When both my HD cable box and my Samsung 841 DVD player are both "ON" I can't switch back and forth between the two. When I switch from one to the other, a message comes on the the screen that says the "DVI/HMDI output is blocked". Sometimes then I will get a picture on my TV, sometimes the screen will then remain blank.

I can usually resolve the problem by turning off either the DVD player or the cable box before switching over to the other signal.

Any ideas what's going on?

Troy

It sounds like your TV's having trouble getting an HDCP handshake after the switch. My HD cable box had some trouble with that back when I had its DVI output connected directly to the TV.

Troy - are you using your 990 to switch DVI sources?

Sluggo

The 990 is the DVI switcher

Is it a scientific atlanta cable box? If it is, good luck getting it to handshake properly.
I have had issues with several of their boxes when used, even if streight to a plasma. Usually Runco, but also Pioneed Elite and LG. all of them have had issues with the Scientific atlanta boxes.


Hope it is something else though so you don't have to do the BS that I do to get them to work right.

Yes, I know what you mean, I have a scientific atlanta box and unless I turn on the 990 first than the tv and than finally the cable box I get the dvi message

It is a Scientific Atlantic box HD-3000 (I think, I am not at home to check)

Troy

The Scientific Atlanta 3250HD has a DVI output, and when I got my HDTV a couple years ago I remember there being a lot of grumbling about that particular model. For one thing, many people found the component output to provide a better HD picture than the DVI. I ended up specifically asking Time Warner to give me a Pace DC-550 box instead of the 3250 (same features, including DVI, but a better reputation). You may want to experiment a bit with the sequencing that loopy describes - or ask your provider if they have a newer HD box that may offer better HDCP handshake behavior. The 3270HD is a newer design that also offers DVI, and the 4250HD has HDMI.