HDMI signal dropout at beginning of Netflix movie credits. What's the issue?

[DaDude]

I have a very unusual problem. I'm using a Roku 2 and starting several months ago, my HDMI signal drops out very briefly when the credits roll on Netflix movies. You know when the credits roll on a movie on Netflix and the credits shrink to the little picture. Well, at random times, when the credits shrink, the HDMI video and audio dropout for a split second and then everything returns to normal. My TV shows "No signal" for a split second and my HDMI receiver signal blinks due to the audio dropout.

What's odd is that this is the ONLY time it happens. I never get dropouts during a movie or anything. It only happens when the credits shrink at the end of a film and it happens only once in a while. It may happen once out of every 10 movies I play. It's so odd. And it doesn't happen on any other app I use. It just happens on Netflix when the credits shrink.

Do you think this is a problem with my Roku? If so, then why is it only happening during the credits when it shrinks? If this is a Netflix app issue, then why aren't other people reporting the issue so the app gets fixed during an update? This issue has been going on for at least a year on my device and is driving me crazy.

[DevTech]

11 hours ago, DaDude said:

I have a very unusual problem. I'm using a Roku 2 and starting several months ago, my HDMI signal drops out very briefly when the credits roll on Netflix movies. You know when the credits roll on a movie on Netflix and the credits shrink to the little picture. Well, at random times, when the credits shrink, the HDMI video and audio dropout for a split second and then everything returns to normal. My TV shows "No signal" for a split second and my HDMI receiver signal blinks due to the audio dropout.

What's odd is that this is the ONLY time it happens. I never get dropouts during a movie or anything. It only happens when the credits shrink at the end of a film and it happens only once in a while. It may happen once out of every 10 movies I play. It's so odd. And it doesn't happen on any other app I use. It just happens on Netflix when the credits shrink.

Do you think this is a problem with my Roku? If so, then why is it only happening during the credits when it shrinks? If this is a Netflix app issue, then why aren't other people reporting the issue so the app gets fixed during an update? This issue has been going on for at least a year on my device and is driving me crazy.

Don't have a Roku but some ideas:

 

- make sure you have latest Firmware - check for beta firmware as well

 

- if the Roku has a Browser, try the web Netflix to compare

 

- the only other thing my suspicious mind can dredge up is HDCP:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/208917/htg-explains-how-hdcp-breaks-your-hdtv-and-how-to-fix-it/

 

 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I used to get this, too, on my old Roku. I got a Roku stick, and everything got better.

 

Check the firmware like Dev said. There's an oiption in settings somewhere where it says "check for updates"

 

If there is none, your Roku is probably dated.

 

You pay the minimum for Netflix, or one of the higher prices?

[DevTech]

"an HDMI cable can work intermittently. The error message or purple screen can appear when too much data attempts to pass via an insufficient cable or port, blocking the handshake. But the HDMI cable or port may work intermittently until that point. Unfortunately, not all ports on a 4K TV or AVR are HDCP 2.2 and not all HDMI cables are rated for 4K data transfer"

 

"Roku has had HDCP issues for years"

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Roku/comments/7q10xl/intermittent_hdcp_unauthorized_error/

 

Not quite the same, 4K etc, but smells a lot like it

 

---------------

 

The end of a show as you describe might be where Netflix is doing some extra security checking?

 

 

 

[DaDude]

20 hours ago, DevTech said:

"an HDMI cable can work intermittently. The error message or purple screen can appear when too much data attempts to pass via an insufficient cable or port, blocking the handshake. But the HDMI cable or port may work intermittently until that point. Unfortunately, not all ports on a 4K TV or AVR are HDCP 2.2 and not all HDMI cables are rated for 4K data transfer"

 

"Roku has had HDCP issues for years"

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Roku/comments/7q10xl/intermittent_hdcp_unauthorized_error/

 

Not quite the same, 4K etc, but smells a lot like it

 

---------------

 

The end of a show as you describe might be where Netflix is doing some extra security checking?

