4 Must-Have HDMI® Repair & Testing Tools for Your Truck

We know how challenging it can be to get so close to finishing an integration job only to find a compatibility issue between your HDMI® electronics. You were almost ready to pack up and leave but now you’re staying late to troubleshoot a black screen, audio dropouts, or other error messages that could mean a number of things. Or worse, you finish up only to get that dreaded phone call that now the system isn’t working and you’re needed back on the job.

We know this situation all too well. In fact, it’s the reason why our team developed our award-winning HDMI repair tools. These solutions, plus a few other handy tools, are on our list of “must-have” items that every custom integrator should keep on their work truck. Not only will they get you out of a bind, but they will help prevent you from having to go back to the job site. These tools are an investment to save you time and money to prevent unplanned overtime and unnecessary truck rolls from eating into your profit margin. Below are the top four tools the MetraAV tech team recommends keeping in your work truck at all times.

1.) Ethereal HDMI Low Speed Data Repair Tool - HDM-JR3

This is our most popular repair device because it can resolve the vast majority of HDMI problems. The HDM-JR3 strips capacitive loading off of the DDC (EDID) Bus to reduce the Data Rise Time and improve the consistency and reliability of the low-speed communications. It is small and easy to install, usually at the source side, with no extra cables needed. Working with 8K? Not a problem. This product supports 48Gbps (4 x 12 Gbps per channel) and it has bi-directional EDID repair for both the input and output stages.

HDM-JR3 Specifications:

• EDID capacitive stripping
• Plug and go performance
• Corrects most common EDID problems, including:
  • Audio Dropouts
  • “Mode not Supported”
  • “Frequency out of Range”
  • Allows for Faster input switching
  • Impulse synchronization

Tech Tip: Start with this tool and see if it fixes your problem. If it does, then you know it was due to EDID. If not, then move on to the next item we recommend for your toolbox...

2.) Ethereal All-in-One Correction Tool (2nd Gen) - HDM-AIO2

While no device can fix every problem, this one tool fixes most of the common HDMI problems instantly! Providing a quick, easy, and efficient solution, this is the only product on the market designed to repair the majority of HDMI issues that installers see in today's home theater projects. Simply plug in this device and its cutting-edge technology will do the rest; preventing more truck rolls and long nights of overtime. This second-generation HDM-AIO2 provides a hot-plug interrupt*, fixes EDID start-up issues, supplements voltage/current in the TMDS feed, 5V feed, and hot plug feed, plus provides voltage matching for both input and output. Its EDID capacitive stripping corrects the most common EDID problems. It also includes impulse synchronization and the most cutting-edge technology available to solve HDMI headaches. No other product on the market has all of these features in one device. When you’re stuck in a problem job, this will get you out fast!

HDM-AIO2 Specifications:

• Supports all HDCP formats
• Supports 40Gbps, (4 x 10 Gbps)
• Regulated 5 volt injection
• Regulated hot plug injection (controlled by contact closure on a control system)
• Hot Plug return delay of 100ms
• TMDS Voltage and Current insertion
• EDID capacitive stripping
• Corrects most common EDID problems, including:
  • Audio Dropouts
  • “Mode not Supported”
  • “Frequency out of Range”
• Impulse synchronization
• Faster input switching

* The Hot Plug interrupt requires an external relay to trigger, if you do not have such use the CS-IRKITCCUS to perform this function. More on that product next!

Tech Tip: If you don’t have time to troubleshoot just plug this in and you’re all set.

3.) IR Kit With IR Controlled Contact Closure - CS-IRKITCCUS

When you do not have a control system or available relay, this IR kit will do the trick. The CS-IRKITCCUS is a unique product; it has all of the usual capabilities and functions that one would expect from a standard US 12v IR kit, but has been enhanced with a built-in contact closure relay with IR code learning for its open and close states. This gives the CS-IRKITCCUS the ability to control a wide variety of products including TV lifts, projection screens, curtains, and the Ethereal HDM-AIO/2.

CS-IRKITCCUS Specifications:

• Integrated IR learning feature for easy setup
• 2A dry contact relay
• Discrete open & close commands learning capability
• Open & close LED indicators
• Works with major US IR repeating systems
• Receive frequency range: 38 KHz & 56KHz
• Transmit frequency range: 38 KHz & 56KHz
• 6 port IR connecting block
• 1x RC-MM protocol compatible bar receiver 3 meters (9.84ft)
• 4x IR emitters 3 meters (9.84ft)
• 12 volt power supply

Tech Tip: If you have a control system with the standard US 12v IR outputs but do not have a relay, use the CS-IRCC cable to connect the control system to the CS-IRKITCCUS.

4.) 4K/HDR Remote Streaming Media Player

MetraAV does not manufacture this product, but we use it all the time. We suggest that you keep this, or something like it, on your truck so that you can instantly test 4K or even 8K media with your AV system, independent of a cable box, Blu-Ray, etc. This will help you pinpoint a problem area but also make sure you have legitimate high resolution 4K or 8K content for testing, calibrating, and setup. We recommend a 4K HDR Android TV remote streaming media player and there are many different ones available online. This is a handy and small source to carry with you for testing systems. Download different resolutions of content (8K, 4K/HDR, 1080P & 720P) onto a thumb drive to use with this device. We recommend the https://4kmedia.org website for free 4K demo content, but there are many others like it for various resolutions.

Looking for more AV Tech Tips? Watch the MetraAV tech team every Wednesday at 3PM ET as we stream live episodes from our YouTube channel. To purchase any of our MetraAV products, become a dealer or contact us for information on where to buy.