URGENT: Bad HDMI ports cause for a variety of misdiagnosed issues

Hello XBox One community. I'm posting this in the hopes it helps solve a variety of issues and so MS will look into this issue and save themselves (and their customers) a lot of headaches.

I am on my 3rd XBox One console since Christmas.
The 1st one wasn't executing my voice command. It would recognize and display the commands, but would not change channels for instance. It would also display the OneGuide, but you couldn't even manually select the channel, press "enter", and have it
go to that channel. Also, during trouble-shooting trying different HDMI wires, the sound suddenly had an underlying "coiled" "whiny" "robotic" sound, of which I was unable to remove.

So, I figured I bought a defective machine and exchanged it for another XBox from different store (to increase my odds of a good machine). Unfortunately, the
2nd XBox had the same problems. So, I figured if it was this common, that there was some sort of fix or patch or download or procedure I missed that I could implement to remedy the situation. I went through all the XBox One support troubleshooting
procedures and still had the same issues, but then I lucked into discovering the problem. While in the process of trying to determine if it was a bad HDMI wire (by swapping in a new wire) I voice commanded it to change the channel (while unknowingly holding
the wire just right) and it changed the channel.

To make sure it wasn't just that particular wire, I tried it with the HDMI wire that came with the console and was able to produce the same results.
The problem is the HDMI outlet on the back of the XBox One console is loose: The housing (outlet) that holds the male end of the HDMI wire, while tight around the male end of the wire itself, the whole housing (or outlet) is loose within the console and
has "x" amount of play. If you don't position it just right, it doesn't function properly.

This time I contacted the XBox One support about the issue and explained what was happening, they were very helpful and sent me out an advance replacement console. I asked, "what's going to ensure that the one they send out isn't going to have the same problems?"
to which the support tech responded that it'll be noted what the problem was and the replacement console will be checked to ensure it doesn't have the same problem.

Enter my 3rd console, I go to hook it up and immediately notice the HDMI outlet is loose and fear that it'll have the same problem, BUT, hold onto the hope that maybe I was wrong in my diagnosis that a loose HDMI port is the cause and it was just
something else with the other two. Unfortunately, I was correct. All the same issues, I did manage to position the wire just right that it would function properly, but knew that either gravity (or someone barely bumping into the entertainment center) could
disable it's functionality. I thought, "well, maybe I could live with it", but then the sound suddenly had the underlying "coiled, whiny, robotic" effect. I knew the outlet itself must've moved just enough to effect this. To test, I tried yet another NEW HDMI
wire and the sound was still "coiled".

I'm guessing that whatever leads from the HDMI outlet into the box becomes easily damaged by the "play" of the outlet itself. This is not a complicated, procedure or download or user error problem, this is simply a BAD BUILD on this part. I now must contact
XBox One Support again and tell them the advance replacement they sent is also defective.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my daughter, spent $500 on a product that she hasn't been able to use other than as a simple game console with bad sound. If I wanted just a game console I'd have bought a PS4. I also spent $60 to get a Gold membership
so that I could use the XBox One as a receiver to watch the Netflix and Amazon Prime I already pay for, that I cannot use through the XBox.

Unless I have complete confidence MS is going to recognize this problem and truly fix it (not just on my console, but address the undoubted thousands more) I cannot trust that I will not be owning a product full of potential defects down the road. If that's
the case I will be returning the XBox One and buying a PS4.

:)

 

Display Error

Not positive I'd call MS, sounds to me like the HDMI port on your 360 is going bad/dead. Seems like all the swapping had caused an issue.

 

Losing TV/cable signal need help

I'm having similar issues, while I get a picture, unless the hdmi cable is seated just right (in the loose hdmi port) I can't change the channels with either the controller or my voice (kinect), it'll recognize my command, but can't send the command, also,
the sound is now jacked up, sounds like a coiling robotic whiny underlying reverb on everything. This is my 3rd replacement Xbox One with loose HDMI ports. See my discovery and diagnosis of the problem:

forums.xbox.com/.../4382807.aspx

Or search "URGENT: Bad HDMI ports..." in this forum. It's not rocket science, just a poorly designed or cheap easily broken HDMI port, and by easily broken I mean; by just plugging it in (no matter how gently you try) you break it if it's not already broken.

 

Not sure if I understand your logic in explaining how the HDMI port on all 3 units was the root cause. Especially how all units had the sound problem......sounds like bad cable, bad receiver, or noise on the ground line, or damaged HDMI port.

My cable seems to enter the HDMI port fine- I am hoping you are not trying to exceed the bend radius on the cable or coming into the port at an odd angle? I know a lot of furniture/cabinets can be tough to ensure no pressure is pushing the cables a certain
direction?

I'm not trying to derail your theory, however, it just seems very odd that you have 3 units that are doing the same thing.I am wondering if you are damaging the ports trying to push all the equipment back into place?

Good Luck! I hope you get to your root cause and a console works for you and your daughter! Game on!

 

Trust me, there are no obstructions and I'm very carefully plugging in the HDMI cable and know enough not to bend the wire. Used other new HDMI wires and get the same results, used those wires with previous blue ray player with no sound issues (tried it
out again after the xbox issues to make sure). It's the only other logical explanation I can come up with after trouble shooting the rest.