 

 

 

Interesting. What do you think would fix the problem? A new HDMI cable? A new Roku?

 

And yes, my Roku is up to date.

[jnelsoninjax]

Just now, DaDude said:

Interesting. What do you think would fix the problem? A new HDMI cable? A new Roku?

 

And yes, my Roku is up to date.

The easiest thing to change would be the cable, start with that and see if the issue goes away, if not trying contacting Roku support.

[DevTech]

3 minutes ago, DaDude said:

Interesting. What do you think would fix the problem? A new HDMI cable? A new Roku?

 

And yes, my Roku is up to date.

 

1 minute ago, jnelsoninjax said:

The easiest thing to change would be the cable, start with that and see if the issue goes away, if not trying contacting Roku support.

The cable issue pointed out by Roku might just be a Red Herring... It must be difficult to do tech support for a low cost device where a single tech support incident can erase the combined profit on 20 new sales...

 

1. Defective cable is easy to check since you can get HDMI cables for a buck.

 

2. Cable not being premium enough is devilishly hard to check because snake oil for cables is still endemic in the industry.

 

3. I'd also consider the quality and speed of the LAN connection to the Roku

 

4. And finally, a defect could have developed in the Roku such as damage to the port.

 

5. Which reminds me, HDMI ports are particularly prone to collecting tiny dust bunnies inside - carefully treat both ends with tooth pick, maybe Isopropyl Alcohol using very bright light

 

[DaDude]

10 minutes ago, jnelsoninjax said:

The easiest thing to change would be the cable, start with that and see if the issue goes away, if not trying contacting Roku support.

Ok, I'll change it to a higher guage cable and hopefully that will fix it. I can only try and see. Though it's going to be a crapshoot in finding the issue as the dropout doesn't occur all the time. I can try something new, watch 10 or so Netflix videos and if the problem happens, try something else, and so on. It's going to be impossible to detect where the issue lies, especially since I have an AVR in the middle of the connection. The problem could lie anywhere from my Roku, cable, AVR or TV...

[DevTech]

1 minute ago, DaDude said:

Ok, I'll change it to a higher guage cable and hopefully that will fix it. I can only try and see. Though it's going to be a crapshoot in finding the issue as the dropout doesn't occur all the time. I can try something new, watch 10 or so Netflix videos and if the problem happens, try something else, and so on. It's going to be impossible to detect where the issue lies, especially since I have an AVR in the middle of the connection. The problem could lie anywhere from my Roku, cable, AVR or TV...

Always fun when critical debug info is withheld...

 

Read this:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection

 

Then check the conformance of the AVR, maybe see if it can get a firmware update.

 

In general, any switching of high speed signal paths is an immediate suspect to be eliminated as the cause.

 

[DaDude]

Ok, guys. I got some news. I did some testing and here it is....

 

-I changed the cables, then fast forwarded a bunch of Netflix videos to the end so the credits shrink. Well, the signal dropout occurred. And these are Monoprice cables, mind you. Not some bootleg cables. So it's not an HDMI cable problem.

 

-I hooked up the Roku directly to the TV; no AVR this time. Played random Netflix videos and got the signal dropout. So it's not my AVR. Thank God! I love my AVR.

 

-I switched to different HDMI ports on my TV (still hooked up directly to TV, so no AVR connection again). Played random videos again and still got the dropout. So, it's not a port issue on my TV. What are the odds that both my HDMI ports on my Samsung TV went bad?

 

So, it's got to be some sort of glitch with the Roku 2 that I have. And what's odd is that this issue did not happen when I first bought it. It only happened about a year ago. I don't understand what could be the problem?

[DaDude]

21 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

I used to get this, too, on my old Roku. I got a Roku stick, and everything got better.

 

Check the firmware like Dev said. There's an oiption in settings somewhere where it says "check for updates"

 

If there is none, your Roku is probably dated.

