XfinityTV and Equipment

[acj405]

I just switched to a HDMI cable between my Sony 55" and a Motorola DCX3400 and now I am no longer receiving basic cable channels (which are free if I don't have a cable box at all) but can receive their HD equivalent.

Also, it seems the response from the cable box is now significantly slower since I upgraded to the HDMI cable. It takes 5-7 seconds for the TV to show a picture when I turn the TV on (cable box is already on; doesn't matter if the channel it is pointing to is HD or not). It also takes the same amount of time to change to a different channel. When I enter the new channel number on the remote, the button lights up red for each number but the cable box shows only one of the three numbers I chose but it eventually changes the channel to the correct channel 5-7 seconds later. I have 'rebooted' the cable box twice by unplugging it, waiting a bit, and plugging it back in but no change.

What is going on?

[WarEagle57]

HDMI requires some handshaking between the cable box and TV to establish the connection or select a new channel.  This is normal.  You can revert to the component connectors if they are more convenient for your use.

[acj405]

I can live with the delay if that's normal...the better picture quality is worth it. However, why do I no longer get basic channels with the HDMI cable? I can only get their HD equivelant. With the previous cables, I got both the regular channel and the HD version.

[JayInAlg]

Go into the user menu on the DVR with your Comcast remote.  Turn off the DVR.  Press the menu button.  The user menu will come up.

Check that all selections are checked for everything your HDTV accepts, like in this example.

See if that help, what your seeing, I've never heard before from any subscriber with a similar setup. 

[WarEagle57]

There is no reason for you not to get basic channels with HDMI.  If it's a matter of not being able to enter channels with less than 3 digits, perhaps you simply need to set "Auto-tune On".  With the remote, select "Menu", "Menu", "Setup", "Guide Setup", then set "Auto-Tune" for "Channel entry method".  This will cause the channel to change to a new number without having to enter 3 digits or hit "OK/Select" after entering less than 3.  This is a function of the guide rather than the HDMI.

[acj405]

Thanks WarEagle. I already have that function set but I'm going to try the other suggestion shortly. If that doesn't work then I'll call and get phone support...maybe they can diagnose/configure my box remotely to see what's going on.  I appreciate your help with this.

[cypherx]

My Samsung TV will not accept 480i over HDMI.  I have no idea why not, but it's a limitation in the TV.  So maybe your TV also has this limitation?  The basic channels in SD on the lower numbers would come over at 480i, provided that choice is selected in the menu.  On my Samsung TV it would display something like "Check input format" and that's it.

So if you power off the box and push menu, see if you can scroll down and uncheck 480i just in case.

Also, remember you will get better quality if you watch the HD versions of basic channels, which are higher up on the dial on numbers that are sometimes harder to find, or confusing.

[acj405]

It was actually something completely separate from the HDMI connection. I had split the cable in order to connect both the DVR and my cable modem to keep all of my electronic devices in one spot (my attempt to centralize everything in one room). So, it's obvious that would slow the response down considerably but I had no idea that it would affect the 'normal' channels by not displaying the picture. I took all of that apart, moved the modem to another room, and now it's working just fine!

Interesting find but now I know. Thanks for everyone's feedback!