SnapAV Matrix Problem

[JHill9]

I have had the SnapAV 4x4 for almost a year and and been using it for 3 tvs till today. The new TV is no more than 75 feet away and run with Cat6 wire. The strange thing is I am getting video signal from cable (not great video) and no sound, but no signal at all if I switch to another source on the matrix. Whats really strange is I have another TV about 10 feet away (Cat6 wire is probably the same length) and everything works great. The new Cat6 wires run with this TV until the last 5 feet in the attic.

Currently I have switched out the receiver, tried another output on the matrix that I know that works, and turned off the breaker for a electrical wire that is close to the Cat6 wire. Nothing works.

What could cause this and how can I fix it?

Here is a link to the snapAV equipment that I have.

http://www.snapav.com/p-271-b-210-hdmatrix-recvr.aspx

http://www.snapav.com/p-228-b-210-hdmatrix-4x4.aspx

It says good to 160ft with Cat6 wire so I can't imagine distance is the problem.

[HeliNut]

If it worked for a year and now has died, most likely you wires have degraded and/or corroded. Check all your grounds at your AC outlets. Those open copper wires corrode quickly and that slight change is all t takes to take HDMI from working to not working. If that doesn't fix it reterminate all you Cat6 wires.

[JHill9]

If it worked for a year and now has died, most likely you wires have degraded and/or corroded. Check all your grounds at your AC outlets. Those open copper wires corrode quickly and that slight change is all t takes to take HDMI from working to not working. If that doesn't fix it reterminate all you Cat6 wires.

Everything is brand new for this TV. I just dropped power and the Cat6 wires yesterday.

Its strange, I took a break from it for 2 hours and then just checked to make sure I made the Cat6 wires correctly. Tester said everything was good to go. Plugged it back in and it worked. Then I pulled the plastic off the edges of the TV and went to watch something and it is back to not working. Now the video has sound but it the signal comes and goes.

Could the network signal or zigbee signal have anything to do with it? I wouldn't think so but this is all new for me.

[nikon]

Could be an EDID problem. Try turning on all TVs (and receivers) and on the matrix flip the power switch off and then hold the output 1 and 4 buttons while flipping the switch back on. Continue holding down buttons 1 and 4 until the lights stop flashing and return to normal.

[JHill9]

Could be an EDID problem. Try turning on all TVs (and receivers) and on the matrix flip the power switch off and then hold the output 1 and 4 buttons while flipping the switch back on. Continue holding down buttons 1 and 4 until the lights stop flashing and return to normal.

Done, but still having signal problems. Sound keeps coming and going away. Picture seems ok.

[nikon]

Are the cables terminated 568B and did you use Cat6 plugs (not EZ)? Snap says the 568B you get a 30% better signal and not to use the EZ plugs. You may as well update the firmware on the TV just in case if you haven't already.

[JHill9]

Are the cables terminated 568B and did you use Cat6 plugs (not EZ)? Snap says the 568B you get a 30% better signal and not to use the EZ plugs. You may as well update the firmware on the TV just in case if you haven't already.

I am using RJ-45 Cat 5e connectors and wired t568-a configuration. The only difference I can tell between 568a and 568b is the green and orange wires swapped. I don't see how the connectors saying Cat5e instead of Cat6 make a difference since I already have 3 tvs up and running the same way as the 4th.

[ILoveC4]

Are the cables terminated 568B and did you use Cat6 plugs (not EZ)? Snap says the 568B you get a 30% better signal and not to use the EZ plugs. You may as well update the firmware on the TV just in case if you haven't already.

I am using RJ-45 Cat 5e connectors and wired t568-a configuration. The only difference I can tell between 568a and 568b is the green and orange wires swapped. I don't see how the connectors saying Cat5e instead of Cat6 make a difference since I already have 3 tvs up and running the same way as the 4th.

Well, then don't make the change and live with it how it is. The guys is trying to help you, and going off the manufacturers recommendations is probably a good place to start. If you contact SnapAV I'm sure they'll tell you to do that first.

There is a reason SnapAV makes that suggestion. If it didn't matter, they wouldn't bother to say it did.

[JHill9]

You give me more credit than I deserve that I know what I am doing.

