hdmi to component converter- audio but no video

Hey guys, this is my first post here in a very long time so if I'm posting this in the wrong spot I apologize and welcome the thread being moved.

My problem is that I'm trying to connect my Asus G51vx-rx05 to a tv that has only composite and component connections. I learned about not being able to do this with a standard cable since I'd be converting a digital signal to analog, and that I would need to buy a converter box to achieve this purpose. I did, from Amazon for around 30 or 40 dollars, and tried to get connected. While I can hear audio through this connection, I get no video.

I only just learned about HDCP protection for the first time via this hassle, and don't know if it has anything to do with it. I can view my laptop just fine on a plasma tv that has an HD connection. But even using this device on that same plasma tv- using the component box rather than the hdmi cable directly- will not work.

The converter box came new and was, I believe, described as being from manufacturer "Saxony". It has a single HDMI and the standard reg, green and blue video outs plus the white and red stereo outs. It runs on a 5v power source that came with the unit. I bought brand new HDMI and component cables to use with the unit.

As described, it doesn't seem to produce video at all. The device's red power light comes on and there's no indication of problems, but all I get is audio from my laptop. I tried the same thing with my dvd recorder, connecting it to the converter using the same HDMI cable. Using the same component out to connect to the older tv, I still get no picture. I've tried several video settings on the dvd recorder but none of them change the results. And again, when trying this device on the plasma tv for testing purposes, the converter seems to fail to produce any results at all. The tv's input source tells me to "Check signal cable" (as opposed to "Not connected"), yet if I disintermediate the box and connect the laptop to the plasma directly using the same HDMI cable, it works fine. It's how I'm viewing this post right now.

Long story short, my HD signal is somehow stopping with the converter and not being sent along to the component tv that I'm trying to view it on. I want to say that it's not working, but I don't know how else to test it. The fact that I'm getting sound makes me wonder if the device is working fine, and if this HDCP protection has anything to do with it (the device's scant manual says that it's HDCP compliant, whatever that's worth) or if there's something that needs to be adjusted on the computer first (and again, my dvd recorder only outputs sound through the converter as well). My Xbox 360 works fine on the older tv using the system's component cables. This device does not. Help!

 

Nah I don't think it's a HDCP,AFAIK it will either encrypt the data so your video and audio play become fussy or warn you the device your trying to connect to isn't HDCP compatible,it doesn't stop you viewing your desktop this is also confirmed by your manual.

I'm very open to being wrong there are new types and versions of copy protection coming out all the time on new devices.

Check the specs of your device firstly and make sure it supports the resolution you've chosen,also post the model of the device, a link to it's webpage or the Amazon link I'm not familiar with that brand.

Post your operating system.

For windows 7 ,right click desktop,screen resolution,next to display click the drop down box and see if you can select the device,if you can your desktop should turn off unless you have duplicate displays selected.

For vista IIRC right click desktop,personalise,display settings then again try to select your device.

 

First, thanks for the reply.

I was thinking that it might not be HDCP, but was utterly confused about it since I'd never heard of it before this and since some people online seemed to like it while others didn't. Reading that the device was HDCP compliant made me uncertain as to whether it meant "Yes, this device will allow the pass-through of protected data" or "yes, this device will stop encrypted data from coming through". Once I tried to watch video of my own home movies, I thought "Does the computer encrypt THAT too?" Like I said, utterly confused.

I would post the model's Amazon webpage, but the honest truth is that it's no longer there. I can't explain why it's gone and it certainly doesn't give me confidence, but I tried to do some digging through my purchase records and found out that the device was sent from an internet retailer called Etekcity. They don't seem to list the device either, but I found the next closest thing. http://www.etekcity.com/HDMI-RCA-component-Ypbpr-Converter-p-95.html Same purpose I guess; different model. I only say Saxony because I remember someone on Amazon's product page mentioning that they knew this to be the brand.

The instructions are brief (and give no branding information whatsoever) but they mention, among other things:

* No settings and is a resolution pass-through converter
* Purely for conversion between video formats but not for convert the input/output video resolutions
* Audio output channel LPCM
* Compliant with HDMI 1.3
* Support HDCP 1.2
* Supports 165 MHz/1.65Gbps per channel (6.75Gbps all channel) bandwidth for HDMI input.
* HDMI resolutions: 480P@60Hz, 576P@50Hz, 720P@50/60Hz, 1080i@50/60Hz
* Component video resolutions: 480P@60Hz, 576P@60Hz, 720P@50/60Hz, 1080i@50/60Hz

It then specifies at the end that it can NOT support 1080P.



