Microsoft KB Archive/937898

= Xbox 360: How to troubleshoot Xbox 360 HDMI video and audio issues =

Article ID: 937898

Article Last Modified on 8/10/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft XBox 360 Video Game System
 * Microsoft Xbox

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SUMMARY
This article describes how to troubleshoot typical display problems with video and with audio when you are using the Xbox 360 HDMI Cable.

This article only applies to Xbox 360 consoles that have an HDMI port.



MORE INFORMATION
Note To identify a cable or to obtain more information about cables, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.xbox.com

Display quality is poor, distorted, or discolored
You experience one of the following display issues, but sound is usually not affected:
 * Green or purple tint to the video
 * Extensive flickering for more than several seconds when you play video, use the Guide, or switch from the Dashboard to a movie.
 * Image “ghosting&quot;

Try the following methods to resolve the issue:  Connect your console to the Internet to obtain any available automatic Dashboard updates from the Xbox Live service.

Note You do not have to be an Xbox Live subscriber to obtain these updates. Adjust the HDMI display settings of the Xbox 360 Dashboard. In particular, set the HDTV setting to Optimal Resolution, and try all three settings under Reference Levels. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

906663 Xbox 360: How to set the HDTV settings

 Connect the HDMI cable from the Xbox 360 HDMI port directly to the HDTV's HDMI port, without any other devices between them. Change channels or inputs on the HDTV. The HDTV may have difficulty automatically adjusting to the display change to video content that may be required by games or by the Dashboard. Unplug the HDMI cable from the back of the HDTV's port, and then again plug in the cable. Make sure that you connect to the HDMI port of the display and not to a DVI port. DVI ports do not support some features of HDMI. Connection to a DVI port may be the cause of video distortion or of display issues. If your HDTV has an image-enhancement feature or any kind of digital noise-reduction feature, turn this feature off.</li> Use another method of connecting to the HDTV. For example, use the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable or the Xbox 360 VGA AV Cable.</li></ul>

The Xbox 360 Dashboard and games are displayed, but DVD, HD-DVD, and downloaded movies are not displayed or are display at greatly reduced resolution
If you can see the picture when you view the Dashboard, a game, or pictures by using the HDMI port, but you cannot view movies, your display does not support High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) over the HDMI port that you are currently using. This is by design and is common to all HDMI devices. However, the Xbox 360 console will still play games even when the HDMI port lacks HDCP support. This also applies to connecting to a DVI port by using an HDMI-to-DVI adapter. The DVI port does not support the HDCP protocol that is required to display video content. (DVI ports are usually found on flat-panel monitors.)

If your display has an HDMI port that does not fully support HDCP, you can still use the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable to view movie content in high definition over component cables. Be aware that VGA cables offer another way to view high-definition content without using HDMI.

The picture does not match the sound
Audio data and video data are sent out of the Xbox 360 at the same time. Therefore, there should never be a problem with synchronization. If the sound “lags” behind the on-screen image, there are two possible causes:
 * There is some device that is delaying processing on the audio before the signal is passed to the HDTV display. To test this, connect the HDMI cable from the back of the Xbox 360 directly into the HDMI port of your HDTV.
 * The HDTV display is performing extra processing of the video, and you have the audio connected by using the Audio-only AV cable. To test this, unplug the Audio AV Cable, and then connect the HDMI cable from the back of the Xbox 360 console directly into the HDMI port of your HDTV.

Picture without sound
To exclude any devices in the HDMI chain, connect the HDMI cable directly from your Xbox 360 console's HDMI port to your HDTV’s HDMI port. If you have the audio-only HD AV cable connected, unplug it, and then try using only the HDMI cable.

Sound without a picture
If you have connected both the HDMI cable and the audio-only AV cable, try unplugging the audio-only AV cable. If there is no sound and no picture, the most likely cause is that the HDTV is not configured to use the HDMI input.

If your HDMI port does not support HDCP, you may hear sound but not see any picture when you play movies.

Use a DVI port by using an HDMI to DVI adapter or cable
DVI is an early digital video input standard that was widely used in computer monitors and in some HDTVs before HDMI became the industry standard HDTV digital video connection. There are HDMI-to-DVI adapters that enable a monitor that has only a DVI port to receive video, but not audio, over an HDMI cable. However, this solution can be unreliable because the Xbox 360 console is designed to communicate with the HDTV by using the HDMI protocol. Using the DVI port of a monitor may work. However, this method is not supported.

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