PS4 Pro screen goes black for a second and HDMI keeps cutting out, even in standby? The game keeps running: it was the HDMI encoder. Replaced, fixed.
Device: Sony PS4 Pro (CUH-7000 series)
Symptom:
- The picture drops for about a second, then comes back by itself.
- Each time, the TV/monitor shows its “HDMI source” message, as if the console had just been plugged in.
- During a game the screen goes black but the game doesn’t lag, freeze or restart. The character is still standing in the same place.
- It happens in standby too.
- Wiggling the HDMI port does nothing.
What each clue rules out
| Clue | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| The display re-detects the source every time | The HDMI link from the console’s side is dropping. It’s not the TV losing sync. |
| The game keeps running, no lag or reboot | The processor, memory, power supply and software are fine. Only the video output chain fails. |
| Port wiggle has no effect | A loose port or a broken port joint usually reacts to movement. This doesn’t. |
| Also in standby (minimum load) | A component that is failing even at rest, not a heat or load problem. |
That points at the HDMI encoder: Panasonic MN864729 (QFN-88). It turns the video into the HDMI signal on the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro, and it’s the standard repair for this symptom on both.
How to confirm it before replacing the encoder
- Rule out the chain: a known-good high-speed HDMI cable, straight into a different TV, with no switch, receiver or soundbar in between.
- Safe Mode → option 2 “Change Resolution” (resets the video output). Also turn HDCP off in the settings. If the drops continue, it isn’t a handshake/HDCP issue.
- Diode-mode every HDMI port pin and compare with a known-good reference. Inspect the port pins and anchor joints under the microscope.
- Check the 4 HDMI chokes between the encoder and the port (2 signal pairs each). There must be continuity through each one and no continuity between pairs.
- Measure the encoder’s supply rails with the console running (values from the schematic).
- Scope HDMI pin 19 (hot-plug detect) during a drop:
- It goes low → hot-plug path fault.
- It stays high while the picture drops → the encoder’s output fails.
- Either way, the fault is in the encoder / port area.
- Replace the MN864729 with a preheater and hot air under the microscope.
What was done here
- A known-good HDMI cable and a different TV: the black-outs carried on. The cable and the TV were ruled out.
- Replaced the MN864729 HDMI encoder: the black-outs are gone.
Lesson
PS4 Pro / Slim: 1-second black-outs + the TV re-detects the source + the game keeps running = the HDMI encoder until proven otherwise. Port faults react to wiggling; encoder faults don’t, and they show up even in standby.
Was this your fault too? Post your readings below — and if it fixed it, mark the solution so the next person finds it.