I'm running Windows 7, and the laptop is set to 1024x768 which is apparently the "recommended" setting for my television, which is 720P. I would try to select the output in my display settings, but there's a problem there too- my laptop screen is broken, which is why I've been using my HDMI out to connect to the plasma screen I mentioned. If I try to switch the display, I can no longer see what I'm doing (to press the "confirm" button or change settings back or anything else). I'm so used to viewing my laptop through the plasma screen that I forgot to mention the broken laptop monitor before. Of course if I could continue using the plasma screen I wouldn't really need the converter at all I suppose, but it's the family television and I can't keep monopolizing it for my internet use, lol.

Anyway, I tried looking at the display settings all the same to see if maybe it saved the device as an option just from having plugged it in before. Unfortunately it didn't. I can tell my computer to detect or identify other sources, but without the device plugged in it's not finding any. It MAY find it once it's plugged in, but of course at that point the laptop is plugged into the device rather than my television and I wouldn't be able to see this. Is there a shortcut of some kind that can automatically switch between display monitors? I could try that. Would this device even be considered a separate "monitor"? I also get the option to connect to a projector, but I wouldn't think that this would be the same thing.

 

I enjoy tryna work around problems but in this case the you really need to get your laptop screen fixed,there's no way to try different settings and resolutions without a working laptop screen or to see if the device is even recognised.

I can't really offer any advice about the product either that's definitely one for the manufacturer and I would try contacting their customer service. Can you confirm it works with the xbox I was a little unclear on that?

I can help you with windows display settings though,hold the windows key and tap P,you will cycle the available displays.

It's no problem I wish could be of more help.

 

I tried to edit the post to include this information but the site wouldn't let me.

I borrowed an LCD monitor from a friend and was able to connect it to my laptop, so now I CAN see the display settings as I fiddle with them. Thanks for your tip; I can now switch between the plasma and the LCD.

This may work, but I think I might need to temporarily get rid of the plasma monitor display setting or something, because the display options seem to give me the choice of only the plasma tv or the LCD monitor. If- while viewing the display settings through the LCD screen- I plug in the component converter, there's a refresh of the screen and I can see that it's been connected. But the laptop isn't identifying it as a unique source; the only options I get are still the LCD monitor and the plasma tv that I was hooked to originally. I think that the laptop believes that the converter is the plasma tv, because when I try to switch the display to only that monitor (or do dual monitors) I can hear audio through the component tv but still don't get a picture.

I feel like we're getting there though.

 

The digital signal ends at the digital side of box so it can't detect the plasma there's no two data stream,the box is simply playing the two channel audio.

One thing I've just noticed is that at either side of your box it ONLY supports digital resolutions, the resolution 10X7 that you were trying is a computer VGA resolution or more accurately XGA will not work with your box,neither will 800x600 or 640x480 which are usually the only resolutions old plasmas support.

If your plasma doesn't support any digital resolutions it will probably not work at all,try different resolutions with just your plasma and laptop to see which you have available in display settings,the resolutions you choose to try on the plasma must be a HD resolution supported by your converter.

Here is a list of computer resolutions. None of these appear to be supported by your box and hence cannot be used

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_display_standard#Standards

 

I think I phrased things incorrectly or muddied the waters a bit when I was describing everything I was trying to do so we might not be thinking of the same things.

The plasma tv is what I was using before- I just connected my laptop to it directly with HDMI. I don't recall having to set anything; I think the laptop defaulted to that resolution. Viewing the laptop on the plasma was never a problem. I wasn't able to view my laptop on the plasma when using the converter, which I was only trying to do for testing purposes (to see if the converter would work). This was, however, before I was able to change (and view) my display settings today. I haven't tried testing the converter on the plasma since gaining the ability to see what I was doing when changing my laptop's display settings.

What I'm trying to achieve ultimately doesn't involve the plasma at all- I'm trying to use the converter to view my laptop on a standard tv (that has component inputs). This is the tv that's only producing audio. The component input works with video when I connect my Xbox 360 to this television.

The third monitor- the LCD screen that I'm borrowing and which is attached to my laptop via VGA- is only being used as a substitute laptop screen so I can see what I'm doing when I change the display settings.


So basically:

Plasma: Works with direct HDMI connection. Didn't work with converter before today. Haven't tested to see if it works now that I can view display settings on a second monitor as I change them. Ultimately don't need the converter to work with the plasma anyway, since I can connect the plasma directly.

Standard component tv: This is the primary destination tv that I'm trying to connect the converter to. When I plug it in to the converter and connect the converter to my laptop, I can tell that the laptop detects the connection, but no option pops up for it in my display settings. It doesn't have an independent selection than I can choose like the VGA and plasma connections have. When the LCD monitor is the only thing connected, I only get one monitor option (as expected) and it correctly identifies the display option as the LCD monitor. However when I connect the component tv to the converter, then plug the converter into my laptop, the new monitor shows up as "HDMI TV" (or something of the sort). I think that my laptop thinks that when I plug the converter in, I'm trying to plug my plasma back in.

