Troubleshooting Ideas? S95h & 5090, 2-3 second black/blank screen; switched to eARC and now lose audio

I believe I had this issue occasionally when I first got the S95h but it's become ridiculous recently.....sometimes over and over and over for a minute at a time. While I'm typing this up, it's probably happened more than 20 times.

The HDMI connection certainly seems to be either unstable or resetting for some reason. Looking for any troubleshooting suggestions even though I've done and redone every random suggestion online, already.


- 2 different Win11 machines, both with reference 5090 and latest nvidia drivers
- TV HDMI1 & HDMI3 tried with several different cables that have worked without issue on G5 & S90F
- 5090 HDMI port -----> S95h 3840x1600, 165Hz, HDR On
- 5090 DP1 ---------> LG second monitor running at 2160x3840@165Hz (120,144,240 tried)
- 5090 DP2 --------> DP to HDMI adapter ------> Denon x4700h AV Receiver 1080p60Hz


S95h
- All Energy Saving = Off
- CEC = On, but was off before eARC connected
- Input Signal Plus = On
- Game Mode = On
- AI Gaming = Off
- Game Genre = Auto(can't change in 21:9)
- Virtual Aim Point = Off
- Screen Ratio = 21:9
- HDR10+ GAMING = Basic
- Game HDR = Basic
- Network = Just disconnected Wired connection and turned off WiFi in case something is communicating



Couple things I've definitely tried:
- multiple PCs
- multiple cables
- tried a single monitor setup (will probably try this again tonight)
- unplugged tv and held down power button to discharge
- different hdmi ports
- removed Color Control service
- disconnected from network
- turned off gsync

Thanks for anything you've got...

i use this to keep the signal to my avr alive: https://veg.by/en/projects/soundkeeper/

Thanks. Ya, I didn’t have soundkeeper on and ran into the old 2 seconds of missing audio when I first switched to earc. Sound keeper on or off didn’t seem to change the blinking.

I wouldn’t normally be using earc but I was hoping that by pulling one cable out of my graphics card, it would help the HDMI port somehow. I still cannot remember if I ran my second computer through the AV receiver the entire time.

Apparently, signal drops are common when people use adapters for 240hz 4k, but lower hz should be possible.

. . . . . . . .

I'd try an active cable or adapter from the gpu to the screen if you have to convert dp to hdmi.

If I had to use an adapter for that, I'd use this one, which is dp 2.0, but it's hard to find since it's usually out of stock:

https://us.caldigit.com/products/dp20-hdmi21

That would be my first go-to.


I had a cable that worked great on a 4k side screen for years but didn't work well with a newer 144hz 4k side screen. Don't discount the idea of using a newer cable with a different chip in it.

This one is an active dp 2.1 to hdmi cable with a good chip in it ( Synaptics VMM7100 ) . It fixed my issues on my side screen, but it is probably using DSC from dp 1.4.

Active DisplayPort to HDMI 2.1 Cable 8K@60Hz 4K@144Hz 6.6ft for PC Monitor Unidirectional DP1.4a adapter, RTX 5090 5080 4090 4080 GPU support, VRR G-Sync smooth gaming, HDR10 Dolby Vision HDCP2.3 - - ULT-WIIQ

The manufacturer lists it as a "DisplayPort 1.4a/2.1" hybrid device, it is specifically optimized with newer internal chipset hardware to handle the advanced outputs of NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs (like the RTX 5090 and 5080). Because it features built-in DisplayPort 2.1 compatibility, it can safely take advantage of higher bandwidth limits when connected to a DP 2.1-capable source port. For more details, visit the product page at Amazon.

Click to expand...

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On my current main (4k 120Hz hdmi 2.1 HDR) screen I'm using the hdmi output of my 5090 hdmi 2.1 to hdmi 2.1, but if I was having issues I'd still try a different cable, buying a newer one that is not just swapping what I have on hand.

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I'd try a different cable from the screen to the AVR if that doesn't work, and make sure all of your cables are seated properly and not under tension.

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HDMI cables are 2-way, but some cables (fiber hdmi, adapters, etc). in some case might be one-way, so make sure you aren't trying to use a one-way cable that lacks a copper return wire for your eArc out from screen to your AVR. I know that's probably not your scenario, but I thought I'd include that to cover more bases.



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Could try turning earc off and back on in the game tv OSD, too. That sometimes fixes issues.

