So the running thread here has been fixing stuff.  I won’t get into how I fixed a 2003 Grand Am stalling problem with $40, WD-40, and steel wool (because I did) but instead my HDMI issues with an Onkyo 606.  The Grand Am problem required a fuel filter, some new plug wires, paying someone to get the old rusted fuel filter off, and cleaning the coil packs.  This one was actually easier.  Sorry LeRoy, I wasn’t going to take the torch to a fuel line.

The 606 has 4 HDMI inputs.  Input 1 never gave me much problems.  HDMI 2 started giving me problems a few months ago.  The PS3 was plugged into that, and would cut out on occasion.  Nothing terrible, but the video would drop for a second or two in the middle of a game.  I finally got tired of it, and switch with the cable box on HDMI 1.  Now the cable box started dropping video, even if the AVR was turned off.  The PS3 started showing ‘noise’ – rainbow artifacts on the screen and the video dropping for a few seconds.  I was about to break down and buy a new one – the 609 looked good.  Before I did that, I started doing some research.  It seems the 606 has some handshake issues that can get worse over time because of the heat issues (the AVR does get silly hot)

Most of the complaints are that video takes forever to show up when you first turn it on or switch sources.  Mine only took a few seconds (people complained about minutes going by) but some of the video drops seemed like they could be related.  For $7 in parts from RadioShaft, I decided to try it.  I found a good video on YouTube and picked up 5 new capacitors at RS – part number 272-1028

End result – the TX-SR606 seems to working even better than when I first bought it.  No more drops, no more artifacts, and the sources seem to switch faster now.  The repair was pretty easy, even though I haven’t picked up a soldering gun in years.

Before Picture of the HDMI card