HDMI cable failure.

[gordon_s1942]

I mentioned in another post I had a few years old Strong STB die a week ago and I replaced it with a TEAC.
In the Strong I had a Thumb drive plugged in to use as a storage medium and it was when I was setting up a program, the Strong died.
I can still access the only file stored on the Thumb drive in a computer but I cant do anything else with it as it keeps saying it is 'locked'.
Both the Strong and the Thumb drive have been connected to the TV for several months as I was using the STB to receive the MPEG4 channels the TV tuner cant but I rarely use the Thumb drive.

Yesterday I bought a new LASAR brand mini sized drive (16GB) that also works on USB 3 and connected it to the TEAC but when I went to see how it works, the video went off, then back after a second or 2 and it was all badly broken up. this On/Off action kept repeating so I turn it off.

I tried the TEAC without the drive but no difference so I disconnected everything and took it including the HDMI lead to another TV where I first used the RCS connectors and got a normal picture, then plugged in the mini drive and it worked too.

Then I tried the HDMI lead and off went the picture, flashing away as before so I changed it for another HDMI lead and everything works normally.
I also tried the mini drive in one of the Topfield STB's I use and had no problems with either.
I am at a loss to explain what has happened, Why did the Strong just die when it did, did its 'dying' somehow lock up the thumbdrive and affect the HDMI lead too or is it just sheer coincidence that everything appears to have happened at once?
Its a good thing though I did go through the process of elimination as I was going to take the TEAC back for repair or replacement which wasnt needed.