Someone walked into the cable, or you pushed the plug in at an angle in the dark because the console stands against the wall. Since then there is no picture, or only when you hold the cable in a certain position. That is the classic sign of a broken HDMI port.
The good news: the console itself is usually fine. The bad news: this does not sort itself out and there is exactly one fix, namely taking the port off and fitting a new one. Below you can read how to recognise it, why working on it yourself pushes up the bill, and how we do it.
The symptoms
- The TV says "no signal" while the console starts up normally and gives sound.
- The picture comes and goes when you wiggle the cable or move the console.
- The cable no longer clicks into place and falls straight back out.
- The picture is green, pink or full of speckles.
- Picture only works at low resolution, no longer in 4K.
- You see something black or brown in the port, or a pin that leans over.
- The plug sits loose and crooked in the opening.
How to look at the nineteen pins with a torch
- Switch the console off and pull the plug out of the socket. Put nothing into the port.
- Set the device down so the port is at eye level.
- Shine a small bright light straight into the opening. The one on your phone will do.
- Then look from the side and from below. You almost never spot a leaning pin straight on.
- Compare instead of counting. The nineteen pins sit in two rows and should stick out the same distance, like the teeth of a comb.
- Watch the colour too. Black, brown or dull tarnished metal points to arcing or moisture.
- Take a photo with your phone and zoom in. Enlarged you see more than with the naked eye, and that photo helps us as well.
Which pins go first
The nineteen pins do not all do the same job, and that explains why one kind of damage gives a black screen and another only colour noise.
The outer pins take the most force. Pin 1 and pin 19 sit closest to the side of the opening, so a crooked plug presses against them first. Pin 19 is the hot plug detect, the signal that tells your TV something is connected. If it breaks, your TV literally sees nothing and reports "no signal", even though the rest still works fine.
Pin 18 next to it carries five volts. Pin 15 and pin 16 together form the channel the console uses to read what your TV can handle. If that fails, you get no picture at all or only a low resolution.
Pins 1 to 12 carry the picture itself, in four pairs with shielding in between. If a pair is damaged there, you do not get a black screen but a green or pink picture, speckles, or a picture that drops out as soon as you switch to 4K. That last one points strongly at the port and not at the chip behind it.
The causes, from most to least common
- A yank on the cable. Someone trips, or the console falls off the shelf with the cable still in it.
- Pushing the plug in at an angle. The console stands against the wall, you cannot feel the opening and you push on guesswork.
- Swapping too often. After years of in and out the port works loose.
- A thick stiff cable that pulls the port down all the time.
- Arcing after a thunderstorm, recognisable by black or brown discolouration.
- Moisture, which makes the contacts tarnish and go green.
Why bending back and gluing make it worse
It is tempting to straighten a bent pin with a needle or a pair of tweezers. Those pins are thin brass and they have already been bent once. On the second movement they usually snap off, exactly where they disappear into the plastic. Then there is nothing left to work with.
Worse is the force you put on the board while you do it. The port sits on rows of small solder pads. Push or lever and those pads come away from the motherboard. Such a torn off pad can be repaired, but it makes the job dearer and longer.
Glue is even worse news. Superglue creeps between the contacts and sets into a layer that carries no current. Glue to hold a wobbly port in place does not help, because the problem sits in the solder underneath. We then have to get that glue off again first without damaging the board.
Models, model numbers and where the port sits
The model number is on a sticker on the bottom or the back. Mention it when you register your console.
| Model | Model number | What typically goes wrong at the port |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | CFI-1000, CFI-1100, CFI-1200 | Bent pins after a fall with the cable still in |
| PlayStation 5 Slim | CFI-2000 | Port close to the edge, sensitive to sideways force |
| PlayStation 5 Pro | CFI-7000 | Same port and same damage as the PS5 |
| PlayStation 4 | CUH-1000, CUH-1100, CUH-1200 | Port that sits loose on the board after years |
| PlayStation 4 Slim | CUH-2000, CUH-2100, CUH-2200 | Light device, tips over on a stiff cable |
| PlayStation 4 Pro | CUH-7000, CUH-7100, CUH-7200 | Port sits low, so the cable works like a long lever |
| Xbox Series X | 1882 | Bent pins, sometimes with damage to the retimer |
| Xbox Series S | 1883 | Light box that gets pulled over by the cable |
| Xbox One | 1540 | Port loose after years of swapping screens |
| Xbox One S | 1681 | Bent pins; check the second HDMI input as well |
| Xbox One X | 1787 | Like the One S; port sits tight in the housing |
| Nintendo Switch | HAC-001 and HAC-001(-01) | No HDMI in the console; port sits in dock HAC-007 |
| Switch OLED | HEG-001 | Port sits in dock HEG-007, behind the flap |
| Switch Lite | HDH-001 | Has no video output and so no HDMI port |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | BEE-001 | Port sits in the dock; console only has USB C |
If you have a Switch, read what else sits behind a console with no picture, because there the dock and the USB C port do the work that the HDMI port does on other brands.
