Spontaneous source switching on Zhd?

[Chris D]

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced something I'm occasionally experiencing with the Zhd:

Occasionally, as I'm watching something via HDMI, my Zhd will suddenly switch the selected source. To be precise, most often when it happens the Zhd will suddenly select NO source, with the Zhd front panel losing the green number showing which source is selected, but retaining the green-lit "HDMI". I do believe that it has a couple of times switched to different source than the one selected, though.

I have my Zhd connected to my C1 via RS-232, although it is in my rack and can receive IR commands as well. The thing is, it never happens while I'm actually switching a source, I've noticed sometimes it happening while I'm doing nothing but turning down the volume on the C1. (okay, so the real question is, why would I possibly turn down the volume?)

When it happens, I can usually fix it by re-selecting a source on my C1, and as advertised, the Zhd will auto-switch to the same source. There have been a few times, though, where this did not get the Zhd to pick a source, and I've had to either dig out the Zhd remote or press a physical source button on the Zhd front panel.

Not sure what's going on... I've reconnected and tightened the RS-232 connection. I could maybe understand if it is having IR conflicts with the commands of another component, but like I said, it happens when I change my C1 volume via the Halo MX-700 remote control, which the Zhd is SPECIFICALLY designed to work with.

[Chris D]

Interesting--it just happened again while I was typing this on my laptop, watching "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" via DVD on Zhd source 2. I turned up my C1 volume via MX-700 remote, and suddenly the Zhd switched to source 4. (I did nothing other than turn up the volume)

Reselected DVD as my source via remote on my C1, it returned to Zhd source 2.

[Stoney]

Could it be that the remote frequency for the C1 volume is the same or very close to the source select?
By the way, what is a Zhd?

[Chris D]

Yeah, it sounds like that's the case, doesn't it, Stoney? But the Zhd is SPECIFICALLY designed to be used in conjunction with the C1, C2, or 7100. It adds HDMI switching capability to these processors.

See this page about the Zhd: http://www.parasound.com/zcustom/zhd.php

[Chris D]

Switching happened again last night while watching "View to a Kill". Pressed the volume down button on the Halo MX-700 remote control, and the Zhd suddenly switched from HDMI source 2 (DVD) to no source at all, and my projector showed blue-screen.

[Peter Nielsen]

Chris, does the Zhd have an IR sensor that can be turned off? Maybe it's picking up both IR *and* RS-232 signals and gets confused...

Peter

[mikepinkerton]

Maybe yours doesn't like Bond movies?

-Mike

[kfr01]

What about just covering the IR sensor with a small piece of black electrical tape?

[Chris D]

I wonder if it's really an IR conflict issue. I'll put a book in front of the unit for a while and see if it happens again. (IR sensor isn't selectively able to be turned off)

Mike, I think you found the problem! Or perhaps it's my wife hiding in the corner, turning off the video feed every time a Bond sex scene comes up? I'm watching "The Thornbirds" from Netflix now, so we'll see if it still happens.

[Vince Helm]

So odd that just out of the blue the Zhd starts this and now seems to be the norm. Software issues in the Zhd? Call Tony Points and see what he has to say and please follow up... I was thinking about getting a Zhd as well.

[Chris D]

Did it again last night, while I was watching TV and changed the satellite channel via my remote. Dropped the HDMI source on the Zhd, went to blue screen on my projector.

So it's not just the particular input I have for DVD, nor any issues with the DVD player, apparently.

My Zhd seems to have periodically exhibited this behavior from the beginning. As I alluded in my Zhd review here, http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=21693 I thought that periodic source switching/signal drop-outs might have been due to some jostling and moving around while initially setting up and evaluating the Zhd, which would jostle the HDMI plugs on the Zhd. (see the 3rd to last paragraph in my review)

I'll contact Parasound when I can.

[Vince Helm]

Hey Chris,

Any updates on the Zhd issues?
Vince

[Chris D]

Never got around to giving the Parasound boys a shout. It does seem to happen less when I have something blocking the IR sensor, but it has still happened once or twice. Interestingly enough, when the batteries in my Parasound MX-700 remote were getting low, it seemed to happen more frequently. Once I replaced the batteries with new ones, it happened much less.

I'm wondering if maybe there's something going on like my C1 occasionally sends an errant signal to the Zhd via RS-232. In any case, it's super rare and easily correctable. If anything a relative annoyance.

[netarc]

Hey, Chris ... I worked on an install recently where I ran into this problem, as well as another. Had the Zhd connected to an nc7100 via serial - the main issue was that selecting INPUT 1 on the nc7100 from the remote (or the front panel) wouldn't reliably set the Zhd to its input 1; every other input on the nc7100 (2-5) would switch the Zhd as appropriate, but INP 1 would only work ~1/2 the time. We ultimately resolved this by making use of the rear RS-232 as well as an IR emitter for redundancy.

I also noted on the first Zhd unit I installed for this client that the box would periodically change inputs of its own accord (w/o any remote control action ocurring); in the end I ended up returning this unit as defective (not for this reason - it had stopped passing video input completely).

The next box, while still displaying the first issue, hasn't exhibited the "auto-switching" issue ... so I'd recommend contacting Parasound for a possible RMA for your box.

[Chris D]

Ah... interesting. I'll look into that!

[netarc]

Chris ... I'm wondering whether your problem ever get resolved? Oddly, the zHd in the install I was referring to above seems to, once again, be exhibiting the spontaneous source switching issue (judging from the symptom the client told me of ... I need to contact Parasound re: this).

[Chris D]

Yeah, it has continued to one degree or another. Last night or the night before, I was watching satellite TV in my theater (Family Guy on a 10' screen) and it spontaneously dropped the HDMI input altogether like I had pressed the HDMI "off" button on the Zhd remote. I was doing absolutely nothing at the time other than sitting on my ample behind and giggling like a kid. That right there made me decide to actually follow up with Parasound about it, now.

[netarc]

Please do ... I contacted Parasound about this before (w/copious notes re: teh ehavior), but the techs couldn't reproduce it, so they may not be following up on it. I'm going to contact them again tomorrow - so if they hear about this from more than one person, hopefully they'll be convinced that this is not a one-off issue.

[netarc]

Did it again last night, while I was watching TV and changed the satellite channel via my remote. Dropped the HDMI source on the Zhd, went to blue screen on my projector.

Chris ... when this happened, did you at the time have the zHD's IR sensor blocked off, to remove the possibility that this could be due to stray IR noise?

[Chris D]

Yes, it seems to happen less with the IR sensor blocked, but does still happen. I've even had it happen once or twice without even pressing anything on my remote.