the case in digital that the construction of a cable is going to negatively impact the frequency response of the cable and therefore affect the picture or sound.

The construction of the cable is another matter. I bought a very heavy duty cable, but it was so heavy, it put strain on its own connectors and probably the jacks on the equipment as well. The cable eventually tore away from the plug. As others in this thread posted, I replaced it with a very lightweight Redmere cable. Even that was probably overdoing it - I probably could have simply bought a narrower gauge lightweight cable, but the Redmere works fine.

I suspect your problem was solely with the TV itself.

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

A cable may or may not be defective, but it cannot blow out a system unless somehow a high voltage was sent across the cable due to a short.

In a digital system, the signal that comes across the cable is simply low voltage square waves where the peak of the square wave represents a digital 1 and the bottom of the wave (or 0) represents at digital 0. That's it. That's why cables (aside from construction issues) don't matter. Either the digital 1s and 0s (in the form of square waves) get across (and at the right time) or they don't. They can't be better or worse or more accurate or less accurate. Many people incorrectly associate analog attributes to digital. You cannot tweak a digital signal. You can't make the case in digital that the construction of a cable is going to negatively impact the frequency response of the cable and therefore affect the picture or sound.

The construction of the cable is another matter. I bought a very heavy duty cable, but it was so heavy, it put strain on its own connectors and probably the jacks on the equipment as well. The cable eventually tore away from the plug. As others in this thread posted, I replaced it with a very lightweight Redmere cable. Even that was probably overdoing it - I probably could have simply bought a narrower gauge lightweight cable, but the Redmere works fine.

I suspect your problem was solely with the TV itself.

I don't think it was the TV. When we replaced the main board, the problem persisted. I think the first board got f*cked up because of that cable.


We bought a Sony Slim HDMI cable this past weekend, and thankfully the problem stopped.

[FreddieFerric]

If the problem stopped, then problem solved.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

I don't think it was the TV. When we replaced the main board, the problem persisted. I think the first board got f*cked up because of that cable.

We bought a Sony Slim HDMI cable this past weekend, and thankfully the problem stopped.

You can also check that your PS3's audio outputs do not exceed what your TV can handle, I doubt they would blow out speakers if you did choose higher ones but it's worth checking.

The only issue I have with my PlayStation is that I lose the AnyNet+ function even though my TV recognises the PlayStation 3. I'm not sure if it's a HDMI issue or not.

[Flatnate]

I have bought tons of cheap cables with no issue. But yeah defective cables do come along and probably more on the cheap side. My brother got a free one with his cable box from the cable company. It would pass 720p just fine, switch to 1080p off the Blu-Ray player and it would be okay for a few seconds then drop out. Despite that one time, I'm still a big advocate of relatively cheap HDMI cables.

[Canada]

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

I was thinking more of the Sony HDMI cable that also supports 3D. It's like $14.99.

there are no HDMI cables that support or don't support 3D, 3D does require more data, but not that much more, any HDMI cable will support 3D, now if you want to talk HDMI ports HDMI, 1.3 or below will not support 3D.