No video on Samsung LCD w/TiVo HD via HDMI, "mode not supported"

SnakeEyes · 10-15-2007, 08:34 PM

My friend (I'm everyone's friggen tech, ugh) in Houston, on Comcast, just called and said her video was fine this morning before work but when she came home tonight and turned on the TV, it just had a black screen and said "mode not supported". I had her reboot the TiVo, turn the TV off, and also had her unplug the HDMI cable on both ends and turn on/replug everything in and still the same message. Has anyone encountered this and have a solution?

The DVD player works with the same HDMI cable when plugged into the same port on the TV. The TV get video from the TiVo when plugged in using component.

Is this brand new TiVo HD's HDMI port dead already?

MScottC · 10-16-2007, 06:44 AM

Check to see if the TiVo output format is either "native" or 480i. You don't mention which model she has, but my Samsung 4665 does NOT support 480i over HDMI for some silly reason. I would strongly suggest you switch to either 1080i or 720p FIXED (match the native resolution of the set). You may have to use component or composite video out into the TV just to make this change. After that, your HDMI should be good to go.

greg_burns · 10-16-2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MScottC

You may have to use component or composite video out into the TV just to make this change.

Does the TivoHD not have a format button the front like the S3?

jtseltmann · 10-16-2007, 08:27 AM

Yes, the TivoHD does have a format button on the front that cylces through each..it just doensn't look like a button from anywhere further then 6 inches away!

I had the same problem when sampling output formats for my Sammy...i use 720 Fixed and it is just fine via HDMI for all channels. I do get a funky mode not supported message when i first turn on the set but then it goes away in a second...and all is peachy.

CharlesH · 10-16-2007, 02:11 PM

The "Hybrid" mode (originally only on the TiVoHD, now also on the S3) very nicely converts all 480 (e.g., SD) programming to 480p, but passes through 720p and 1080i. Very nice for 1080p HD TVs that don't support 480i over HDMI, like many Samsungs. There is another "hybrid" mode that also converts 480i to 480p, but also converts 1080i to 720p, for TVs that do not support 1080i.

SnakeEyes · 10-17-2007, 04:24 PM

Switching to fixed hasn't helped. :\

Televisionary · 10-17-2007, 05:08 PM

Which fixed mode, Snakeyes? Setting the TiVo Video Output to anything but "480i Fixed" should display some kind of picture with HDMI on recent Samsung DLP screens.

I also have a brand new Samsung DLP, the HL-T5087S. It won't display 480i over HDMI either. I set up my TiVo S3s to "Hybrid" Video Output on the 9.1 software, and that's working very well. Better than the "1080i Fixed" on the previous software.

Good Luck!

SnakeEyes · 10-17-2007, 05:24 PM

It was set to 720p Fixed, the display's native resolution.

Maybe 9.x, when my friend gets it, will help.

tivoROCKSme · 10-22-2008, 06:32 PM

Very strange. I've had the same Samsung LCD tv and the same TivoHD and cabling since Devember 2007. Everything has been working fine until today. When attempting to watch either live TV or pre-recorded shows, the TV flickers green, shows searching for signal, then says unsupported mode. When I press the TIVO button on the remote, it displays the start menu just fine. It also shows the now playing list or any other menu item fine. It's only when attempting to view live TV or pre-recorded TV from the TIVO HD that the TV has fits. I've rebooted the TIVO, and I've moved the HDMI cable from input 1 to input 2 on the TV and it makes no difference. I've got the output set to native mode on the TIVO. Any clues? Where there any software upgrades lately? Seems strange that the TIVO displays all menu items and sub menu items fine, but when watching actual television programming it craps out. Anyone else experiencing this? My TV is a Samsung LN-4051D.

blacknoi · 10-23-2008, 07:12 AM

I have a 32 inch samsung lcd and got that from time to time.

I actually had to pull the HDMI cable out of the back of my tivoHD, and reseat it to fix the issue.

It was a loose / bad jack on my TivoHD. After about 8 months with my TivoHD, I had to call Tivo and get a refurb replacement (paying the 50 dollar labor fee) because I could NEVER get a picture on my samsung anymore.

Every other device using that same HDMI cable and HDMI input on the sammy would display just fine.

I hope your HDMI port on your Tivo isnt the issue, but its worth investigating.

tivoROCKSme · 10-24-2008, 11:09 AM

Solution. I'm posting this solution for others that may go down this road in the future. When I stated that nothing had changed, I was wrong. It turns out that someone had pushed the output format button on the front of my TivoHD. When I switched it back to fixed 1080i, everything works fine.