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rkruz's avatar
rkruz
New Contributor
6 years ago

Contour incompatibility with HDMI/HDCP

I got a new 2019 AV receiver made by Onkyo,  A mid high end receiver that switches the HDMI as the audio is now supplied over HDMI.  The Contour cable box HDMI is routed through the Onkyo Receiver to a 2019 Sony TV.

Every so often, the picture will freeze from the Contour.  If I move the HDMI to connect the Contour direct to the TV , the picture is still frozen.  The only way to recover is to reset the Contour Cable box (which takes an annoying 5 minutes).

OK maybe a compatiblity of HDMI between the Contour Box and the Onkyo receiver so I returned the Onkly and purchase another receiver, different mfr and even higher cost also 2019 model.  So guess what, the identical issue happens again.  Picture freezes and Contour box must be reset.

Called cox tech support and really all they could offer was to reset the cable box.  No help there.

I think the incompatibility has to do the the HDCP or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection used to protect copyrighted material from being copied over HDMI on the cable box provided by Cox but manufactured by some large company no Cox.  Im very suspicious the problem is in the Contour box not keeping up with compatibility of new versions of HDMI and HDCP. 

Any clues here?  thanks

  • Becky's avatar
    Becky
    Moderator
    6 years ago

    Hi Rkruz, HDMI handshake issues can be caused by HDMI cables that have damaged pins or a poor port connection. Make sure that each HDMI cable fits securely in its port and that there are no sharp bends in the cables. HDMI handshake issues may also occur when using HDMI cables that do not conform to the correct HDMI specifications. Testing another HDMI cable is usually our first recommendation. Also, it is important to ensure you are allowing enough time for the HDMI renegotiation process when switching TV inputs or powering on and off hardware.
    • If you temporarily bypass your audio receiver and connect your Contour box directly to the TV, do you still experience the picture freezing issue? If yes, have you scheduled a Cox service call to determine why the cable box freezes?
    • Have you tried connecting the audio receiver to the TV using an optical cable?
    • Have you tried disabling the HDMI-CEC setting on the audio receiver and/or the TV? (Sony calls the HDMI-CEC feature Bravia Sync, I believe.) It’s possible that the TV and audio receiver manufacturers’ implementation of the HDMI-CEC setting is causing a conflict.
    The next time the picture freezes, try one of the following:
    1. Switch the TV to a different input, wait at least 10 seconds, and switch back to the HDMI input. This is usually enough time to reestablish a good HDMI handshake.
    2. Turn the cable box off by pressing the Power button on the front panel. Turn off the power to your TV and audio receiver, as well. Reset HDMI by disconnecting and reconnecting the HDMI cables connecting all components.
    Please update this thread when you can! -Becky, Cox Support Forums Moderator