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Make sure your AVR supports eARC properly.. There are also some adapters you can get for older AVRs to make a normal hdmi port on the AVR into an earc port.
I've used a sharc before, just for eARC audio. I typically don't pass video through my receiver.

Top HDMI eARC Converters

• • Best Overall / Premium: ThenAudio SHARC-V2 8K eARC Audio Processor
    • Features: Dual HDMI 2.1 inputs (48 Gb/s) and full 8K60 / 4K120 video passthrough.
    • Audio Support: Extracts uncompressed multi-channel audio from your TV's eARC port and sends it directly to a legacy HDMI input on your older AVR.
    • Best for: Gamers using a PS5 or Xbox Series X with a 120Hz TV and an older receiver.
  • Best Budget Option: OREI HDA-927 / HDA-927U eARC Audio Extractor
    • Features: 4K@60Hz video passthrough with HDMI 2.0 / 18G support.
    • Audio Support: Converts TV eARC/ARC signals to pass Dolby Digital, DTS, and multi-channel audio to older HDMI-equipped receivers.
    • Best for: Users who only need 4K 60Hz video support and want a reliable, cost-effective connection as highlighted in this OREI eARC Extractor review.

How to Choose

• • If you need 4K 120Hz/8K passthrough for modern gaming consoles, choose a high-bandwidth processor like the ThenAudio SHARC-V2.
  • If you only need 4K 60Hz video from streaming apps or standard media players, a budget extractor from OREI will get the job done for a fraction of the cost.

Click to expand...

I see that you said you tried 120hz mode. I would have also tried that, turning 165Hz mode off to see if that did anything. The 165Hz mode on the newer LG gaming tvs for example, seems to exacerbate some issues according to reports. That's mainly exacerbating dirty greys and making VRR flicker worse, but it's probably worth trying it out with it off if having any other issues.

elvn said:

Apparently, signal drops are common when people use adapters for 240hz 4k, but lower hz should be possible.

. . . . . . . .

I'd try an active cable or adapter from the gpu to the screen if you have to convert dp to hdmi.


I see that you said you tried 120hz mode. I would have also tried that, turning 165Hz mode off to see if that did anything. The 165Hz mode on the newer LG gaming tvs for example, seems to exacerbate some issues according to reports. That's mainly exacerbating dirty greys and making VRR flicker worse, but it's probably worth trying it out with it off if having any other issues.

Click to expand...

Ya. I only tried using eARC yesterday to eliminate an adapter and the usage of the port on the gpu. The signal drops have always only been on the hdmi port, not the displayport ports that used to run the second monitor and AV Receiver.

It didn't make any difference but I think I'm liking the idea of eARC now that it actually works. I'm sure I have posts on here from years back of trying to get eARC working on other setups....once I went 2 separate cables for video and sound I never went back until yesterday.

Since I have a little bit of time today I factory reset the tv. It's been 30 minutes and only one blank screen, but I think it happened soon after making a change in nvidia control panel so I'm not going to count that for now. I've been at 16:9, 3840x2160@120Hz SDR. But I've also gone through hours of gaming without seeing the issue so I'm no declaring anything at this point.


I'm gonna try using CRU to create the resolutions I want and see how that goes.

Tol said:

<....>
I think I'm liking the idea of eARC now that it actually works.
<....>

Click to expand...

I prefer eARC if I can get it, since I don't put my video through my receivers where I can avoid it and I always disliked the old way, the "ghost"/fake monitor trick onto a receiver for sound since it broke my screen layouts and was buggy.

eARC is an easy way to get full, uncompressed hdmi audio, at least when sources are providing it.

Sometimes it's just a poor quality cable, or not designed for as much data as is being pushed at that length of cable.

I have a 35 ft cable which is fine at lower resolutions, but sometimes drops signal or audio for a couple seconds at higher resolutions and high refresh rates.

I had a good run and was starting to think that setting the resolutions and refresh rates in CRU had solved the issue. Probably about 8 hours with no dropouts. But right now, it's going crazy again and is not usable.

I'll probably just try to contact Samsung support. I hear they've fixed the issues with the G6, too....

Nobu said:

Sometimes it's just a poor quality cable, or not designed for as much data as is being pushed at that length of cable.

I have a 35 ft cable which is fine at lower resolutions, but sometimes drops signal or audio for a couple seconds at higher resolutions and high refresh rates.

