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Problems with HDMI 2.1 for receivers Denon, Marantz and Yamaha

Manufacturers of AV receivers do everything they can to prepare their latest models for the future. And in that future, HDMI 2.1 is of course of great importance, especially for the gamers among us. The latest models from Denon and Marantz, among others, have HDMI 2.1 chipsets, but those chipsets appear to contain a problem that cannot be solved by an update.

According to the German Hot, which has tested an Xbox Series X in combination with a latest generation Denon AV receiver, many new receivers contain a problem with the HDMI 2.1 chipset. Various tests have shown that the chipset produces a black image when processing 4K120 and 8K60 signals. According to Heise, this problem cannot be solved by means of a firmware update as it concerns an error in the chip. This chip comes for the latest models of Yamaha, Denon and Marantz from Panasonic Solutions (now taken over by Nuvoton Technology).

Sound United, the parent company of Marantz and Denon, has the following statement via Forbes Scattered:

Some new gaming source devices that support 4K/120Hz output may not work fully with Denon (or Marantz) 8K AVRs. You may discover this incompatibility issue due to a HDMI chipset mismatch between the devices. When the affected system is connected to the AVR via 8K HDMI input and set to output at 4K/120Hz, and the AVR’s 4K Signal Format option is set to “8K Enhanced,” you may not see the system’s source video on their display, and may not hear the system’s source audio processed through the AVR. This problem is only present when a display that supports 4K/120Hz is used. We are currently investigating the issue further and will offer a permanent solution at a later date.

With this, Sound United confirms the problem and as a temporary solution, the company recommends connecting the source directly to the television. In this case, connect the Xbox Series X directly to your television and let the audio through HDMI eARC back to the receiver. When a permanent solution appears for the problem with the HDMI 2.1 chipset is still unclear. Chances are that owners of the receivers in question will have to return their model to the manufacturer.

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