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  1. Member
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    Hi All, I use an HDMI switch to connect my media box and satellite box (always on as it takes ages to boot) to the tv. This did the job until I changed my DVD player. The old one was connected directly to the TV by rca plugs, the new one uses an HDMI cable which has a signal on it even though the unit is switched off (but the mains power switch is on).
    This plays havoc with the switch as I now have 2 units "always on". I could use the switch's IR controller to change inputs, but that's defeating the aim.
    So, does anyone know if there is a list anywhere of dvd players that do not have a signal on the hdmi cable when switched off (at the unit but not the mains) or do I keep trying dvd players until I find one that doesn't.

    Thanks in advance.
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    does the new dvd player have a power save feature ??
    look in the settings for standby feature or power settings.
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  3. Member DB83's Avatar
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    This does not make sense. If there is no power going in to the player other than in standby it can not be 'on'.

    One thing you can check is the settings on the player for 'hdmi control' since when such a player is powered-on with such a setting it should invoke a signal to the tv.

    But the issue could be your arrangement with the splitter. If the Sat Box is always on the splitter is likely to prioritise that hdmi signal. But when the media box is on how can the splitter accept that signal if the Sat Box is on ?

    Test the player by plugging that directly in to the tv >> no splitter. In your scenario it would display something on the tv even when it was 'off'

    I equally do not understand your logic about 'defeating the object' since the whole point of a splitter is to have multiple inputs but only select one for output.
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  4. Member
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    Thanks guys, I'l check the settings in the DVD player. DB83 - my switch gives priority to the units according to where they are plugged in, i.e. I have the media player as 1, and the Sat box as 4 because it is "always on". When I switch the media box on, the switcher automatically gives it priority, even though the Sat box is still "on", as it is a lower number in the "list" of 1 to 4 and the TV shows the media menu. Switching the media box power off, immediately returns the feed to the Sat box. I plugged the new DVD player into the No.3 port and switched it on,- as expected, the switcher fed that signal to the TV, however when the DVD was switched off, the DVD hung on to the signal and did not allow the Sat box signal through.
    When I said "defeating the object" I meant that instead of the switch automatically changing the feed to the TV, I would have to do it manually using the switch's IR controller.
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  5. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Ok. Also try swapping the splitter connection for the dvd-player from No3 to No1 since that appears to have a low priority.

    Also what happens if you were to plug either in to No2 ?
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  6. Member
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    "Ok. Also try swapping the splitter connection for the dvd-player from No3 to No1 since that appears to have a low priority."

    Other way around, 1 is the highest priority - the switch allocates priority to the lowest number that is powered on, i.e. if ports 1, 2 and 3 units were powered on, priority would go to port 1; switch unit 1 off, priority would go to unit 2; switch unit 2 off, priority goes to unit 3. Any unit that is required to be "always on" goes on the end of the "chain". If 2 or more units were powered on then the only way to change feed to the TV would be manually using the switch's IR controller (another control box)

    "Also what happens if you were to plug either in to No2 ?" :- Answered above.

    There's also the fact that as soon as the player is switched on at the mains, it's HDMI cable grabs the port, even though the TV shows "no signal". I've asked a couple of manufacturers about this, one has replied that "when the unit is off but it's mains supply is still on, there is no signal on the HDMI cable". I'm returning this DVD player and ordering one of theirs - I'll update when I've tested it.

    Thanks again for the replies.

    PS, it's an HDMI switch, not splitter
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  7. Member DB83's Avatar
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    My apologies for mis-quoting a switching device for a splitter.

    But don't either your Sat Box or the player have stand-by modes ? Every $ky and other Sat Boxes I own or have owned are always plugged in to the mains - a clock or just a light still shows yet are not 'on' until you hit the power button on their remote. If the $ky box is unplugged/turned off at the mains it does take some time to reset but from standby the channels are available. And both are turned off by the power button yet still plugged in at the mains with the switch on.
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  8. Member
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    I've given up - I've tried 4 different DVD players and every one has "grabbed" whichever port of the HDMI switch it was connected to and wouldn't drop it when it was switched off at the unit, the only way it would drop the port was to switch it off at the mains. It looks like DVD players must keep sending a signal to whatever they are connected to (TV, Switch) to let "it" know they are "still there". Must now look for a different method.
    Thanks all.
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  9. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Re-read reply #3 and also advise the make/model(s) of these non-cooperative players so that peeps can inspect the user manuals for them.
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  10. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Let's be clear to others, what you have is an Auto-switch. IOW, it switches based on the presence or absence of connections based on their "priority" positioning. A manually controlled, or programmatically controlled switch wouldn't care a lick whether additional connections are on or not (until you needed them, of course).
    You could change the priority by changing the input positioning, or by changing the priority logic/flow. However, if you expect to always need 2 inputs, and those 2 inputs are always on, and those 2 inputs have equal/alternating priority in your workflow, you are stuck and an autoswitch of that caliber is not your best choice (aka you will need a more expense switch that you can manually/programmatically/remotely control, either of the sync, or the priority, or the final choice).
    There are players that drop sync when the machine is on standby, but I would expect them to be rarer.
    Perhaps you should connect one input direct to the other HDMI input in your tv (directly), or simply turn off the auto portion of the switch (unless impossible with that model).

    Scott
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