Virgin TV and HDCP - component the answer?

[greysquirrel]

Virgin installed a HD box today, it was supposed to be the new small box but they gave me a samsung V+ box. I got HD for free as I complained and the offer was a free HD box or £50 for the V+. They had better not charge me for it! although I still think I want the small box..

Anyway, the point is.. the engineer couldn't get a picture over my DVI connection so left it on scart. I wasn't present during the install but it is now apparent that the box is most likely using HDCP and my old samsung plasma doesn't like this. They didn't tell me I would need a HDCP compliant tv when I ordered the HD box!

I know it uses HDCP over DVI but will it work with a HDMI to component cable? or does that still use HDCP?

[headcase]

There is no such thing as a HDMI to component cable. All you could try is a HDMI-DVI lead or HDMI lead connected to a HDMI-DVI Adapter. What you will loose is Audio (you need a seperate lead), the CEC and of course it isnt HDCP complient. So try it on different channels, i would expect if it is a HDCP issue then some will work and some wont, if non of them work then it couls just be the VBox is outputting too high a resolution, if your screen only had DVI i would expect it to be 720p max and possibly not even that.

Whats the model no of your TV?

[greysquirrel]

It's a samsung panel, but about 5 years old.
The TV displays 1080i and works fine in HD when displaying my xbox. This is the sort of cable that I was thinking of http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HDMI-Male-to-5-RCA-RGB-Audio...

The sound is going to an amp via optical so I don't care about losing that.

[headcase]

Please Note: To use this cable, your display must be a high definition display. The cable doesn't contain the chip to convert digital signals to analog signals, it only work with devices that can already convert digital signals to analog signals.

That cable to put it bluntly m8 is bks! it wont work.

The model no of your TV would be handy of you can get it from the rear

[greysquirrel]

Yeah, I just noticed that when I posted it... I don't really understand HDCP but is it basically saying that HDCP will still be active as a digital signal via component?
The TV is hanging on the wall unfortunately, I know it isn't HDCP compliant as it told me so when I plugged a samsung DVD recorder in a few years ago.

[headcase]

Im not entirley sure that cable use HDCP. Its basically a system designed to stop you recording HD content if they dont want you to, so if it is HDCP causing the issue then the channels that dont use it (Like BBC1 for example) you should be able to view, then channels like the movies would give you a HDCP error. You could try switching the V Box to its lowes res and trying again, other than that you could have a faulty leads or an adapter or the V Box, the only way to check on your part would be to plug it into a different tv.

[greysquirrel]

hmm, ok I will try it on a new LCD tv. All I get is a black screen, whether on the HD channels or not. I searched on the virgin media forums and apparently they do use HDCP... such a pain in the ass I just thought it would work out of the box!

[headcase]

The lead is a Crock M8, basically HDMI is digital and component is analogue, they are two completely different and incompatable signals so you cant just have a lead that will connect one to the other, there needs to be a signal conversion inbetween. What the disclaimer is saying is that your TV must be able to accept a digital signal via its component input. There isnt one TV that i am aware of that will do that let alone a 5 year old Samsung.
Hmm i wonder if they have any Vectra-Ferrari conversion kits for sale.....

Edited by headcase on Monday 12th April 21:02

[greysquirrel]

lol, I have found a device called hdfury that apparently converts the signal into analogue via vga input, and then it gets really confusing. I'm just gonna ask for my old standard box back as this one has a stupid blue light on the front that is annoying me anyway.

[Plotloss]

greysquirrel said:

lol, I have found a device called hdfury that apparently converts the signal into analogue via vga input, and then it gets really confusing. I'm just gonna ask for my old standard box back as this one has a stupid blue light on the front that is annoying me anyway.

You want a HDFury2 which will take a HDMI signal and perfectly legally and reasonably convert it to Component video.

[greysquirrel]

£130 is a bit steep though, I could put that towards a new tv!

[mrmr96]

greysquirrel said:

It's a samsung panel, but about 5 years old.

Read this:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-led-lcd-tvs/117...

[greysquirrel]

Is the HDfury 1 crap then? i presume going via VGA will not give a very high resolution?

[Plotloss]

Not used them.

Used the HDFury2 many times though and that works well.

[mrmr96]

greysquirrel said:

I know it isn't HDCP compliant as it told me so when I plugged a samsung DVD recorder in a few years ago.

Not neccesarily.

mrmr96 said:

greysquirrel said:

It's a samsung panel, but about 5 years old.

Read this:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-led-lcd-tvs/117...

Honestly, read that. There appears to be a common fault on Samsung LCD's from 5/6 years ago which causes connected devices to report HDCP incopatibility.

Find your model number, it could save you hundreds of pounds if Samsung will repair for free.

[greysquirrel]

Yeah thanks, I gave it a quick read but it seems you might need your original receipt. I doubt Samsung will want to touch it, and it is a samsung panel but not a samsung badged tv..

[oola]

Plotloss said:

Not used them.

Used the HDFury2 many times though and that works well.

Another vote for the HD Fury2. We have used these on countless installs when needing to convert HDMI to component (usually from a Sky HD box into a component switch) and we've never had an issue.

[greysquirrel]

Ok my vga port can display 1920 x 1200 so do I go for the hdfury vga or the hdfury2 component?? which is double the price (nearly treble)