 

You pay the minimum for Netflix, or one of the higher prices?

Interesting. It must some sort of incompatibility with the newer app and the old Roku. I've done numerous testing and have come to the conclusion that this is a problem related to my Roku. It's so ridiculous that I have to buy a new one because their old Roku has a stupid glitch that they refused to fix.

 

I really wonder why on earth Roku is such a highly rated streaming device. It's had nothing but glitches since I bought. The thing is, the glitches eventually get fixed only to get a new one later on. But this signal dropout problem is a particular one that just would never get fixed.

 

And I am on the $10.99 plan on Netflix...

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

5 minutes ago, DaDude said:

Interesting. It must some sort of incompatibility with the newer app and the old Roku. I've done numerous testing and have come to the conclusion that this is a problem related to my Roku. It's so ridiculous that I have to buy a new one because their old Roku has a stupid glitch that they refused to fix.

 

I really wonder why on earth Roku is such a highly rated streaming device. It's had nothing but glitches since I bought. The thing is, the glitches eventually get fixed only to get a new one later on. But this signal dropout problem is a particular one that just would never get fixed.

 

And I am on the $10.99 plan on Netflix...

Well, technology is growing fast, and not everything can keep up with it...

[DevTech]

27 minutes ago, DaDude said:

So, it's got to be some sort of glitch with the Roku 2 that I have. And what's odd is that this issue did not happen when I first bought it. It only happened about a year ago. I don't understand what could be the problem?

Some electronic component inside the Roku could have degraded out of spec a year after you bought it - bad component batch, voltage spike, bad luck etc

 

 Usually they die instead of degrade but it's not impossible

[DaDude]

On 1/7/2019 at 12:52 AM, Mindovermaster said:

I used to get this, too, on my old Roku. I got a Roku stick, and everything got better.

 

Check the firmware like Dev said. There's an oiption in settings somewhere where it says "check for updates"

 

If there is none, your Roku is probably dated.

 

You pay the minimum for Netflix, or one of the higher prices?

 

I'm just wondering. Do the new Roku sticks perform better than the Roku 2 set top box? The reason I ask is because if it does, then I may just upgrade since those sticks are very cheap. But based on research, I always read that the sticks perform very slow. And on the plus side, the set top boxes have Ethernet ports, which is a more reliable, faster and stable way to connect online. But then again, we're talking about the latest and greatest streaming stick vs. an ancient set top box...

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

33 minutes ago, DaDude said:

 

I'm just wondering. Do the new Roku sticks perform better than the Roku 2 set top box? The reason I ask is because if it does, then I may just upgrade since those sticks are very cheap. But based on research, I always read that the sticks perform very slow. And on the plus side, the set top boxes have Ethernet ports, which is a more reliable, faster and stable way to connect online. But then again, we're talking about the latest and greatest streaming stick vs. an ancient set top box...

From my experience, yes, they are newer, have better firmware, better software, better hardware.

 

An ethernet port vs wi-fi is negiable on a Roku. Streaming doesn't take as much internet throughput than you think.

 

I've used my stick for little more than a year now, and never had any issues.

[Circaflex]

2 hours ago, DaDude said:

 

I'm just wondering. Do the new Roku sticks perform better than the Roku 2 set top box? The reason I ask is because if it does, then I may just upgrade since those sticks are very cheap. But based on research, I always read that the sticks perform very slow. And on the plus side, the set top boxes have Ethernet ports, which is a more reliable, faster and stable way to connect online. But then again, we're talking about the latest and greatest streaming stick vs. an ancient set top box...

While I do agree with what you have said, the set top box offers 10/100 for ethernet which is pathetic. On my Ultra, I do get a better experience using WIFI because it connects to AC, no buffering issues or Plex streaming issues. So in this case, I am not sure ethernet is a deciding factor when choosing your Roku model.

