HDMI to Component Converter box

[wajcgac]

Father in Laws TV appears to have problems with the HDMI sockets/circuitry as he has video but no audio when watching TV from his BT Youview box which is connected via an HDMI cable.

If he switches the TV input to watch freeview directly via the aerial cable plugged in to the aerial socket of the TV then the video and audio is fine.

I've swapped  HDMI cables, checked audio options on BT box and TV etc to no avail. I've then plugged the HDMI output from the BT box into another TV and the audio and video have been fine.

Options are

1) just watch Freeview via the aerial and not bother with the BT box (which they only have really to watch BT sport).
2) buy a new TV
3) or buy one of these HDMI to component converter and then connect to the TV via component leads - are these any good regarding degradation of video/audio quality? Any other issues that may arise?

is there something else I'm missing?

[Russell]

You appear to have done all the necessary checks and confirmed the TV is faulty.  If the TV has component and audio inputs on RCA connectors then that box should work.  Quality should not be an issue.

For that price it's probably worth a punt.

[fuaran]

You could get an HDMI audio splitter. So it uses HDMI for video, but RCA for audio.

[Russell]

You could get an HDMI audio splitter. So it uses HDMI for video, but RCA for audio.

Yebut, the TV probably can't be set to take signals from two different inputs.  It's either HDMI OR component isn't it?  Not mix'n'match.

[Woofage]

You could get an HDMI audio splitter. So it uses HDMI for video, but RCA for audio.

Yebut, the TV probably can't be set to take signals from two different inputs.  It's either HDMI OR component isn't it?  Not mix'n'match.

You could test for this by plugging in a random other audio source, say a phone or CD player. I you can hear that source when the video input is active, you're good to go. I doubt it will work but it's worth a punt.

To the OP: I assume the TV only has the one HDMI input?

[wajcgac]

The TV (Samsung UE42F5000AK) has a couple of HDMI inputs and neither work - although they used to.

The first alternative TV I tried to connect to their BT box was a LG TV/PC monitor where neither video/sound could be got via the 2x HDMI slots which just added to the problem. I then tried a Philips TV and it was then that I got both video/sound.

It seems that there is a bit more to HDMI than just plugging cables in ? Having looked about I think there are 5 different HDMI cable variants, but are there also firmware/software differences in hardware that can result in non-compatibility as well ?

I had seen these on ebay

HDMI to component cable

but was a bit put off by the comments on the review and this website where it states that such cables can not work. Surely if that was the case the ebay sellers would be getting a load of bad feedback 

Why HDMI to component cables don't work

[rafletcher]

That last website is just puffing it's own product, it's hardly an unbiased review.

AFAIK HDMI cables just work, I don't think there's any "intelligence" in them.  Buy a converter from someone who accepts returns, try it and see. Got to be worth the postage if the BT sport is that important. if not, forget about the box until it's new TV time.

[Mr Larrington]

AFAIK HDMI cables just work, I don't think there's any "intelligence" in them.

Indeed.  Either the digits get through or or they don't, with the caveat that you need the higher spec if you want to do Stuffs like 3D and 4K.

[Russell]

HDMI cable just work unless you go really long...but...

HDMI to component cables is another kettle of fish.  As that website says one is digital and one is analogue.

We were talking about an active converter with D-A (digital to analogue) converters in it.  They are common and will work.

[Tim Hall]

Bit of a longshot, but as the TV in question has two HDMI inputs and neither now work,could it be some kind of configuration issue, buried deep in a menu somewhere?

[Kim]

Bit of a longshot, but as the TV in question has two HDMI inputs and neither now work,could it be some kind of configuration issue, buried deep in a menu somewhere?

I'd also want to try another HDMI source, to work out what to blame.

But the OP claims to have tweaked all the tweakables.

[Feanor]

Yes, worth double checking that the source is not configured to send the audio in some fancy codec the TV can't understand.

If there's any options, look for something like 2 channel lpcm as a baseline that anything can decode.

[wajcgac]

Thanks for all the advice

I'll plug in another HDMI source to the TV to see what happens with that.

Pretty sure I've gone through all the settings available but will check again when connected to another HDMI source. BT box has a return to factory settings option which I've done and the TV menu has an option to reset all sound settings. Not much that I remember seeing for input options other than selecting source to  HDMI 1, HDMI 2, component etc.

A HDMI to component converter box looks the best option at the moment unless they decide otherwise.