Click to expand...

This happened to me with my s95d, i switched to a 35 ft fiber optic HDMI cable and it's been rock solid ever since. It was dropping out constantly. Also, hdmi cables that weren't fiber optic just died all the time. They'd go bad in like 3 months.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

I've been out of town most of the week but if it's not fixed, it's at least not so noticable anymore. I think I've seen twice where I was doing something on the second monitor and the S95H blinked. I don't believe it has happened at all while gaming....maybe 12-15 hours at this point.

The 2 things I did at basically the same time were:
- New 25ft fiber optic hdmi cable (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP23FNQW)
- In S95H Game Mode settings, keep 16:9 mode but create custom 3840x1600@165Hz resolution in CRU (while in there, created a 165Hz res for 2nd monitor)


I did end up going away from eARC and back to a separate cable for audio. I was running into delayed audio issues that just go away completely by adding a dedicated audio cable.

EDIT: This setting didn't help, either. I resisted the temptation to get a G6 and am using my G4 for now since it was already sitting on the table next to me unused. After a little tweaking, there really isn't a meaningful difference between and the S95H. I think; just like any of the reviews dealing with movie scenes, some games will look slightly better on one and some on the other... That said, I boosted Color = 60 on the G4 to come close to the saturation of the S95H.....I'm far from correct, but it looks better to me when playing PoE2.




So I'm feeling very hopeful that I've actually found a solution. Everything above seemed to help for an hour or several hours, but I had, had periods of multiple days without seeing an issue before.

I couldn't get a samsung support person to respond so I decided to try the Self Diagnosis for HDMI ports and stumbled onto this setting. Google's AI overview below. I'm giving Slow 1 a try right now and if I see a problem I'll try Slow 2. My remaining fear is that if this doesn't fix the problem, it'll turn my 1-2 second black screen into a 5-10 second black screen. haha. The G6 is $1700 right now and I've got one waiting for me at Best Buy if this all goes bad...this is my final try with Samsung...



From Google AI:
The HDMI Delay Level on the Samsung S95H is a built-in troubleshooting setting found within Device Care. It adjusts how long the TV's processor waits to interpret an HDMI signal during a hardware "handshake". [1, 2]
If you are experiencing intermittent audio dropouts, screen blackouts, or a slow "no signal" screen when using an external device or an older/poorly shielded HDMI cable, tweaking this setting can stabilize your connection. [1, 2, 3]

How to Access HDMI Delay Level
Note: Make sure you are currently viewing an active HDMI input or Live TV before attempting this, otherwise the Device Care menu may be grayed out. [1, 2]

1. • Press the Home button on your remote, navigate left to the menu sidebar, and open Settings (All Settings). [1, 2]
   • Scroll down and select Support, then choose Device Care. [1, 2]
   • Select Self Diagnosis. [1, 2]
   • Navigate to Signal Information Signal History. [1, 2]
   • Click on HDMI Delay Level. [1, 2]

Setting Configurations

• • Basic (Default): This is the standard operational speed. It expects a clean, fast handshake signal from high-quality, certified HDMI 2.1 cables. [1, 2]
  • Slow 1: Adds a slight timing buffer before the TV determines that a signal is missing. This is ideal for fixing minor screen flickers or temporary sound drops. [1]
  • Slow 2: Adds a longer delay. Use this if you are using an incredibly sluggish streaming box or an older/longer HDMI cable that struggles to maintain a consistent connection. [1, 2]

The Trade-off: While switching to Slow 1 or Slow 2 will dramatically improve compatibility with lower-quality cables and quirky source devices, it introduces a noticeable side effect: it will take longer for the TV to display a picture when you switch inputs or turn on the device. [1]

RE: no meaningful difference LG vs. a S95H

I had google break down my options and concerns between three screens from the HDTV shootout here in the quoted section below my typed out passage, including the LG G6, sony bravia 9 II and S95H

I don't think either of the matte screens is for me, especially matte+QD. I love the depth of glossy blacks, and I really dislike the flat look that matte causes which makes the blacks look flat and so loses the "3D relief" to my eyes . . . (let alone matte+QD black lift + purple tint "lift" of that depth ~ relief).

. . . .

. . . . . . .



