HDMI cables are probably the most used video transmission cables for any given modern display, and they’re great in general. However, they’re not perfect.
Many users report that their HDMI connection keeps cutting out. This can be caused by many different things, but what are the most common reasons for an HDMI cutting out?
An HDMI cable can cut out for a number of reasons, but the most common ones include a faulty HDMI cable and problems with so-called HDMI handshakes. You can easily see if your HDMI cable is faulty by trying another cable, and you should connect the HDMI cable to a different port on your display device to try to resolve the handshake issue.
Bridge (make sure everything is plugged in, that’s decidedly the first step of all fixes regarding this issue, is the source device properly configurated and turned on?
1. Reconnect the Cable On Both Sides
As I mentioned previously, you should make sure that the HDMI cable is properly connected. Reconnect both ends of the HDMI to both devices and make sure that it’s properly seated in its port.
Also, make sure that the end of the HDMI cable isn’t bent on the sides. It should be connected at a straight angle, to avoid developing future mechanical errors.
2. Switch HDMI Port For Your Cable
There can exist faults in particular HDMI ports on your display device, which is why you should switch HDMI ports to see if that fixes your issue.
For example, switching ports can help with resolving so-called “handshake” problems. Try all three or four ports on your TV, and wait until you can decide whether or not the issue is resolved. If it isn’t, simply switch to the next port.
3. Try To Connect Another HDMI Cable
If there are any bends or similar things on your HDMI cable, chances are that the cable is broken somehow, and that’s why you aren’t getting the proper signal to your display device.
You can easily check if the HDMI you are currently using is faulty by trying another HDMI cable. If the second cable works, then we can conclude that the first cable is faulty.
4. Sequence the Power-up of Your Devices
The sequence in which you turn on your different devices can actually affect how your HDMI is performing. That’s why should turn off all of the devices and reverse the power-up sequence.
For example, if you usually turn on your TV first, then your other devices, try the reverse order. If you don’t have a particular order in which you turn on your devices, try this:
- First, turn off all of your devices
- Wait for about 20 seconds
- Start your source device (cable box, computer, BluRay player, etc)
- Start any other devices you have
- Finally, start your TV/monitor
So, why do this? It turns out that the sequence of powering on devices can matter in regards to the previously mentioned HDMI handshake function. The handshake function is essentially when the source device fails to recognize and accept the device on the other end of the HDMI cable.
This in turn results in a failed handshake, which is against HDCP compliance. This in turn means that your device won’t work properly.
5. Update Firmware
Firmware is fundamental software for hardware such as TVs and monitors, and it gives devices basic instructions on how to behave. It’s important that the firmware you have is updated and not faulty.
You should check the website of your device’s manufacturer for firmware updates. Exactly how to install the software differs somewhat depending on what brand of TV/monitor you are using, but instructions should be located on the same page as the firmware update.
On some TVs, firmware can be updated directly on the TV without having to visit a website. New firmware should be available in the settings menu. This is how it generally looks:
- On your remote, go to the Settings menu
- Select Support (this can also say something like “updates & support”)
- Look for options regarding software updates, and then download them to the TV
For computer monitors, you will have to go to the manufacturer’s website as described before.
6. Change the Resolution
If you’re trying to play 4K resolution content to a TV or monitor that doesn’t support that resolution, then there will be problems in displaying this content.
This works for lower resolutions as well, if you have an old monitor or TV, they might not support resolutions such as 1080p.
That’s why you should lower the resolution on your display device. How you do this depends on what source device you’re using – on game consoles, you can usually just alter the resolution in the settings menu, and if you’re streaming content, you can change the resolution through the media player.
Remember that you can always use Google for such things. If you’re unsure of how to change the resolution of your source device, you can simply Google it to find out!
7. Buy a New HDMI Cable
Old HDMI cables do not support a lot of modern-day media. They simply do not have the bandwidth needed to do this and with the rapid development of content resolution and audio, you might need to buy a new HDMI cable.
Fortunately, modern HDMI cables aren’t particularly expensive. You can find an HDMI cable that supports all modern-day functions for around $15-20.
8. For PCs: Update GPU Drivers
HDMI cables are of course used to transmit images between PCs and monitors as well, and there are some fixes that are specific to that connection. For example, having updated graphics drivers is important to ensure that the connection between the monitor and PC is working properly.
You can download new graphics drivers quite easily through your GPU manufacturer’s website. Almost all PCs use either AMD or Nvidia graphics cards. The link to new AMD graphics drivers can be found here and new drivers for Nvidia cards can be found here.
The process is fairly straightforward. Simply fill in your specific graphics card and then download the software for that card. After this, click the file to begin installing the drivers. Then, just wait until the installation is complete.
9. For PCs: Check For Windows Updates
Some Windows updates come with errors and bugs, and if you don’t update Windows after you’ve installed such a patch, you’re stuck with those bugs and errors.
That’s why you should make sure that you always have the latest patch of Windows installed on your computer.
Windows updates are easily accessed through the settings menu in Windows. Press the Windows key + I to get into this menu, then select Update & Security.
In this new window, look for the option to update Windows. Also, download “quality updates” if any are available through the same menu.
10. Use a Shorter Cable
Long HDMI cables can sometimes cause issues. Long cables are fine for some purposes, which is why they get made at all, but watching or playing high-resolution content is different. HDMI cables drop in quality if stretched out long enough.
If they are stretched out far enough, they can completely cut out from time to time. If possible, try to use a shorter cable to your PC or TV to see if the quality issues are still there.
If not, the loss of image probably occurs because of the HDMI length.
11. Make Sure That Your HDMI Cable Isn’t Situated Near Power Cable
Last but not least, make sure that your HDMI cable isn’t situated next to or grouped up with any power cables. Power cables transfer voltage that can cause problems with your HDMI signal.
It won’t fry your HDMI cables or anything like that, but it’s best to avoid having them grouped up so that there aren’t any unnecessary interruptions in your signal.
If your power cable is grouped or tied up with the HDMI cable, then chances are that the image is cutting out because of this.