 

An update. I'm still not getting any farther, but I was mistaken that the laptop is thinking of the converter as my plasma screen. I saw that the converter shows up as "HDMI TV" and assumed that it was the same thing that shows up when I plug the plasma screen into the laptop. I was incorrect- my plasma actually shows up as "Samsung" when looking at it in display settings. So the laptop IS looking at each item uniquely.

So this means that the laptop IS detecting the converter, and I DO get the option to choose it as my primary monitor (or make duplicate monitors or what have you). And here's where the broken laptop screen is messing things up:

Since the laptop screen is broken, I can only see what I'm doing either through the plasma screen- my one HDMI out- or the borrowed LCD monitor- the only VGA out. If I plug in the plasma to see the display settings, I can't connect the converter. So naturally I've been looking at what I'm doing on the LCD monitor. The problem is that with the LCD monitor connected, my laptop resolution locks at 1024x768. If I remove the LCD monitor and go back to checking things on my plasma screen, I can change the resolution to all kinds of things up to around 1900 x whatever. If changing the display settings while on the plasma, I can set the resolution to 1280x720. I'm kind of new to all of this stuff but my understanding is that this is 720p, which would make sense because my plasma screen doesn't go higher.

So if I'm correct, I can view the laptop in 720p- which is one of the resolutions supported by the device- but I seem to only be able to use this resolution while I'm connected to the laptop through the plasma tv. Ideally, I would disconnect the plasma tv from the laptop, plug the converter into its place, and set the resolution THEN. Of course, I can't do that unless I can see what I'm doing. And I can't see what I'm doing unless I also connect the LCD monitor. And once I connect the LCD monitor, the resolution locks to accommodate it- 1024x768.

If I can find a way to force my laptop to lock at the resolution that the converter needs, then maybe I could do this. I can set the laptop to 1280x720 but plugging in the LCD monitor so I can see what I'm doing changes the resolution back, and if I don't use the LCD monitor then I can't see what I'm doing. Rrrrrg.....

 

Sorry for triple posting. I'm trying to edit things as I discover them and find better ways to make sense because I know this is convoluted, but I keep going past the time limit from when I can edit the posts. Here's basically what I was trying to say in the previous post.


1. I now understand that 1024x768 is a resolution that doesn't work with the device. My understanding is that the device SHOULD work if the laptop resolution is 1280x720, because I think it means that this is 720p which the converter will accept. If I'm wrong, definitely let me know! The converter is meant to be connected to a component tv, not the plasma.

2. The broken laptop screen is interfering dramatically. If I plug in either the LCD monitor or my plasma tv- the only two methods at my disposal to view my laptop- they each bring a problem. I only have one HDMI port so if the plasma is connected to look at what I'm doing, I can't also connect the converter. So I thought that I'd be saved by the LCD- but if the LCD is connected then the laptop insists on locking the resolution to 1024x768. I can't change it to anything else; all the options are gray and unselectable.

3. Lastly, the laptop will only pick up a second monitor- such as the converter I'm trying to get working- if it's plugged in. And this is where I'm stuck. If I view what I'm doing on the plasma, I can set my laptop resolution to 1280x720. But once I disconnect the plasma to plug the converter in instead, the computer goes back to using a single monitor. It will detect that I've connected the converter, but it won't go back into dual monitor mode unless I can see what I'm doing to hit the right buttons and tell it to do so. And again, if I were to connect the LCD monitor so I could see what I was doing, then the laptop would lock to the incorrect resolution to accommodate it.

In addition, I think that if I change my resolution changes while connected to the plasma- so I can see what I'm doing- then those changes are lost when I disconnect the plasma anyway, as opposed to being applied to whatever I plug in next. I apparently need to find a way to connect the converter, THEN make the resolution change and tell my laptop that it's to be the second monitor. I can't think of how to do this unless I can see what I'm doing, or unless I find a way to force my laptop - and all connected displays- to be at a resolution of 1280x720 at all times.

I've tried using the window key plus P (in addition to window key plus shift plus left or right arrows) and I don't know if it's conditional or what but the last few times I tried I couldn't get any results, so that's against me now too lol. It's a frustrating mess.

 

Yes I see now there are two different TV's that my fault I was tired I'm in the UK.

Can you post the model of the analogue TV your tryna connect?

I'm not sure why I'm asking this really the HD standard is designed to be used only with HDMI or DVI,this is one of the basic anti copy protections because if the TV or analogue device was made before HD TV was introduced it will not support 480,720 or 1080,if it did support these resolutions it would most probably have HDMI as well.

