DVI port has no signal from DVD player nor cable box

[birdguynews]

I have a Zenith 32" HDTV Direct View C32V37 w/ DVi input.

A couple of months ago, I got comcast and tried to have the tech connect the box to the TV via DVI-D cable. The tech failed to do and I contacted Comcast HDTv specialist and they failed to have me connected via DVI. My TV would not receive signal from the cable box (DCT-6208) through DVi. The Comcast HDTV specialist thought it was the firmware and HDCP conflict (existing known problem at Comcast) but he thought it was weird that I couldn't get ANY signal from the box. Usually there would be a signal at least.

So i just ended up watching HDTV via component and thought no more of it.

yesterday I bought an open box Samsung DVD-HD931 with DVI output. I tried to connect the DVD player via DVI and again, the DVI port on my TV would not receive any signal. I used the same DVI-D cable provided by comcast. I followed the instruction manual and the DVI port just would not work. Component work fine. I don't it's HDCP problem as the Zenith is HDCP compliant and even if it's non-compliant, there should be snow on the screen instead of NO SIGNAL.

Does anyone know of this no signal problem with Zenith C32V37 DVI port? I am guessing it's either the DVI cable or the TV because neither the DVD player nor the cable box couldn't work with the TV.

Any ideas on how to troubleshoot further? I don't have another DVI cable to test, and I would hate to spend another $50 on cables just to find out that my DVI cable is not the problem.

Many thanks in advance for any help!

[Ratman]

You may want to try a DVI-I cable. DVI-D is digital only.
No signal in digital is the equivalent to snow in analog.

[namechamps]

You don't need a DVD-I cable. No HD equipment uses the analog part of DVI-I. The Analog pins would simply be unused.

There are 2 possibilities.
1) The DVI-D port on your TV is dead. Physically or logically it is not working.

2) Your TV does not support HDCP and the TV is going dead because it doesn't understand the handshake the STB and DVD are trying to start.

Two ways to check this out.
A) Easiest way would be trying hooking up a box with no HDCP. For example an OTA STB. If you get no signal with an OTA box then the TV DVI port is dead and you need to setup a repair. If an OTA box works but nothing else works then your TV does not support HDCP.

Another way to check DVI without HDCP is to hookup a PC with DVI output. However this takes a little more work and involves some software like PowerStrip.

B) Contact Zenith tecnical support. Find out if the TV supports HDCP. If it does then arrange for a service call.

If your TV does not support HDCP (which some early models do NOT) then you are SOL. Sorry for bad news but all DVI is going HDCP (except for OTA or hooking up to a PC) so that DVI port will become useless.

If you TV DOES support HDCP and/or a non-HDCP source (like a PC or OTA box) doesn't work then you TV most likely needs repair. I hope it is still under warranty???
When you call zenith I would explain you have tried 2 sources (cable and DVD player) so you are sure the problem is with the HDTV.

[Ratman]

No HD equipment uses the analog part of DVD-I. The Analog pins would simply be unused.
.

Are you postive about that?

[namechamps]

Are you postive about that?

Yes I am sure on this (except I misspelled DVI as DVD, maybe you are goofing me on that one? :) ).

DVI has 2 flavors:
DVI-D which is a digital only connection
DVI-I which adds analog pins for carrying an analog signal.

DVI-I is used mainly in computers whose video cards can output both a analog or digital signal.

In HDTV you already have many analog inputs: composite, s-video, component, vga are all analog.

DVI is intended to carry secure digital information. Adding analog pins to make DVI-I would defeat the whole purpose of HDCP. If that was goal of STB they simply could use VGA or any other analog output.

Some STB and TV have a connector that looks like DVI-I but that is simply to prevent problems if users used a DVI-I cable instead of DVI-D cable. For the same reasons STB builders often add the second set of digital pins - "dual link" eventhough they are hooked to nothing.

[ezchris2004]

I'm having a similar problem with my TV (Samsung HLP 5063W) when connected VOOM via the DVI. The picture just flashed when connected using the DVI cable that came with the VOOM box...I tried a different DVI cable and got no signal. The picture looks beautifully when using the component. I'm hoping is not the TV because I just got it from Tweeter over the weekend. Help!:(

[Eddy]

I recently started a new thread because of a similar problem with my Denon DVD. My comcast DVI outputs fine to my TV DVI input, but there is clearly a problem with the DVD DVI output. One possibility is HDCP compatibility. The other is that neither your cable box nor your DVD player is fully enabled. Crazy as it may seem, the mere presence of a DVI plug on a piece of equipment does not guarantee that the port is truly enabled. Check each piece of equipment separately with a TV that you know has a functional HDCl-compliant DVI input.

[kidslice]

Here is my stab at this.

I have a Samsung DLP and the EDID of the TV is not formatted properly. So when I connect a device that attempts to automatically determine the video formats of the TV and set the format accordingly, the process fails. The Motorola STB will default to 720x480p when this happens and then lets you change the format manually (power teh STB off then press MENU). Maybe the Denon does not know how to proceeed when the EDID process fails and thus mutes the output.

Just a guess. Try connecting the Denon to a TV with valid EDID and see what happens.

Does the Denon let you manually define the format of the DVI output? If it does then set it to 720p and see what happens.

[HD-FAN]

It's also possible that you need to go to a menu in your device to enable the DVI output. Some boxes, DVD players, etc., need to be told where to send the signal.

[bpilati]

My father is having a problem similar to Birdguy's. His Zenith (HDCP compliant) gets no picture when using the HDMI cable. He has Direct TV with the latest boxes and dish. His Vizio HDTV works fine on the same box and dish. The HDMI cable is good. He uses RGB component cable for video right now, Zenith has not been able to resolve his problem so far. Warranty expires in Dec.