Denon 3900h - setup issues - is this just borked?

[Insearchofthedream]

So my 12 year old Denon avrx 4200w has been triggering the protection mode more & more often - finally refusing to stay on for more than 10 minutes at a time (overheating) - it's done well, but time to replace.

I've had a shiny new Denon AVX 3900h delivered yesterday & really struggling with it.

Initial setup went ok, but using it? Nightmare.

I only have a nVidia Shield (used for most watching duties), and a FreeSat box for very occasional TV duties - both connected by good quality 8k ultra certified HDMI cables.

TV is a LG Cx oled panel - again connected with a 8k ultra certified HDMI cable.

Everything was working fine on the 4200, running at 4k 60 with HDR10 / dolby vision on the shield / standard HDR on the freesat.

On the 3900h - if I power everything off at the wall plug - it works ok. So long as I don't select any HDR options on the shield.

But only after a fresh power off!

If I select any HDR output options on the shield, I just get a 1 second on / 1 second off cycle for about 10 seconds, then lose video output - only fixable by another full power cycle.

If I switch off the shield using the remote - it all looks like it has switched off, but turning back on just gives me sound & no video signal.

Full power recycle gets it back working (sometimes).

TV is set correctly for high bandwidth HDMI, in the denon setup I've forced all inputs / outputs to HDMI (not auto).

Done 2 factory resets, 2 sets of HDMI cables.

This is my 4th AVR over the years, I think I understand how to connect & get set up - this is mental.

Broken unit / misconfigured somehow?

 

[Insearchofthedream]

This was all working fine BTW previously - and connecting the shield directly to the TV with the same cables works perfect.

Do I just need to wait 6 months for a firmware fix?

 

[Ruediger]

Did you try the other HDMI out on the Denon?

 

[Insearchofthedream]

Just tried that - no difference.

Tried setting the denon to just use Tv1 instead of auto - no difference.

Running out of things to try - it should not be this hard.

I've emailed the support line at the vendor - awaiting a response.

 

[Redacted]

Are you saying the Freesat unit works fine for sound & vision, as it did with the previous AVR, and it's only when you use the shield there is a problem?

 

[Insearchofthedream]

No - both nvidea shield & the freesat work (only at 4k 60 - no HDR) - but only after a full power cycle.

If you switch anything off (which looks normal BTW - it all goes off), then switch back on using the remote, that's where the problems start.

For freesat - you get sound but no video.
For shield - you get blink on / off / on / off cycle

Full power cycle at the plug & it works again.

If you select an HDR mode, it just black screens until the next full power cycle.

 

[EWL5]

Did you try the 8k Enhanced setting per pg 187 of the manual?

https://www.denon.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-denon_europe_shared/default/dw245cd3ae/downloads/AVC-X3900HE2_ENG_M.pdf

 

[Insearchofthedream]

Yeh - the second you flip the HDMI to be 8k enhanced it black screens.

Options are standard / enhanced / 8k enhanced

 

[Insearchofthedream]

While I'm waiting for the support to come back to me from the retailer, I connected everything back up on my old Denon 4200W.

All working fine (but need a big desk fan blowing on the side to keep it cool!).

 

[Ruediger]

Sounds like a broken unit to me.

 

[Toni71]

I've read somewhere that a buyer couldn't play DV movies. After trying to solve this with the Denon helpdesk it still did not work and the unit got replaced. That was al info about this problem.

I have a X3900H in a stereo setup. No hdmi connected. I will check my unit this weekend on hdr playback. It is placed in a closet now, cables and stuff..

 

[Insearchofthedream]

Yeh - it's doing all sorts of madness now 24hrs later.

This morning I got no video output at all until I power cycled at the plug socket.

Then looked fine until I changed HDMI source, then back to cycling on/off.

Another power cycle - back up & running.

Here's the fun bit - the HDMI name display on the front of the Denon had been changed to just random characters - but video/audio still looked fine.

A few minutes later, the display on the front of the Denon changed to say 'HDMI2' was the selected input. Nothing is physically plugged into that port on the back of the Denon. I'm watching the nVidia shield that is plugged in to HDMI3.

Despite the display on the Denon saying it is on HDMI2, the video & sound is still coming through the TV via HDMI3.

I've arranged a return / exchange - but units out of stock so will have to wait a while.

Bah! Looks like I got a bad one, maybe shouldn't have jumped on the newness bandwagon so soon after they came out.

Fingers crossed just an isolated bad unit.

 

[Ruediger]

I think you can stop fiddling with it. Digital board seems broken. Return/swap and all will be good.

 

[-Matt-]

I have a similar setup and in my experience the LG CX is maybe the more likely problem. It often fails to renegotiate hdcp when the input is switched or if hdmi cables are swapped. I find it helps to have the source (sat box or shield) and Denon on before the TV (with the Denon on the correct input). If it is still stuck try switching between hdmi inputs on the tv. If that still fails turn the tv off and on again. So far that has always worked for me.

 

[Ruediger]

Have been using LG C and G series for many years and never had a problem with AVRs. A Denon X3800H included. I can't remember for the C, but with the newer G a certain port has to be used. I think I have port 2 with ARC connected.

I mean it's obvious as it won't play any 4k movie basically, but you might get menus and the default screen.

But the AVR behaves correct. Switch around, adjust HDMI out, front display, it's all OK.

 

[Ewout_vB]

I had the same issue with my new x3900h. It replaced a x2400h which worked fine with my x900e and the shield. I bought brand new cables and the shield could not work unless I adjusted the HDMI 4/8k signal format to "standard" instead of "enhanced". However when my new bravia 9ii came in suddenly the issues went away so for me it seems like it seems like it may have been an HDMI negotiation issue which was then resolved by the TV.

 

[Ruediger]

Another switch to try then is HDMI processing or Bypass in the Denon.

I had the Shield but swapped it for a CoreElec box when they introduced ads and lost multichannel AAC. But I remember it to be working with the LG C series.

It's a rather old unit though. If there is a problem with the Shield specifically I suspect their lousy android first and the old hardware second.

 

[BookshelfBob]

I had an older DVR with 0 handshake problems ever combined with a HTPC. Running on a Nvidia 1080ti GPU

Had to replace with a newer Denon unit and now it's just a more much finicky thing. I suspect my Nvidia drivers are not handling the newer HDMI protocols well. The shield has been out forever. If it gets updates I doubt they're the nuts and bolts that would effect HDMI control. When I load or close* a movie sometimes my whole screen will bug out and go 4:3 on my new LG. Never had that problem with the ancient Roku TCL i used on an older HDMI standard. Edit - This is direct from PC to TV

I would throw something newer at it. Not sure what protocol these free sat boxes use, but there is little need for HDMI 2.1 in any media you're going to consume. So they probably save money by using cheaper standards. No point in walking back into the same problem.

Edit - and I know the TV is doing more than it used to. It switches all sorts of modes and comopensates so maybe that explains teh buggier experience. Just a more complex process. I don't think that would be true for the most part in the AVR tho. More extreme uspscaling but otherwise the same product i had before for the most part.

 

[Mikius]

Try optical HDMI cable.

 

[Ruediger]

Try optical HDMI cable.

Expensive test. Not sure it would change anything.