PS5 No Picture? How We Diagnose the HDMI Circuit | Saved Game Saved Game | Board-level console repair, 9 Southgate, Market Weighton
Console repair guide · Last updated November 2026
The PS5 powers on, the light shows, the fan spins, and the telly says “No signal”. It’s tempting to blame the HDMI port and replace it. Often that’s the wrong call, and it’s an expensive way to find out.
The HDMI port is one part of a chain. Between the socket and the video chip there are signal lines, protection components, filters, power rails and hot-plug detection. A fault in any of them can produce the same symptom, so we work through the circuit in order rather than guessing.
Why we test the lines in diode mode
With the console completely unpowered and all cables removed, a multimeter in diode-test mode gives a quick read on each HDMI pin. It’s a fast way to spot a line that’s shorted to ground, a line that’s open, or one side of a differential pair that doesn’t match its partner.
It doesn’t prove a board is healthy. It tells us where to look next. The useful information comes from comparing lines against each other and against a known-good board, not from any single number.
Safety first
Never use diode mode on a powered motherboard. HDMI pins are closely spaced, so take care not to bridge neighbouring pins with the probe tips. Use the same probe polarity for every pin so your readings are comparable.
How to read the results
| What you see | What it usually suggests |
|---|---|
| Reading at or very close to zero | A short to ground. Check for bent pins, solder bridges, damaged filters, or a shorted protection component. |
| OL (open line) | The signal path is interrupted. Check for a broken connector pin, a lifted pad, a cracked via, a missing component or a damaged trace. |
| One side of a pair much lower than the other | Leakage or a partly shorted protection part on that side. Compare the positive and negative lines to see which one is out. |
| Several lines abnormal at once | The fault may sit beyond the connector, around the encoder, its filters, or the protection network. |
| All readings look normal but still no picture | Diode readings don’t rule out everything. Move on to voltages, hot-plug detect and power rails. |
Common HDMI faults we find
- Physical damage to the port. Bent internal pins, cracked joints, a loose shell, or torn pads. Often the result of a knock or a forced cable.
- A shorted ESD protection device. One or more data lines pull toward ground, so the signal can’t pass cleanly.
- A damaged filter or choke. The path reads correctly on one side and OL on the other.
- A failed HDMI encoder. The console powers up and shows its white light, but produces no video. This is the point where the port and its immediate path have been cleared and the encoder and its surrounding circuit need investigating.
- A hot-plug or 5 V fault. The console doesn’t detect the display, or the display doesn’t register the console.
The supporting checks
- Microscope inspection to find bent pins, cracked joints, contamination and any poor previous repair work.
- Continuity testing through filters and protection parts, from the connector onward.
- Voltage checks with the board powered, using the correct method, on HDMI 5 V, the encoder rails and hot-plug related lines.
- Thermal imaging to spot a shorted IC or protection part that’s running hot.
- Oscilloscope checks for DDC, clock and high-speed activity when the simpler checks leave a question open.
Our workflow
We follow the same order every time, so we only replace what the evidence points to:
- Inspect the HDMI connector under the microscope.
- Check every HDMI pin for shorts and opens in diode mode.
- Compare each line with its pair.
- Test continuity through the filters and protection parts.
- Check the 5 V and hot-plug behaviour.
- Check the encoder power rails and the components around it.
- Replace the port or the encoder only once the findings support it.
No picture on your PS5?
We’ll tell you what we’ve found before doing any work, and whether it’s worth fixing. Email info@savedgame.co.uk to get started. Walk-ins are welcome at 9 Southgate, Market Weighton, and we offer a UK-wide mail-in service. Every repair carries a 12-month warranty. Saved Game · 9 Southgate, Market Weighton, YO43 3AF · info@savedgame.co.uk