1.New HD Plasma
2.Old analogue TV

This is how to test this theory,connect the converter box using you laptop to your '1.HD Plasma' which should have component analogue video inputs,it should work like your Xbox works. If this is true your old TV doesn't support HD which it needs to, to support that converter.

Put simply if your '2.Old analogue TV' does not work with HD resolutions it will not work with this converter,if this isn't true post the model of the analogue TV or google it yourself to find it's supported resolutions.

 

This really is too much info for a help post,compounded by the fact your using a faulty laptop to try and accomplish this:-D A picture is worth a thousand words though. Right I've read again just confirm this is now the problem,forget the old TV for a second.

You connect-

HD laptop >< via hdmi >< HD Converter box > component > HD plasma = No picture

This configuration works when using the Xbox like this

HD Xbox >< via hdmi >< HD Converter box > component > HD plasma = HD picture

If this is true then it's a laptop problem which we may be able to help with.

 

No need to apologize; I just wanted to make sure you understood because I know it's a ridiculously complicated situation. I appreciate you trying to help.

A little bit ago I actually thought as you did and started on a quest to find the manual for this tv and see if it provided any specifications about the inputs. I couldn't find the manual but just a while ago I decided to look up the model online and search for a digital manual. I found one and checked it out. I think I narrowed down the problem specifically: It says that the connected device (which it assumes will be a dvd player) MUST put out a 480i signal. Apparently no more, no less.

Again, while I'm not new to HD products, I AM new enough to all the different numbers and definitions. I can only assume that since the converter is listed as having the capacity for 480p, and not 480i, they must not be interchangeable. I checked my laptop's Nvidia settings and WAS able to try to force a couple of 480i resolutions, but I assumed that they still wouldn't work if the converter wouldn't send them through that way. And it didn't.

I suppose I didn't even realize these things when I bought the converter. Everyone mentioned that it worked great; it was simple plug and play just like it says on the (otherwise minimal) package. I guess those people were using more modern televisions or something. Until today I didn't even know that component inputs HAD specifications of this nature. I thought the i/p stuff only became a concern with HDMI.

So this was probably the trouble all along. My understanding now is that p is better, so I thought there was a slight chance that the device would work with not only the better signal but the inferior one as well. I'm guessing this is completely incorrect, in part because none of my hours of fiddling has suggested otherwise.

Here's the weird thing though- I mentioned once (which is probably where I got you screwed up) that I DID try testing the converter on the plasma, using that tv's component inputs. Even then, I couldn't get it to show up. HDMI direct to the same tv works fine. Maybe when I tried connecting the converter to the plasma through the component cables the laptop didn't automatically assign it as a second monitor. I don't know why that would be the case though; it automatically detects (and switches to) the plasma when I use the HDMI cable.


EDIT: Lol sorry for all the info. I was just trying really hard to explain everything in a way that made any sense. And believe me, I know- the broken laptop screen makes the whole thing much worse. If not for that single issue, I wouldn't even be messing with converter boxes in the first place.

Anyway your 360 idea was a good one that I hadn't thought of. But like every other complicated thing, my 360 is an older model that doesn't have an HD connection! Lol. Whenever I've connected it to the analog tv, I used the system's standard component cord.

 

I means interlaced,P mean progressive.

Interlaced scans half of the screen and redraws it every 60 times a second meaning 30 full screen redraws every second or 30hz

Progressive redraws the whole screen 60 times a second or 60hz. Many new TV's and monitors will run in interlaced mode but older TV's will not run in progressive mode.

So in finality you won't get that old tube working with that setup.

As to getting it working on the plasma if this is still one of your goals your really limited not having a working monitor,this could be compounded by the fact the monitor is broken and not disconnected so you should take the laptop apart and disconnect it.

Ideally you need two displays connected so you know the resolution on both and both have one compatible resolution in common so switching the two is childplay. Even if you have two working screens every so often windows will screw up the resolution and try to output the wrong resolution to the wrong screen,I run multiple screens and this happens more often than I'm happy with.

So there is something you can try albeit a long shot and that's a hot key resolution changer,set your hot keys up on the plasma following the instructions,once they're set up attach your box between the laptop and plasma then begin switching resolutions with the hot keys,wait after each one to see if your plasma comes on,set your hot key resolutions to only resolutions supported by your plasma.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/17604/change-desktop-resolution-with-a-keyboard-shortcut/

I think that's the best I've got without spending any money,stick around for other replies and good luck

 

Ultimately I think I'm going to just need to look into buying another converter and making sure that it's compatible with the tv. In addition I think I'm going to pick up a couple of other cords and connections so I'm better prepared for this kind of thing. And maybe grab a replacement laptop screen this Christmas.

I learned some useful info though. Thanks for the help!

 

No problem