# Thermal HDMI problems -- help!



## mdryja (Dec 24, 2002)

OK, here's my situation. We've been running our Tivo box in HDMI directly to a Panasonic plasma (commercial model with DVI "blade" installed), without problems, for about 10 weeks now.

A couple of days ago, I'm getting the dreaded thermal shutdown. If I reboot and don't plug in the HDMI cable, all is well. As soon as the HDMI cable is plugged in, within 5 minutes I get the shutdown message.

I am running the "f" version of the software, which is supposed to correct this problem.

I tried disconnecting my DVI switch box, and connecting the DVI cable directly to the Tivo box, with the same results.

I went to Best Buy and picked up a new Tivo box, and still get the same results. (Will be returning that new box.)

(edit: I should add that this is obviously caused by the HDMI, and not actual thermal overheating -- the box sits on its own shelf in a well-ventilated closet that is at 69-71 degrees ambient, and the Tivo box runs at 39-43 degrees, well within the operating parameters. So overheating is definitely not the issue.)

Any idea of what could all of a sudden go wrong? I'm going to get a Gefen DVI Detective box, to see if that cures the problem. Right now, I kludged a solution by reinserting our video processor (which was no longer being used), and which has a pass-through DVI mode without HDCP compliance. So I get a digital picture again, but HDCP is not enabled. This may prove to be the way I'll have to end up going, if I can't find another solution. Currently this isn't a problem, since DirecTV doesn't actually use HDCP on any channels except a couple of test channels.

I'm thinking that perhaps (???) the DVI blade on the TV somehow went "bad." I'm not sure how, maybe some type of surge, though all the equipment is on surge protectors, and the house itself has a whole-house surge protector, and we live in the Seattle area, which means little or no thunderstorms or lightening (and none in the last week).

Therefore, just curious if anyone can come up with any possible problem, and any possible solutions that I may have overlooked!

- Mike.


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## webpowered (Nov 11, 2004)

My HDMI never worked. I bought my unit in September of 2004. This October I sent my HDMI card out for $100 repair. It worked fine ever since, until a few hours ago!

Before and after HDMI card repair, I was experiencing some spontaneous reboots which seem not to happen lately because I try not to record 2 HD channels at the same time.

In my very cold stone house, I came back from the gym a few hours ago and turned on the Sharp Aquos LCD. (The TiVo is never off, I never put it in Standby.) After a few minutes of THE VIEW on ABC Philadelphia, I got the blue screen you got!! Temperature too hot etc. 

I did exactly what you said, I restarted with HDMI - DVI still plugged in, and it gave me same blue screen.

I unplugged the HDMI and am using component, and it's been working fine for 2 hours.

I'm inclined to think the heating up message has something to do with HDMI, since the TV was not on, and soon as I turned it on, this happened. (Though it worked fine for a couple months since HDMI card repair.)

I called 2nd Tier DirecTV, mainly to see if they know when Mpeg4 TiVo would be coming. Hopefully this TiVo will last until then.

They were of no help and knew nothing. I'm gonna keep using component now I guess.

I wouldn't blame your TV or electrical system, since I'm getting exactly same symptoms.

Don


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## tjm (Jul 26, 2003)

Mdryja,

Have you found any workaround to this? I've recently connected my HR10-250 to an ONKYO TX-NR1000 a/v receiver via HDMI and soon started getting the temperature screen of death. I'm now using component with no problem. I've used this same HD-Tivo connected via HDMI to a Toshiba HDTV for a year with no problem.

I have the 'f' version and called Directv support and of course they said this version fixed the problem. I told them it didn't, but I really don't ever expect to get a fix for it.


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## webpowered (Nov 11, 2004)

After writing my previous post, I sent my HDMI card back to the company that repaired it in September. They claim it works fine in their unit, so it must be something with my motherboard. 

When they sent my HDMI card back, I tried it, and after a few minutes got the blue screen.

I used it fine after the initial repair for a few months, and am using the same Sharp Aquos LCD.

I just think the HD-TIVO has defects, and I don't want to lose the shows I've saved on it.
So now I just use component and hope the unit will last until the mpeg4 DVR comes out. 

I was just talking this morning to DirecTV and the rep didn't have any idea what I was talking about when I asked if they knew anything new about the DVR coming out. They have also disconnected an 800 number that used to go to 2nd tier support.

Oh well. I still like DirecTV better than Comcast, or I'd switch!

D


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## mdryja (Dec 24, 2002)

Unfortunately, the thermal issues have nothing to do with the HDMI card itself. Rather, they have everything to do with the interaction between the TV and the Tivo box itself. Apparently if the TV sends some data that the Tivo box is not expecting, it overflows into the registers that hold the current temperature, making the Tivo box think that the temperature is incredibly high and causing an immediate thermal shutdown.

If you are still having problems with the f software (I am), there is no fix other than to get the tV and the Tivo box to stop talking to each other. This will disable HDCP, but as of now, DirecTV is not using HDCP on any channel other than a test channel. I only know of a way to disable HDCP using DVI. This is the DVI Detective product, from Gefen, and which costs around $70. Although the reason why Gefen sells it is not what actually causes it to solve this problem (the DVI detective is meant to persist EDID data), but because it also stops HDCP data from being transmitted.

If you have HDMI, I'm not aware of a comparable product. However, you could get an HDMI-DVI cable, plug it into the DVI Detective, and then a DVI-HDMI cable to plug into your set, and it *should* work.


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## webpowered (Nov 11, 2004)

Why did my newly repaired HDMI card work for 9 weeks fine, then fail, giving the blue temperature screen?

D


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## mdryja (Dec 24, 2002)

No idea. Mine lasted for about 16 weeks before it gave out in this way. I do know that stopping the HDCP communication will work as a workaround . . . . .


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

I gave up on the hdmi port a long time ago and switched to component cables. My life has been much happier since.

Much like you, mine worked just fine for several weeks, then for no apparent reason, thermal shutdown. Never worked again.


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## mdryja (Dec 24, 2002)

I had to make the hdmi output work, as the plasma is sitting about 20 feet away from the tivo box, in a different room, and we only ran a dvi cable through the walls . . . . .


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## flmgrip (Nov 26, 2003)

mdryja said:


> I had to make the hdmi output work, as the plasma is sitting about 20 feet away from the tivo box, in a different room, and we only ran a dvi cable through the walls . . . . .


how does a HDMI-DVI help you then ? don't you loose sound when using a converter like that ?

thanks


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## mdryja (Dec 24, 2002)

I don't use the HDMI for audio, just video . . . . the digital out from the tivo box goes into a preproc unit, then an amp, and then there are separate speaker wires running for all five channels through the walls as well.


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## flmgrip (Nov 26, 2003)

lucky you


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