What you can safely try yourself
- Look with a torch and take photos, without putting anything into the port.
- Try another HDMI cable and pick another input on the TV.
- Blow dust away from a distance, with the can upright so no liquid comes out.
- Test on a second screen, to rule out your setup.
- Work through the checks for a console with no picture, because not every black TV comes down to the port.
When to stop
Stop at anything that touches the port. No tweezers, no needle, no cocktail stick, no glue, no sandpaper. If you see a bent pin, do not put a cable in any more, because you will push it flatter or cause a short.
Do not open the console to get a better look. The warranty seal tears when you open it and that cannot be undone. People often open a console to clear out dust as well, so if yours also runs hot and shuts down, read a console that gets too hot before you reach for a screwdriver. There is mains voltage in the built in power supply, even with the plug out, because the capacitors hold their charge for a while.
Never spray cleaning fluid into the port either. Moisture plus voltage is the combination that really wrecks boards. If a drink has ever been near it, do not switch the console on to test it and read what to do and what not to do with liquid damage.
How we replace the port
Measuring comes first. With a multimeter we check whether there are five volts on pin 18 and whether the hot plug detect on pin 19 gets through. That way we know before we loosen anything whether it really is the port or the chip behind it.
Then the old port comes off with hot air, at a controlled temperature and with the surroundings shielded, because next to an HDMI port sit small parts that shift when they get too warm. The port comes out in one piece, we pull nothing loose.
Next we clean the solder pads, take the old tin away and apply flux. We set the new port straight and solder it down with microsoldering under the microscope, contact by contact. That way you see straight away if a bridge forms between two pads.
Finally we test with a real picture on a real TV, at high resolution too, and let the console run for a while.
If the track under the port has come away with it
Sometimes the port is not the only thing. Under and beside the port run thin copper tracks in the motherboard. If the cable is pulled hard, the port lifts and takes a solder pad or a piece of track with it. You only see that once the old port is off.
That can be repaired. We work out where the track ran, lay a thin insulated wire from one point to the other and fix it down so it cannot move again. It is fine work and it explains why we only name a price after the port is off, and not before. The same kind of board work comes up with a PS5 that only shows a blue light.
What it costs
The diagnosis costs 49 euro. We replace an HDMI port from 99 euro, the part included. If a track or a solder pad has come away, motherboard repair comes on top, from 89 euro. If the port turns out to be fine and the fault sits in the encoder chip behind it, count on 149 euro and up. You always hear first what is needed and what it costs. We give 12 months warranty on every repair and the turnaround is 2 to 5 working days.
You can send it in from anywhere in Belgium
Consoles reach us from Antwerp, Mechelen and Turnhout, from Ghent, Sint-Niklaas and Aalst, and from Bruges, Ostend, Kortrijk and Roeselare. From Limburg they come from Hasselt, Genk and Sint-Truiden, from Flemish Brabant from Leuven, Vilvoorde and Halle. Brussels, Schaerbeek and Anderlecht post them just as easily, and so do Liege and Verviers, Namur, Charleroi, Mons and Tournai, and even Arlon.
Pack your device well, because a console with a loose port cannot take another knock. Send your controllers along if they need work too, for example when they have stick drift. Ready? You can register your console for repair with a short description and your model number.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my HDMI port is broken?
Switch the console off, pull the plug out and shine a torch into the port. Look straight on, then from the side and from below. The nineteen pins should stand straight and stick out the same distance, like the teeth of a comb. A pin that leans over, lies flat or is missing is your answer.
Can I bend a bent pin back myself?
Please do not. The pins are thin brass and they have already been bent once. On the second movement they usually snap off where they disappear into the plastic. Then there is nothing left to solder to and the whole port has to come off, which makes the repair dearer.
What does replacing an HDMI port cost?
With us from 99 euro, including the new port. The diagnosis costs 49 euro and you always hear what is broken before we do anything. If a track under the port has torn loose as well, motherboard repair comes on top, from 89 euro. You hear about that in advance too.
How long does it take and is there a warranty?
Count on 2 to 5 working days from the moment your console reaches us. We give 12 months warranty on the repair. We test the new port with a real picture on a real TV and then let the console run for a while.
My Switch has no HDMI port, so where is it?
On the Switch the HDMI port sits in the dock, not in the console. The console itself only has a USB C port. If your Switch gives no picture on the TV while the small screen works, we look at the dock, at the USB C port and at the chips that send the picture there.
Ready to have it repaired
Describe what your console is doing in your own words. You get an answer within one working day, with shipping instructions and a guide price. The diagnosis costs 49 euros and comes off the bill if you go ahead with the repair.