 

You do realize that the Xbox One does not (cannot) use HDMI to change the channel on your cable box, right? It uses Infrared (IR) light signals, just like your remote control. The IR blaster (emitter) is in the Kinect. The channel change problems you describe
are consistent with either using the incorrect IR codeset for your cable box or an obstructed/otherwise bad (interference from direct sunlight for example) IR path between the Kinect and your cable box (hint: the fact that neither voice nor manual worked means
the cable box was not receiving the IR signal from the Xbox or receiving an incorrect one). When you tried changing the channel while holding the HDMI cable at the Xbox, your body may have been in a position that solved the IR path problem by blocking light,
reflecting the IR signal, etc. Or, it might have slightly changed the position of the Kinect, Xbox, or something else that provided a clear path or reflective surface for the IR to get to the cable box. Or, if you have the cable box behind glass doors etc.
and had opened them...

Try moving your Kinect and/or cable box a bit and see if that helps or try using an external IR blaster connected to the Xbox and running directly to the IR sensor on the cable box.

As for the sound issue, more information is needed about what audio your Xbox is set to output (stereo, uncompressed 5.1/7.1, DTS, to what it is connected (receiver or TV and make/model), and what you are doing when the unusual sound occurs (TV, BluRay,
gaming, all?).

I find it much more likely that this is user error and or a quirk of your setup than you having reveived 3 Xbox units with the same problem (a problem I have not seen reported by others, at least not without an eventual solution that is unrelated to what
you suggest is the problem).

 

Even though I know there are different issues for sure with these xb1 in general, I must agree with GZA on this one. I just find the odds in having three different xb1 from three different sources(your words fatty)having a problem I have yet to hear on all
my reading in this and other forums. I myself have had to return my first xb1 to bestbuy because of the common "kinect unplugged" error issue so like I said I do understand there are problems but 0 for 3 seems like something your doing other than bad hdmi
ports. I hope you get to the bottom of it soon but I can speak from experience on the ps4 issue, I've had mine from hour 1 day 1 with not a issue and I love it. Good luck whatever your choice from here goes.

 

I agree that it seems unlikely HDMI connection issues would cause the channel changing problem. However they could very easily cause the audio problem. The question is whether or not the audio problem is fixed when the cable is held into the right position?


I have noticed that the connection is unusually loose (please do not patronise about cable angles or being heavy handed - I have an army of HDMI devices which have no problems with the connection at all) and if either of the HDMI cables are nudged at all
I will lose the picture signal. It is unusually sensitive to movement due to, IMHO, poor build quality.

It is an unfortunate byproduct of the internet age, that software is more often than not released to market full of bugs because of the ability to patch remotely. Let's hope this approach is not leaking into hardware, because physical patches are a lot
less convenient to apply and usually require an upgrade fee.

 

To me it sounds like he has more than one issue. BUT, I can confirm that he is very close on the HDMI port issue. Its not that the housing or port is actually loose, its that its too back too far in the console's housing. I am on my second console as
my first one was exhibiting bad HDMI/connection behavior with my TV. After lots of diagnosis and confirming an issue with the HDMI, support sent out a replacement. After working with the same issues on the replacement I looked closer at the actual connection
port and verified that the connector itself is good and tight. No play in it whatsoever. However the cable still felt a little loose which got me wondering. I compared the xbox one HDMI cable to the 3 that I was using for testing, and M$'s end is indeed
longer. This explained why I had no issues with anything but the TV signal. I switched the cables and sure enough, No longer TV issues, but I had trouble with the main signal.

SO just to be clear on this, its likely
NOT a loose connection issue, but a design flaw in the console in that the connector is too far inside the housing and a good connection can be difficult to establish. Remember that HDMI is actually a fairly poor design in that its VERY finicky.
If the connection is not perfect there can/will be issues.

The only solution for this at this time would be to get another cable from M$, or try and find a longer one locally. Take your normal cable down to your store and start comparing ends. IF you can find a longer one share the brand on the forums.

Spread the word!

 

Alot of doubt instead of hope going on here! If everyone that doubts the problem would just reach to back of you Xbox ONE and find your HDMI cable, now put a small amount of pressure on your HDMI cable at the point of connection and you will see that your
video will cut out. I too hope they come up with a fix for this.

 

I shared this issue with MS support and they sent me another cable. I now have no issues with signal loss as I have two MS HDMI cables for use with the HDMI in, and HDMI out on the One.

This also absolutely confirms that the cables from MS have longer ends to fit all the way into the deep set receptacles.

 

had the same problem as fatty talks about......wanted a upgrade hdmi cable, so bought the gioteck to replace the standard that comes with the xbox one.

NO signal!!! why? because the end on the gioteck hdmi cable is too short compared to MS version, very loose.

 

Fat boy is 110% correct. I cant begin to state just how many in home issues I have seen because of a "shorter" HDMI plug being used. Once a longer "same as MS's boxed HDMI length" is used or purchased problem solved. If I had a dime for everyone I told this
too in chat or in person I would own beach property in the Bahamas. Hopefully more become aware of this difference as this is a big issue for most I have seen and talked to via chat.

 

Hey guys! This thread is kind of old. If you are still having issues, go ahead and post a new thread so that we can help you out individually.