< /start google gemini sourced table>

Performance Metric	LG G6	Samsung S95H	Sony Bravia 9 II
Backlight Tech / Panel	Tandem WOLED 2.0: Self-emissive pixel dimming.	QD-OLED: Self-emissive Quantum Dot pixel array.	True RGB Mini-LED: Master Drive Pro discrete 3-color diodes.
Screen Finish	Glossy Purist: Mirror-smooth, transparent glass finish. Ideal for zero light diffusion.	Matte Glare-Free: Chemically abraded, anti-glare micro-textured film.	Matte Anti-Reflection:Immersive Black Screen Pro nanostructured matte coating.
Gaming Pixel Response Time & Motion Blur	Instantaneous (~0.1ms): Self-lit pixels transition immediately. Zero motion blur, trailing, or ghosting, preserving flawless clarity during rapid 3rd-person camera panning in Elden Ring or Black Myth: Wukong.	Instantaneous (~0.1ms): Self-lit pixels ensure perfect, instantaneous transitions. Completely crisp motion with zero ghosting or trailing, even when pushed to its maximum 165Hz PC gaming container.	Slower VA Response (~3.5ms average): Slower pixel response times typical of VA panels. Fast movement can trigger faint inverse ghosting and dark overshoot trailing, noticeable when panning torches across dark walls.
The "Flattening" Factor (Micro-Spatial Light Scatter)	None ("Wet" Look): Zero light scatter. Contrast boundaries stay razor-sharp, allowing bright highlights to look incredibly tall and near, popping away from pitch blacks for maximum 3D relief.	High (2D Blur): Matte etchings force outgoing pixel light to scatter sideways. This softens micro-contrast boundaries, rounding off sharp peaks and binding highlights to the flat screen plane.	Moderate-to-High: Advanced nanostructures scatter light locally to minimize the oily/sparkly effect. However, it still breaks up pixel-to-pixel sharpness compared to glossy glass.
DARK ROOM: Topographical Depth	Pure 3D Window Depth: Absolute 0-nit blacks allow shadows to sink into an infinite spatial valley far away from you. Highlights shoot forward with pristine, unadulterated clarity.	Pristine Valleys, Blurry Peaks: Pure black valleys sink perfectly into the room's shadows. However, whenever highlights activate, the internal light path encounters the matte etchings, flattening boundaries.	Deep Valleys, Blinding Peaks: Excellent black tracking head-on, but single zones cover thousands of pixels. Highlights are violently tall and near (~4,000 nits), pushing depth through sheer brightness volume.
DARK ROOM: Uniform Color Field Texture	Immaculate Glass Clarity: Solid fields of color (skies, fog, menus, UI blocks) look completely clear, clean, and un-textured.	Micro-Frost Grain: Light shining through the matte layer from the inside out reveals a subtle, shimmering "dirty window" grain across solid bright scenes.	Micro-Frost Grain: Pushing its massive brightness array through the matte treatment causes uniform white or light grey fields to exhibit a fine, subtle "micro-frost" grain texture.
MODERATE LIGHT: The "Flattening" Factor (Macro)	None: Pure blacks remain completely undisturbed, ink-black, and deep even if room lights are switched on.	High (Raised Contrast): Lack of a physical color filter allows ambient room light to pass straight through the matte layer and excite the QD material, lifting pure black valleys into a flat charcoal grey.	Very Low: Sony's master polarizer film resists ambient light bleed brilliantly. The True RGB backlight throws so much raw light forward that it actively prevents blacks from washing out into a grey canvas.
MODERATE LIGHT: Purple / Magenta Tinge	None: Neutral, ink-black tracking across all content regardless of room lighting conditions, keeping the dynamic range intact.	Present: Scattered room light hits the unfiltered Quantum Dot layer, casting a distinct pinkish-purple haze across dark scenes, pulling background shadows forward.	None: Tracks completely neutral black tones. It is true RGB LED rather than QD, so has no purple tint under moderate ambient room lighting.
PC VRR Gaming Stability (Dark Rooms / Menus)	Highly Variable:Severe and strobe-like at 165Hz due to tandem panel voltage strain. Greatly minimized/tamed at 120Hz, reverting to standard, subtle low-frequency OLED menu pulse.	Low-to-Moderate: Standard single-emissive tracking keeps voltage spikes flat. Remains highly stable across volatile PC frame drops regardless of refresh rate toggles.	Immune: The stable physical LED backlight wrapper completely avoids standard dark-room VRR flicker. Perfect gamma lines and sync speed even under volatile frame rate drops.
"Dirty Blacks" & Dithering (Shadow Environments)	Refresh Rate Dependent:Noticeable at 165Hz, showing digital grain and a macro-blocking pixel swarm in dark grey transitions. Cleans up beautifully at 120Hz, delivering smooth, low-noise shadow tracking near black.	Pristine & Clean: Low-end pixel illumination is remarkably uniform out of the box. Shadow regions roll smoothly down to absolute black without noise or digital artifacts.	Algorithmic Shadowing: Excellent processing prevents macro-blocking noise, but extreme near-black elements can trigger minor zone pumping or localized blooming around small bright details (e.g., subtitles).
PC Desktop Sizing Availability	Available in compact 55" and 65" formats.	Available in compact 55" and 65" formats.	Restricted to large formats starting at 65", 75", 85", and 115".