 

According to this, https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/av-accessories/roku-2-1291043/review/2, the Roku 2 is more powerful than the streaming stick, just like the Fire TV is more powerful than the Fire stick. They (OEM's) have more room to work with, the only disadvantage the Roku 2 has compared to the sticks, is lack of WiFi AC connectivity.

 

1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said:

Streaming doesn't take as much internet throughput than you think.

Do you have any data to support that argument? I'd strongly disagree with you, especially with 4K streaming now available as are other high data streaming services. Now, before you go on and on about how you only use the basic features and are basing your knowledge off of your personal experience, think outside of the box and imagine that others might use their hardware in a different manner.

There is really no reason, unless you are struggling financially, to not do the upgrade right in the first place. You might not use streaming services to their full capabilities now, but what about a month or two from now? When doing upgrades, you need to think about future planning as well.

 

 

Quote

Two of Netflix’s latest shows were played, along with a new movie. The bandwidth used by the content, as detailed by accessing the “Info” overlay while streaming, was:

Fastest Car at 2160p – 15.26Mbps

Jessica Jones at 2160p – 15.26Mbps

The Outsider at 2160p – 15.26Mbps

The three shows were all allowed to play for several minutes, and the bandwidth rate quickly settled and remained at 15.26Mbps for each when in 4K.

Using the figures above, the test shows that Netflix uses the following amount of data when playing 4K content:

114MB – Per minute

6.8GB – Per hour

This means that a standard 1-hour-30-minute movie will use over 10GB of data.

A 25-minute episode of a series in 4K will use 2.8GB of data, while a 45-minute episode will use 5.1GB of data.

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/it-services/257189-netflix-data-usage-test-4k-vs-full-hd.html

 

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Circaflex

[DevTech]

2 hours ago, DaDude said:

 

I'm just wondering. Do the new Roku sticks perform better than the Roku 2 set top box? The reason I ask is because if it does, then I may just upgrade since those sticks are very cheap. But based on research, I always read that the sticks perform very slow. And on the plus side, the set top boxes have Ethernet ports, which is a more reliable, faster and stable way to connect online. But then again, we're talking about the latest and greatest streaming stick vs. an ancient set top box...

 

1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said:

From my experience, yes, they are newer, have better firmware, better software, better hardware.

 

An ethernet port vs wi-fi is negiable on a Roku. Streaming doesn't take as much internet throughput than you think.

 

I've used my stick for little more than a year now, and never had any issues.

FWIW, this is Neowin hardware forums and Roku is boringly mainstream!

 

Surly, you have a box of old mobos right? Or a Raspberry Pi? Or an old laptop to hack?

 

I just can't imagine using such a limited device for media and also paying money for it when there is such a wealth of old stuff everywhere that works way better!

 

[DaDude]

On 1/20/2019 at 11:20 PM, Circaflex said:

There is really no reason, unless you are struggling financially, to not do the upgrade right in the first place. You might not use streaming services to their full capabilities now, but what about a month or two from now? When doing upgrades, you need to think about future planning as well.

There really wasn't any reason for me to upgrade because I don't stream 4K nor is my TV 4K. Most new 4K TVs are smart TVs, so if/when I decide to upgrade my TV, it would already be all set up to stream 4K. That is why I never ever thought to upgrade my Roku...

[+BudMan MVC]

when you used the roku straight to tv without avr, which cable did you use.. The new better cable?

 

You say it happens when, when credits play at the end.. Possible res change is happening then?  Odd question - but who really watches the credits?   Unless your looking for some scene they play during or near the end of the credits.. On netflix when the credits start to play the show is over   And moving on to the next

 

Are you talking when the screen changes and they are playing the end of the movie in a little box and letting you manipulate the interface - to like play the next episode or whatever.. Could you post up a screenshot of when it normally happens - say take the pic with your phone or something.  Can you check the resolution being presented before it happens, and then after the dropouts and it comes back if the res is the same?

 

My "guess" would be the problem is due to handshake on the res change.