What Are The Symptoms Of A Bad HDMI Cable?

Having an HDMI cable has become one of the most crucial household products. But it has also become one of the least understood. When TV was getting popular in the 50s, you had to have an antenna to capture the image. Then came the introduction of DVD players. 

You could suddenly connect a device to emit a signal on your TV.  You had to have at least two cables to get the sound and another to get the image to accomplish it. Computers had the same system in place. 

If you wanted to connect your PC to a screen, you needed bulky cables. Nowadays, all your needs are satisfied with only one cable. You can attach any device to a screen, projector, or TV with only an HDMI cable.

HDMI, abbreviated from High-Definition Multimedia Interface, is a technology present in almost any High-Tech device. With its introduction to the market, many technological industries have introduced an HDMI port to their products. It has now become a usual practice to have a port in your product. If it does not have one, you run the risk of discouraging potential buyers.

HDMI cables can connect any device to have a better sound and image. Nevertheless, when you have a faulty HDMI cable, your entire entertainment system or work computer cannot function correctly. It creates a static and blurry image, no sound, or even disjunction. We recommend you learn what the most common problems are. And if some of these are present, you may need to buy a new HDMI cable.

Double-check the HDMI cable

Sometimes when a cable does not show a clear image or has a different saturation of colors, the problem is simple its connection to the devices. You should check the physical cable in both devices to resolve these issues. Here are the things you should check when doing this.

First, you should make sure the output device (this could be your computer, Blu-Ray player, or game console) connects correctly to the HDMI cable. The thing that most often resolves this problem is doing this check. 

Second, you must check which port the HDMI cable attaches to in the input device (or the device you screen the connection from the first one) and if it is rightly connected. In this type of device, there are usually two or three sources. They are made like this to connect different devices simultaneously without having to readjust the cable. 

You could search for the source buttons on your remote control or the panel on your device. You change the source of your cord by pressing this button. If none of these solutions work, you may probably have a damaged cable.

Most common symptoms

If none of the latter solutions work, you should try and get rid of your cable. You need to know the following symptoms to diagnose if it is faulty. These problems come from a variety of places. It can be a problem with the HDMI cable, the ports in either device or the software. 

On the contrary, you may have issues with the image or the sound. The good thing is that none of these issues have lasting damage to any of your devices. So, if you have these problems, do not be concerned. You can solve them with ease by acquiring a different cable.

First, let us review some of the issues that come into play regarding the image. The most common and frustrating to have is the saturation or change of colors on the screen. They may change from standard colors to rose ones, for example. This problem is frustrating because you may have a great image, except with the wrong colors. 

The second problem that may be present is a black screen. It usually comes with full audio, but it does not project the image. If you try to disconnect and connect the cable again, and this issue persists, you must change your cable. Another common symptom that may present is a blurry image. 

With this issue, you need to be careful when you attach your devices to a projector. Sometimes, the solution is changing the zoom and focus on your device. Nevertheless, some may ignore this problem. People may think that the problem comes from the screen, not the faulty cable.

Regarding sound issues, the most common is the lack of it. This problem can be solved by connecting an external speaker. It does not work in every situation, and it is only a temporary solution. There are other problems like distorted and low sound. 

Nevertheless, all the problems mentioned may appear at the same time. And if you see that your cable is starting to have these difficulties, please buy a new cable. Before it destroys your movie night plans.

Conclusion

These are the most common issues that happen to sound and image output. Sometimes, these cases can have a solution by inserting your cable into a different port. Or by doing a double-check. Other times, the problems come from moving the cable around a bit. In this case, either the cable or the ports may have a problem. 

In case you have doubts that the problem arises from any device. Try connecting another one. If the sound and image come clean, then the problem might not be your cable. Another thing you may want to try is rebooting both the computer and the screen you are using to project. Often, the problem is not the hardware, but the software.

These issues may appear because the cable has its wires frayed. It may also happen that the plastic around the wires broke. Your cable might be visibly stable, but it may have an internal problem. Another thing that might have happened is in the plug. There are small connectors that might be bent or broken. If these are the problems, you need to buy a new cable.