Click to expand...

< /end google gemini sourced table>

FALD's light objects and areas (and faces) on screen are backlit, so a FALD screen lifts the blacks in those areas more toward the native VA contrast of the screen, flattening the look. Modern FALD can usually blend those raised blacks in and around lit areas toward the much deeper blacks in more uniformt black fields son the screen, so avoid overtly blooming, but it still makes the display look flatter than ultra black oled pixels side by side with lit colors down to the pixel level.

Click to expand...

Out eyes seen brighter things in a scene or art as nearer, and darker things as deeper into the screen, which can provide a type of "3D" relief. To me, matte screens lose that 3d relief look that glossy has, because it "flattens" the blacks, aka "poster-board effect" (not to be confused with "posterization"). Ambient light hitting a QD layer can lift the blacks on top of that, making it even worse, (plus may get some purple tint, pulling what should be depth forward more).



The matte can also show a micro grain on solid bright fields of color - in games, backgrounds, art/photos, etc.

. . .

some other images that might be of interest in comparing to the S95H.

This "brian and fomo" screen shootout had full window store door facing the screens with neon lighting or billboard of some sort outside shooting into the room, so that is what are you are seeing in the glossy ones. My viewing environments have no such direct lighting hitting the face of my screens. Had they set up the tvs so that their faces were facing the wall instead, that wouldn't have been an issue like that.

The G6 does a good job with reflections but the more "reflection management" light scattering there is, the blacks get lifted which looks bad itself, and the more light scattering there is, the flatter the scenes look.

So these screens go more or less left to right as the most glossy, somewhat less glossy, more managed direct lighting, to full matte on the S95H. I don't think that could be happy with the S95H matte lifting blacks and flatteing the image, plus the QD layer being hit by light lifts the blacks, and the purple tint can also contribute the the overall poster-boarding, flattening effect.

Cameras have their own biases, and can enhance some things vs. what they would 100% look like in real life, but I think these images might helo give some idea of the range of the effect or lack thereof on these different screens This scene is a character waking up from a nightmare in the movie "Nosferatu" incidentally.
.

Click to expand...

way to hijack his thread...

Tol said:

EDIT: This setting didn't help, either. I resisted the temptation to get a G6 and am using my G4 for now since it was already sitting on the table next to me unused. After a little tweaking, there really isn't a meaningful difference between and the S95H. I think; just like any of the reviews dealing with movie scenes, some games will look slightly better on one and some on the other... That said, I boosted Color = 60 on the G4 to come close to the saturation of the S95H.....I'm far from correct, but it looks better to me when playing PoE2.

Click to expand...

thats disappointing. yeah id just roll with the g4 too, still a great tv.

FWIW having not read the entirety of this thread, I had similar black screen problems using a 65" S95C (with the one connect box) and eARC. As I recall the issue was resolved using a very short (4'), "8k Ultra High Speed Certified" type cable. Obviously had to park the rig basically behind the TV. But stopping those dreadful intermittent black screens and enjoying my QD-OLED was worth it.

NukeDukem said:

FWIW having not read the entirety of this thread, I had similar black screen problems using a 65" S95C (with the one connect box) and eARC. As I recall the issue was resolved using a very short (4'), "8k Ultra High Speed Certified" type cable. Obviously had to park the rig basically behind the TV. But stopping those dreadful intermittent black screens and enjoying my QD-OLED was worth it.

Click to expand...

