No video output (yes that ol chestnut)

[reneerd]

Okay before I get jumped on I have jumped through all the hopes I can find before even asking. In fact, I have exhausted the patience I have with RPi which is saying something because I love the concept you all have executed. I supported this so much that when the first pi I purchased gave me this problem I purchased another and another assuming I was the issue.

All 3 have the same issue and 2 came with the NOOBS preinstalled 8GB card.


Problem: No video displayed via HDMI

Here is my layout

2xRaspberry Pi B+
1xRaspberry Pi 2

Here is what I have tried installed all with no luck

NOOBS on all three
OpenElec on all three
Raspian on all three

Attached at time of boot:
1x5v Power
1 basic keyboard
1 basic mouse
Internet connection
8 or 16 gb sd card

Attempted resolutions (Appropriate to the OS they are used for)
1) Hold shift at red light during boot = No fix
2) Press 1 2 3 or 4 to see if it trips the HDMI output = No fix.
3) Edited config.txt with the #hdmi_safe=1 and config_hdmi_boost=4 as well as hdmi_force_hotplug=1. I tried them individually, in combo and all together, no fix.
Note: I may yield that I goofed here. The text file was really confusing and I have no idea if I was successful in making them active or not.

Odd bits:

The lights flash appropriately. Steady red. Reading pulses that wind down over time.

Openelec shows on network.

My TV detects a raspberry is connected by showing the name but still does not display video.

-----------------------

HELP FRUSTRATED BUT WANT TO SOLVE IT!

[drgeoff]

1. Try another TV and HDMI cable.

2. In config.txt (and in may other files in Linux) a line starting with a '#' character is treated as a comment and is ignored by the computer.

3. Rather than jumping through hoops (not hopes) read the "NOT BOOTING" sticky. Yes I know yours is booting but that post, especially section F, has useful info.

[xoopha]

My TV won't show anything when hdmi_group=2, it only works with hdmi_group=1. Maybe you can try hdmi_group=1 and hdmi_mode=1 for a basic 640x480 resolution in CEA mode?

[mahjongg]

you didn't explicitly say so, so I must assume you have no knowledge of the "boot problem sticky", yes that "old chestnut"!

its here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=58151

[reneerd]

I am not sure but seem to be detecting some snark in some of the responses. Hope I am wrong since the whole point of this forum is to help one another. With that said I apologize if I have not given enough detail. However, when posting an original help post one has to decide on key points of all the steps you have taken vs writing a War and Peace level description that covers every point. I appreciate all of you taking the time to respond and can understand the frustration of having to repeat yourselves but look at the other side of the coin: Here I am clearly having done research based on what I have listed to date and still not having any luck. I have tried multiple purchases and put 10s of hours into this. So, again I appreciate your time but its not like I came here first fail expecting to be spoon fed. This isnt aimed at anyone in particular.

Even when booting sometimes you won't immediately get a video signal
The raspberry PI (its Raspbian OS) is designed to output a HDMI signal, but if it doesn't detect a HDMI device connected it will default to generating a composite signal on the RCA port (or 4-pins 3.5mm A/V jack on model B+) That sometimes means you have to turn on your monitor before booting! It may even mean that the monitor must be switched to HDMI input! It depends on the monitor!. Booting NOOBS works a bit differently, as it will always output a HDMI signal, (even if you have nothing connected to the HDMI port) unless you press one of the numerical keys 3 (PAL) or 4 (NTSC) to switch to a composite video output mode. Also If you are using a composite (TRRS) A/V cable with your A+ or B+, make sure you have one that is correctly wired inside, the pictorial buyers guide ( viewtopic.php?f=91&t=83446 ) has info on that.
Using a HDMI to VGA adapter can cause other problems, preventing correctly configured Video output. More info about using the PI with those can be found here: http://elinux.org/R-Pi_Troubleshooting# ... put_at_all

1) Does leaving the tv and RPi running 24 hours to see if it came up count as enough time? If so, then check.
2) Tried turning on the monitor before boot, after boot, same time as boot.

you didn't explicitly say so, so I must assume you have no knowledge of the "boot problem sticky", yes that "old chestnut"! its here: view ... 28&t=58151

Okay technically no, I had not read it. In the alternative, I had read probably like a dozen walk through, couple videos and same random guy on the street that did cover the same material. So indeed an old chestnut!

1. Try another TV and HDMI cable.
2. In config.txt (and in may other files in Linux) a line starting with a '#' character is treated as a comment and is ignored by the computer.
3. Rather than jumping through hoops (not hopes) read the "NOT BOOTING" sticky. Yes I know yours is booting but that post, especially section F, has useful info.

1) Tried 4 seperate HDMI cables and another tv.
2) Understood, I will play with this today. I was pretty sure I removed those but the config.txt file was showing as one contiguous block. so it started involved bringing parts to new lines. However, since its most likely the point of fail at this time, I will try again.
3) So corrected but I submit that hopes and hoops could be jumped through in a try;fail,rinse;repeat scenario

[mahjongg]

Yeah, its repetitive enough to see"yet another boot problem poster" or YABP_P as I would like to think of them, that failed to read the stickies ( which are especially there for things that come up often). so that this does create a bit of "snarkiness" in me, i'm only human.
For the live of me I don't understand why people go on a rampant google "goose chases" instead of realizing they must make a very common mistake, which should be covered in the most basic way, and realizing this, thus go looking for the answer in the most logical place.

Yes, I do emotionally connect with your frustrations, but I still know (from much experience) that in cases like this there is always a simple cause, (most likely a fundamental repetition of making the same mistake over and over) that causes your frustration.

Because you should realize that with millions of PI's sold and working fine, the chances that multiple random PI's are all defective is simply null....

Trick is only to find out what you are doing wrong, so the best way to do that is to systematically read through the boot problem sticky... And don't go and rely on "preprogrammed cards", they are more often out of date than you can imagine.

The problem will be of a simple nature, so partition it in things you know and don't know, first make sure it is indeed booting, that is watch the boot led's. after you established that it boots you should know it is generating video, if only a rainbow screen. so you can then continue from that assumption. So don't start editing config.txt before you even have an inkling of what is happening.