I have never made cable before and I was just saying how I did it based off of what I read on the instructions of the parts that I had. Since 3 tvs work the same way I figured it wouldn't matter. But I am going to keep trying/learning from all the helpfull people here till I get it right.

Looks like I am off to the store to buy some other connectors. All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[JHill9]

I bought 100ft premade Cat6 568B wire and connected it straight from the matrix to the receiver at the tv. It is still having the same problem. I am at a loss at what could be causing the problem.

[dgbrown]

Try two things:

1) swap the problem balun to another tv and see if it works, if it does not then you likey have a faulty balun

2) Put things back the way they were and swap the output ports in the 4x4 switch to a known good working one.

This should help you narrow down whether it's the balun, switch port, etc

[nikon]

Are the cables terminated 568B and did you use Cat6 plugs (not EZ)? Snap says the 568B you get a 30% better signal and not to use the EZ plugs. You may as well update the firmware on the TV just in case if you haven't already.

I am using RJ-45 Cat 5e connectors and wired t568-a configuration. The only difference I can tell between 568a and 568b is the green and orange wires swapped. I don't see how the connectors saying Cat5e instead of Cat6 make a difference since I already have 3 tvs up and running the same way as the 4th.

Yeah it is just what the manufacturer recommends to do. If you call them they will tell you to do the same thing.

Well since the cable has been ruled out and the output ports have been ruled out. The receiver can be checked. Have you tried adjusting the pot on the receiver end of the wire run? You can increase the power by turning the pot towards 0 (which is the highest from what I remember). If that doesn't work, swap the receiver with another one in the house.

If none of these work and the TV is running the latest firmware, if you can move the TV (though it is a pain in the arse) maybe try hooking it up directly to the switch with an HDMI cable. If it works like that you will know that it has something to do with using the cat5 outs on the switch and your TV.

Just try these things out and let us know.

[well_armed]

Is it the TV?

[JHill9]

It's a brand new tv that I bought this week so I hope that isn't the problem.

I left the new 100ft wires connected to the receiver and moved it to another tv. Everything worked great so the only thing I can think of would be the HDMI wire going from the receiver to the TV. I am out getting a new HDMI wire and will be able to let you guys know if that fixed it. If it doesn't my next step is to pull the tv off the wall and walk around the house with it to see if it is somehow picking up interference.

On a side note, can someone explain the difference between 568A and 568B configuration. I am new to this and it looks like the orange and green pairs are swapped. How would that make a difference?

[JHill9]

Looks like the HDMI wire was the problem. I never would have thought that a new HDMI wire was the problem. I am just glad that after 3 days of trying to get this to work it is finally working. Thank you to all of you for your suggestions and pointers. This is one problem down, now just 2 more to go. Ha ha.

See xbox control and C4 dimmer thread if you have any ideas on those items. The help from you guys make my purchase of C4 a great experience.

[well_armed]

It's a brand new tv that I bought this week so I hope that isn't the problem.

I left the new 100ft wires connected to the receiver and moved it to another tv. Everything worked great so the only thing I can think of would be the HDMI wire going from the receiver to the TV. I am out getting a new HDMI wire and will be able to let you guys know if that fixed it. If it doesn't my next step is to pull the tv off the wall and walk around the house with it to see if it is somehow picking up interference.

On a side note, can someone explain the difference between 568A and 568B configuration. I am new to this and it looks like the orange and green pairs are swapped. How would that make a difference?

No difference as long as both the ends are the same standard. I believe the A standard is the same as a residential telephone line so that is why some will use it...

[chicagoskiguy]

Re 568A and 568B: Both will give a valid ethernet connection.

The difference is that the small difference in the 568B configuration further minimizes cross-talk across the pairs allowing more bandwidth.

CatX cables are all about minimizing cross-talk. The really really old cables had straight pairs, then someone realized that if you twisted the pairs it reduced cross-talk across the pairs, then someone realized that if you twist each pair differently (some pairs are loosely twisted while some are tightly twisted), it helps even more. Currently Cat 6 builds upon that by adding a plastic splitter or spline.... all this... you guessed it minimizes cross-talk across the pairs.