I asked google a few things based on what Tol and you said about it.

something in here might give Tol some ideas.

It did seem to confirm what NukeDukem just said about using a shorter cable, and maybe a fiber one would work otherwise. "Copper Cable Signal Attenuation: High-end gaming consoles and PCs pushing maximum bandwidth generate high physical voltage across standard copper HDMI lines. This causes slight voltage drops over lengths as short as 6 feet, dropping data packets and breaking the eARC connection."

One thing is said that i never thought of was ". If another device (like a Nintendo Switch or Apple TV) is plugged into a different port and sends an accidental power/handshake ping, it can cause the active eARC channel to blink and momentarily lose its video feed.". (But you said you isolated everything in trying to fix it already).

Why the S95H Blinks Without a One Connect Box

• Processor Handshake Choke: Pushing a 165Hz video signal alongside uncompressed, high-bitrate audio formats (like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X via eARC) requires enormous processing synchronized down a single stream. The NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor handles heavy AI tone mapping and video decoding; when an eARC audio sync packet stutters, the TV's HDMI controller can crash, causing a quick black-screen blink to force a handshake reset.
• Copper Cable Signal Attenuation: High-end gaming consoles and PCs pushing maximum bandwidth generate high physical voltage across standard copper HDMI lines. This causes slight voltage drops over lengths as short as 6 feet, dropping data packets and breaking the eARC connection.
• Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) Conflict: Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS relies heavily on Anynet+ to communicate with your soundbar. If another device (like a Nintendo Switch or Apple TV) is plugged into a different port and sends an accidental power/handshake ping, it can cause the active eARC channel to blink and momentarily lose its video feed.

Click to expand...

Idk if any of these steps might help. I'd be interested to know, "for science", plus I'm rooting for you to get it fixed. I know you said you tried a few of these steps already to no avail, though, unfortunately.

Step-by-Step Fixes for the S95H Back-Panel Setup

1. Perform a Motherboard Power Cycle (Cold Boot)
Turning the TV off via the remote only puts it into standby mode, keeping the buggy HDMI cache active.

1. Turn off the TV and unplug it completely from the wall outlet.
2. Unplug your soundbar/AV receiver and your video source (PC/Console) from power.
3. Disconnect all HDMI cables from the back of the S95H panel.
4. Leave everything unplugged for at least 2 full minutes to drain residual power from the TV's motherboard capacitors.
5. Plug the TV back in, turn it on, and then plug your soundbar into HDMI 3 (eARC) using a verified high-quality cable. Reconnect other devices one by one.

2. Upgrade to a Certified Ultra High Speed Fiber Optic Cable
If you are using a standard copper HDMI cable for your PC or console, the eARC signal traffic can cause it to drop packets. Swapping the cable connecting your video source to the TV for an HDMI 2.1 Fiber Optic Cable uses light waves instead of electricity. This entirely prevents voltage drops and solves the blinking issue for nearly all high-refresh-rate setups.

3. Toggle HDMI eARC Mode to "Off" (Isolate the Handshake)
To test if the uncompressed eARC audio processing is directly crashing the chip, temporarily step down to standard ARC:

• Navigate to Settings > All Settings > Sound > Expert Settings.
• Set Digital Output Audio Format to Pass-Through.
• Change HDMI eARC Mode from Auto to Off.
• Note: This reverts the audio channel to standard ARC. While you lose uncompressed lossless audio, it will handle highly stable compressed Dolby Atmos. If the blinking stops, a future Tizen OS firmware update will be needed to patch the eARC processing bug.

4. Turn On "Input Signal Plus"
If your port is not explicitly optimized to receive the massive bandwidth of a 165Hz source, the signal will constantly flicker.

• Go to Settings > All Settings > Connection > External Device Manager.
• Select Input Signal Plus and make sure it is checked On for every single HDMI port you are using.

5. Adjust the TV's HDMI Delay Level
Samsung TVs have a setting hidden in the diagnosis menu that buffers unstable HDMI signals so they don't immediately drop to a black screen.

• Go to Settings > Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis > Signal Information > Signal History.
• Look for HDMI Delay Level and change it from Basic to Slow 1 or Slow 2. This forces the TV to wait longer for loose data packets rather than aggressively resetting the signal.

Click to expand...

