Can HDMI cable degrade over time?

BowdonUK · 27 Jul 2020 at 12:58

I seem to be having a problem with my PS4 Pro. Had it for years and off and on it would go to a black screen for a few seconds and then display properly again. I never looked in to it as it only happened once in a while.

Today I was updating a game and suddenly the screen goes black and back on for a second then black again repeatedly. The PS4 seems to be still playing the menu music and shows the menu for a second before going off again. So now it seems to be permanently doing it.

I can get in to the PS4 boot up settings and set the resolution to automatic, that menu displays correctly. But as soon as it boots in to the PS4 UI it goes back to the mostly black screen again.

As anyone else had this type of problem? Did you find replacing the HDMI cable helped?

Ryan-3 · 27 Jul 2020 at 13:04

You've got an issue somewhere. Either the port at PS4/TV, or the cable itself. Generally, the cable is to fault by either being damaged before you received it, or having been damaged later and you haven't been aware (I've done this one).

Swap the cable and see. You can wiggle it lightly too to check if the end has been damaged. I've had both a faulty HDMI With a slack connector and a DP that I damaged, both of which were evident when I moved them this way.

Noxia · 27 Jul 2020 at 14:45

I had this same issue with PS4 Pro and Samsung tv, it is actually quite common. Seemed to get worse when the console was hot. Tried multiple cables etc, always had it.

malachi · 28 Jul 2020 at 05:00

BowdonUK said:
I seem to be having a problem with my PS4 Pro. Had it for years and off and on it would go to a black screen for a few seconds and then display properly again. I never looked in to it as it only happened once in a while.

Today I was updating a game and suddenly the screen goes black and back on for a second then black again repeatedly. The PS4 seems to be still playing the menu music and shows the menu for a second before going off again. So now it seems to be permanently doing it.

I can get in to the PS4 boot up settings and set the resolution to automatic, that menu displays correctly. But as soon as it boots in to the PS4 UI it goes back to the mostly black screen again.

As anyone else had this type of problem? Did you find replacing the HDMI cable helped?

Yep, had this with my PS4 Pro and non Pro. Turned out to be a faulty HDMI cable, they can randomly stop working. I used that same cable on my Xbox one S and HDR would give me a black screen when enabled so I binned the cable.

VincentHanna · 28 Jul 2020 at 08:30

I've had issues with the Playstation 3, 4 and occasionally the pro losing the picture for split seconds, and this is with multiple different setups over the years

Different cables, different AV receivers and different TVs.

I thought it must be a Sony thing.

spydermixx · 1 Aug 2020 at 17:06

This plagued me for just over a year, swapping cables seemed to fix it for a bit but eventually came back after a while. Turned out to be the PSVR passthrough, once I disconnected that from the setup haven't had the issue once.

Rob43 · 2 Aug 2020 at 14:44

Yep, same for me. Disconnected psvr passthrough & problem solved. Samsung Ks7000 tv

purplesky · 2 Aug 2020 at 16:22

The HDMI cable was either damaged to begin with, or it's been mistreated. But no, they do not degrade over time otherwise.

postmanfw · 2 Aug 2020 at 16:45

Cables can go faulty though....get a decent one.

Had problems after GPU upgrade with a £8 "quality" cable off ebay...got a decent branded one that was £20 and problems with losing signal went away.

When i got new monitor i went for a "delock" display port cable as needed to run at 1440p @240Hz and its certified for that...the hdmi one i got was an "Ultra HDTV Premium 4K UHD High Speed HDMI 2.0 Cable"...german brand...nice braided cable too

rare · 3 Aug 2020 at 09:15

My PS4 Pro used to do this with the HDMI cable it came with until I replaced it with a certified after market one. They do seem to be particularly fussy.

t@xman · 4 Aug 2020 at 13:42

I find that the HDCP handshake between Sony equipment and Samsung TV's is quite flaky. My Samsung 65KS9000 is very fussy about which HDMI input I use.......so I think it might be the Samsung end that's causing the issues.

Solus · 5 Aug 2020 at 01:18

Tends to be more common with HDR enabled. Try disabling HDR in the PS4 settings and check to see if you still have an issue.

ThePainBarrier · 5 Aug 2020 at 08:47

I get it occasionally on my Pro with Samsung TV.
I just disconnect the HDMI cable and reconnect while everything is on and if fixes the issue.
Happens infrequently enough not to be bothered doing anything about it.