Pioneer DV-989avi: serious hdmi problem(?)

[cinesimon]

Hello world!
I thought I'd start with this forum, hoping that your group wisdom will help me decide which direction to take...

I've a Pioneer Dv-989avi, Fantastic machine, obviously - I got it just before Sony won the format war, which was a shame - but anyway, I still use it regularly. It really does play DVDs far better than my Oppo Blu Ray. And music? FAN-diddly-tastic.

Aaanyhoo...
Lately, at some point during a movie, the video image all of a sudden simply mysteriously cuts out - without interrupting the audio - and then continues on.
Later in the film, the image permanently cuts out - again, the audio continues on. I notice that the red HDMI light is no longer on - clearly meaning that there's no HDMI signal. The cable is fine, so it's obviously something to do with the player's HDMI circuitry. But given that its an expensive machine, and I'm broke, I thought I'd put this query out there to ask people if they recognize the issue, and if there is any way this technically-minded-but-ignorant-when-it-comes-to-DVD-players chap can do anything myself. If it's just a cleaning of the circuitry needed, or something like that.

Thank you so much to all who have read my query, and a thousand thank-yous to the person(s) who helps rescue this wonderful player.

cinesimon

[jman98]

I've a Pioneer Dv-989avi, Fantastic machine, obviously - I got it just before Sony won the format war, which was a shame - but anyway, I still use it regularly. It really does play DVDs far better than my Oppo Blu Ray. And music? FAN-diddly-tastic.

Huh? Are you talking about SACD vs. DVD Audio? If you mean that, it's a hollow victory. SACD is a niche format and DVD Audio is, I guess, technically on life support rather than completely dead like HD DVD.

Anyway, what brand of TV do you have? The reason I am asking is that it could actually be a TV issue. Samsung HDTVs in particular are rather infamous for HDMI sync issues. Do you have another TV with HDMI inputs you can test with to verify that it's really the player and not the TV with the issue?

[cinesimon]

Thanks for your response, jman...
I'm talking about music. Not formats. It's a brilliant music player, regardless of format. As an ex vinyl/rega fanatic, I've found it difficult to find decent digital audio. I went through many a player, ranging from Linn, Rega, many of the mid-range players that reviewers were saying were as good as 20,000 units - best I found, for my ears, was the 989. Without paying $20,000.
I'm not a gadget man, but one of those wanky audio nuts whose ears make the decisions...
(Oh - by "format war", I meant Sony's Blu-ray vs HD-DVD. Should have been more clear about that. I was just saying I may have made the decision to buy a high end Blu ray player, and not the 989.)

Aaaanyway: my monitor is a Mitsubishi projector. It was one of the first modern day home theater-oriented 1080p units, the input being DVI - not HDMI.
I use an DVI-HDMI adapter, which works fine.
I guess the problem I have with thinking the fault could be something other than the player, is that I have other units such as a Media player and other DVD & Blu Ray players, and there are no problems at all with the projector, or the HDMI cable. Given that the cut outs and then the final cut off are at random points during a film, and when I go to use it the next day it plays fine, I'm more inclned to think it's the player. Of course I'm also very much hoping it to be that, as I really, really can't afford to fix or replace the projector!

[al2]

I have the same pioneer player - and also an HDMI issue. I bought it 2nd hand ($100 cheap) about 2 years ago. Lately the HDMI switch does light not up so I dont get the 1080 output but some 576 (?) resloultion. But occasionally it goes to full HDMI. But it never changes resolution during play only upon powering up. I've on some odd occasions turn the player off and on and the HDMI comes back.
I dont think its an HDMI cable problem or a HDMI "handshake" issue. I even tried powering up in various sequence - dvd/avr/tv and reversing the powering sequence but still no good. I notice once the HDMI light if off the HDMI section in the setup menu is also greyed out.