SR6003 Video Issues

[JustinGN]

I'm back from a minor hiatus, and unfortunately I've got an issue I'm trying to clear up. I eventually settled on a Marantz SR6003 Receiver to power my new speakers, and everything worked out great...

Until I played my old 360.

See, the 360 is hooked up via Component Video (it's a Zero Hour Release System), and whenever there's an explosion or flash of white on the screen, the screen goes black and changes to multi-colored snow. I can sometimes prevent the switch to snow if I pause the game quickly and let it reacquire the video signal, but not always. I chalked it up to the 360 pushing a 255 White value which caused the Receiver to freak out - this assumption was proven wrong when HDTV signals via component video from my Satellite Box caused the same issue between commercials.

My next thought was that the snow was caused by resolution switches, but again, both the 360 and Satellite Box output consistent 1080i Signals only, with no switching between 1080i or 720p. My only remaining idea is that it's a bug with the video circuitry, since HDMI sources don't have this issue.

Does anyone else who has or has extensively used this receiver have this issue? I'm curious to know if it's a bug with the hardware that can be fixed via a warranty repair, or if it's unfixable and something I'll have to accept.

Aside from this issue, the receiver is fantastic; however, this single bug has all but crippled my playtime on the 360, and is practically forcing me to upgrade everything to HDMI. I'd really like to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

Thanks in advance!

[Chris D]

Justin- interesting, I've had two TV's now, one LCD and the other a plasma with outboard tuner, that have had a similar problem--when there's a flash of light on the video, it'll "hiccup" in the video and drop out for just a second. They won't lose the HDMI signal and go all the way to snow like yours, (could be a HDCP thing) but will go black for a half-second. I found it happens most often with movie trailers, that seem to think it's dramatic to cut from one shot to another using a flash of white light inbetween, and do it about 10 times in the course of a 15-30 sec trailer. Rather annoying.

[JustinGN]

It's definitely not the TV - identical games, movies, etc play on the PS3 over HDMI without a hitch. It's got to be the circuitry inside the Marantz and how it handles the conversion of Component Video to HDMI.

If anything new develops with HDMI Sources, I'll post it here. I'm also curious how S-Video and Composite Sources are affected by this - is it all analog signals, or just Component Video? If just Component, would a 480i/p signal fix it, or maybe a 720p signal? I want to narrow the bug down as much as possible before I go to Marantz.

[audioqueso]

It's the Marantz. It's HDMI hand-shaking issues affects non-HDMI connections as well. I've had that and similar problems.
Try this test out. Disconnect all the HDMI connections (even the monitor output), connect the 360 via component and then output to the tv via anything other than component. It works, right?
Now try changing the output to the tv to an HDMI connection. You will problem have the same problem again.
The only way I've been able to solve any "non-HDMI connection related" problems... is to not connect the video to the Marantz.
I even had my HTPC using DVI-to-HDMI give me problems. DVD=HDMI. Cable=HDMI. PS3=HDMI. HTPC=DVI-HDMI. Wii=Component. The Wii and HTPC had problems. Only way I was able to resolve it was to get rid of the Wii's connection to the Marantz. That cleared the HTPC problem.
Try that test out first. I'm certain that you will find that it's a HDMI handshaking issue that's effect your non-HDMI components. You could call Marantz America, but their customer service is not very helpful.

[JustinGN]

That's the thing, though: HDMI works perfectly fine, both sources and output. It's the internal Component -> HDMI conversion that is causing issues from what I can tell. Since Day 1 of ownership, I've yet to have any problems from native HDMI Sources (Though I'll confirm that when I switch to an HDMI-equipped 360 tonight).

At this point, I'm in a real bind. I've run out of HDMI ports, though I can always get a switcher, and my Satellite Box will work on HDMI as well. The Dreamcast is hooked to the TV via VGA, so that's a moot point...but I still have other Component Video Sources I want to hook up, as well as S-Video and Composite Video sources. To add insult to injury, it's long past the return date for the Marantz, so I'm stuck with it.

I'll tinker with the SDTV sources on Component Video more and post my results, but I may wind up grabbing a DVDO Scaler (The Marantz processor for video is garbage anyway) for analog inputs to convert and scale them to HDMI before sourcing them to the receiver, at least in the interim.

Knew I should've stuck with Denon, or held out for an Emotiva combo. Bah! Learned my lesson that superb audio doesn't make up for subpar video.

[audioqueso]

Right, I know HDMI sources and output work fine. I'm talking about using non-HDMI sources with HDMI outputs. Try using the non-HDMI Xbox and send the monitor output from the Marantz via component. Does it work? If you are using any HDMI ports on the Marantz, its handshaking issues effect even non-HDMI ports.

It's a PITA. I ended up using the Marantz for HDMI only. Anything else is directly plugged into the TV.

[JustinGN]

That's the problem, it seems. I've gone through every setting, even just having the Component Video feeds passed through over HDMI without any post-processing, and it all fails. I also don't have the cash to replace the Marantz (like I want to, considering it's superb sound).

Time to look into a DVDO Edge, I suppose. Or maybe a used VP off Audiogon.

[audioqueso]

I had the same thing. As long as HDMI is included, some hand-shaking issue seemed to screw the problem with non-HDMI components. My solution was to have all non-HDMI components NOT route through the Marantz. I know, it's a crappy solution, but it's either that, or messing with it everytime you encounter the problem. If it's just that one component, you could output the video straight into the tv, and output the audio to the Marantz so that you can get the sound you want.

[JustinGN]

I just prefer having a single HDMI Cable running to the TV, and it seems to be a definite problem with the Marantz Video Processor, as ones in the Denon lineup have no such issues from what I've tinkered with (at least ones with 3rd party VPUs instead of in-house solutions like the Marantz). I may wind up either having a DVDO converter work its magic on analog components and keep a single HDMI output, or run a set of component cables to the TV as well (though the DVDO solution would let me pipe the Dreamcast in via VGA through the Anchor Bay processor, a nice touch).

Decisions, decisions.

[kaustin]

I had same issue

Took it back to Marantz there was firmware update. I have a Pany 800u with true colour and it was having an issue. (not really sure what) but when they had it in they found the center channel was dead. After that it was fine for a while but now it keep switchings between Stereo and Norm Db. Temporarily dropping soud in the process (Speratically). Plus I'm getting a click when I change channels. Depending on the channel.
I should have gone with the Pioneer, or Denon!