Sony Blu Ray TV interaction problem

[Dave2002]

Our HDTV has multiple inputs, including 2 x HDMI inputs. These are now connected each to an HDMI switch, to allow more inputs.

One of these HDMI switches is connected to a Sony Blu Ray player and also to a Humax Foxsat PVR. Trouble is, said Blu Ray player tries to be clever, and comes on whenever it thinks the HDMI line is active - in some way driven by the TV, thus shutting out the PVR.

I feel sure that there must be or should be a setting, either in the TV or in the Blu Ray to prevent this happening. Has anyone else experienced this kind of problem, and has anyone solved it? At present switching to our Humax Foxsat PVR via the TV causes the Blu Ray to start up, which then has to be immediately shut down in order to wake the satellite tuner up. One solution might be to switch the power off the Blu Ray unit, but I think there may be another way - just not found it yet.

[richardfinegold]

Did you have this problem before you started using the HDMI switch?

[Dave2002]

Did you have this problem before you started using the HDMI switch?

Yes - something similar I think - though not quite, as with only one device connected to one HDMI input, the device selection can be done from the TV.
The TV has 6 basic settings for inputs. When the Blu Ray device is connected to input 6, the selection menu on the TV appears as BD System, rather than EXT 6. The TV is a 42 inch Sharp from around 2008, and is highly configurable - which is both a good and a bad thing!

Selecting the BD SYSTEM option turns the Blu Ray player on, but it stays on even if another selection is then chosen as input for the TV.

Now you've got me checking the TV again. There are some quite "clever" settings for the HDMI inputs, but it doesn't, so far, appear to be possible to stop the Blu Ray from coming on and staying on. There do also seem to be slight differences between EXT 5 and EXT 6, so maybe I'll try swapping these over - though I'm not too optimistic that any change will be helpful.

It is, of course, possible that something needs to be set at the Blu Ray end. Thanks for prompting me.

[richardfinegold]

I agree with your last sentence. Make sure you have done the latest firmware updates on the TV and the BDP. You may have to go deep into the Menu of the Blu Ray.
Perhaps you can borrow another BDP from somewhere and see if it happens with that player. If so, then the TV might be the culprit

[Dave2002]

I agree with your last sentence. Make sure you have done the latest firmware updates on the TV and the BDP. You may have to go deep into the Menu of the Blu Ray.
Perhaps you can borrow another BDP from somewhere and see if it happens with that player. If so, then the TV might be the culprit

If I disconnect the BDP the behaviour reverts back, and the "thing" on the end of the HDMI link is called "EXT 6".
The simplest solution seems to be to have a power switch to turn the BDP off when it's not in use.

What I haven't really chased up is the possibility of connecting the Blu Ray player to my local network, and hence to the Internet. With an ethernet switch only a few feet away that should easily be possible, but I'm not sure what benefits, if any, that would provide. The Blu Ray player itself seems to have some interesting features, though mostly we have just used it to - er - play Blu Ray discs and DVDs via the TV - though it also can be made to function as a surround sound system, and there do seem to be other possible uses for it.

Do Blu Rays these days have the capability of playing TV programmes via the Internet? e.g BBC iPlayer, ITV Player etc. Not sure if ours can do all that, but I think it can do some Internet stuff.

[richardfinegold]

Well, if it isn't connected, then there may be a bug that a later firmware update was designed to fix in the software.
Connect it, do the updates, and the problem may be fixed.
Other advantages of an Ethernet connection in the BDP include adding apps to the player. We watch Netflix in our basement system on the BDP.

[richardfinegold]

Well, if it isn't connected, then there may be a bug that a later firmware update was designed to fix in the software.
Connect it, do the updates, and the problem may be fixed.
Other advantages of an Ethernet connection in the BDP include adding apps to the player. We watch Netflix in our basement system on the BDP.

You can also do firmware updates by downloading them from your computer to a usb and then inserting the flash drive into the BDP and eliminate the need for an Ethernet connection.

[Dave2002]

You can also do firmware updates by downloading them from your computer to a usb and then inserting the flash drive into the BDP and eliminate the need for an Ethernet connection.

Thanks Richard. I've never really bothered with connecting and/or upgrading the Sony BDP unit - but I should be able to find an ethernet cable and plug it into the switch without too much difficulty, and see if that provides me with anything useful. If there are apps which can run on the player that might be useful - if I can find out how to install them, if they're not already available.

I did do firmware updates on a Toshiba HD DVD player which improved it, before it became obsolete. That unit is dreadfully slow, but nevertheless it is a high quality DVD player - though not really any better than the Sony BDP, and we do still have some HD DVDs which play, I think. I never quite got round to the final upgrade, which might just have fixed a few of the remaining problems on some HD DVDs.

I do get nervous doing firmware updates, as there's always the danger of converting a useful piece of kit into a "brick". I usually look for hints on user group sites to see if others have succeeded or had problems.

[richardfinegold]

Well, methinks you've got more to lose in this case by not doing it, as a firmware upgrade may solve the issue