This one sounds promising, but it loses uncompressed hdmi sound bandwidth:

• Navigate to Settings > All Settings > Sound > Expert Settings.
• Set Digital Output Audio Format to Pass-Through.
• Change HDMI eARC Mode from Auto to Off.
• Note: This reverts the audio channel to standard ARC. While you lose uncompressed lossless audio, it will handle highly stable compressed Dolby Atmos. If the blinking stops, a future Tizen OS firmware update will be needed to patch the eARC processing bug.

..

Thanks, All. I'll probably pick up some form of troubleshooting in the middle of the week. For now, I've gotta reinstall apps/games and get Windows back to where I'd like it. I tried a fresh Windows install to rule out anything going on in software before swapping to the G4.

Funny enough...the "worst" cable has been a 6' fiber cable...it started flashing on the Windows desktop 5 minutes after I connected it. It really doesn't mean anything, though. I've tried 6 different cables and all have been better or worse on different days. Eventually, they all had an evening where I really wanted to play a game and they'd blank out over and over.

I had a folding table setup in my office for a little lan party last month so I'll get another PC connected to it over there, try to catch it doing the same thing, and then get in touch with Samsung.



Let's all hope for a 4k 240Hz G7 next year....or maybe even a 52" ultrawide oled.

Tol said:

EDIT: This setting didn't help, either. I resisted the temptation to get a G6 and am using my G4 for now since it was already sitting on the table next to me unused. After a little tweaking, there really isn't a meaningful difference between and the S95H. I think; just like any of the reviews dealing with movie scenes, some games will look slightly better on one and some on the other... That said, I boosted Color = 60 on the G4 to come close to the saturation of the S95H.....I'm far from correct, but it looks better to me when playing PoE2.




So I'm feeling very hopeful that I've actually found a solution. Everything above seemed to help for an hour or several hours, but I had, had periods of multiple days without seeing an issue before.

I couldn't get a samsung support person to respond so I decided to try the Self Diagnosis for HDMI ports and stumbled onto this setting. Google's AI overview below. I'm giving Slow 1 a try right now and if I see a problem I'll try Slow 2. My remaining fear is that if this doesn't fix the problem, it'll turn my 1-2 second black screen into a 5-10 second black screen. haha. The G6 is $1700 right now and I've got one waiting for me at Best Buy if this all goes bad...this is my final try with Samsung...



From Google AI:
The HDMI Delay Level on the Samsung S95H is a built-in troubleshooting setting found within Device Care. It adjusts how long the TV's processor waits to interpret an HDMI signal during a hardware "handshake". [1, 2]
If you are experiencing intermittent audio dropouts, screen blackouts, or a slow "no signal" screen when using an external device or an older/poorly shielded HDMI cable, tweaking this setting can stabilize your connection. [1, 2, 3]

How to Access HDMI Delay Level
Note: Make sure you are currently viewing an active HDMI input or Live TV before attempting this, otherwise the Device Care menu may be grayed out. [1, 2]

1. • Press the Home button on your remote, navigate left to the menu sidebar, and open Settings (All Settings). [1, 2]
   • Scroll down and select Support, then choose Device Care. [1, 2]
   • Select Self Diagnosis. [1, 2]
   • Navigate to Signal Information Signal History. [1, 2]
   • Click on HDMI Delay Level. [1, 2]

Setting Configurations

• • Basic (Default): This is the standard operational speed. It expects a clean, fast handshake signal from high-quality, certified HDMI 2.1 cables. [1, 2]
  • Slow 1: Adds a slight timing buffer before the TV determines that a signal is missing. This is ideal for fixing minor screen flickers or temporary sound drops. [1]
  • Slow 2: Adds a longer delay. Use this if you are using an incredibly sluggish streaming box or an older/longer HDMI cable that struggles to maintain a consistent connection. [1, 2]

The Trade-off: While switching to Slow 1 or Slow 2 will dramatically improve compatibility with lower-quality cables and quirky source devices, it introduces a noticeable side effect: it will take longer for the TV to display a picture when you switch inputs or turn on the device. [1]

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Holy shit I wonder if my old Samsung KS7500/KS8500 had a same setting buried deep somewhere. Because that TV with its incredibly shitty breakout box was notorious for handshake issues, small 2 second black screen signal drop outs and so on. Never managed to fix it although sometimes a full power cycle (hold the power button and fully turn the TV off, not to stand by) fixed it for long enough that it stopped doing it for that particular gaming session.