Technical assistance, please

[el borracho]

I am looking for possible solutions to the following problem: when viewing DVDs the picture quality degenerates going from normal to dark with qualities of a photo negative (light areas appear darkest, dark areas lighter) and then back to normal again. This happens in a nearly continuous cycle which is obviously annoying.

Potential clues:
*Regular television viewing does not have this problem
*Video cassette viewing does not have this problem.
*The DVD player is routed through the VCR (via RCA cables)
*I have replaced the co-ax cable from VCR to TV (no effect on the problem)

Ideas?

[Mr. Kotter]

Connect the DVD directly to the TV....linking the VCR through the DVD and other aux components? :hmmm:

[el borracho]

I am also just now noticing that the RCA cables (from DVD player to VCR) are bundled. Could this affect the picture quality?

[Mr. Kotter]

I am also just now noticing that the RCA cables (from DVD player to VCR) are bundled. Could this affect the picture quality?

Try subbing a different cable to find out.... :shrug:

[wutamess]

Are you referring to the RCA cables that came with the player?

Also how big is your TV?

~ Sounds like a bad DVD player.

[el borracho]

Connect the DVD directly to the TV....linking the VCR through the DVD and other aux components? :hmmm:
One moment while I check this...

[el borracho]

Are you referring to the RCA cables that came with the player?

Also how big is your TV?

~ Sounds like a bad DVD player.
The only RCA cables in my setup came with the DVD player and now connect the DVD player to the VCR (which is routed to the television).

The TV is probably a 19"

[Phobia]

Why in the hell are you using RCA cables to attach a DVD to the TV? Don't you at least have SVideo?

[Barret]

Actually do what SDChiefsfan said but dont hook up anything else to it. You are trying to troubleshot the DVD so once you have figured it out you can place everything back to normal.

Depending on your TV try an S-Video connection or if your TV has it the RCA video connections.


What you are trying to do is isolate your problem. I dont know how you have the DVD hooked up to the VCR but either the DVD is at fault, The wiring from the DVD to your VCR is at fault or the Connections on the VCR are at fault. By going direct to the TV you remove the VCR from the equation

hope that helps

[el borracho]

Connect the DVD directly to the TV....linking the VCR through the DVD and other aux components? :hmmm:
Hmmm. The TV doesn't seem to recognize the DVD player at all in this configuration; no audio, no video.

[Mr. Kotter]

Hmmm. The TV doesn't seem to recognize the DVD player at all in this configuration; no audio, no video.

That's odd......try restarting everything? Hmmmmm :hmmm:

[Barret]

You may have to go to another video input on your tv set. Normally the RCA jacks are Video 1 input or something like that. The Coax is setup to be the primary connection. See if you have a menu button and can change inputs.

[el borracho]

Why in the hell are you using RCA cables to attach a DVD to the TV? Don't you at least have SVideo?
The DVD player has an RCA output and an S-Video output, the TV has an RCA input and a co-ax input but not S-Video.

[Phobia]

Bummer. I'd head down to best buy and apply for a card. ;)

[Mr. Kotter]

Bummer. I'd head down to best buy and apply for a card. ;)

No kiddin'. What dumbshits....those guys have "approved" me for something like $6 K or more....I'm thinking of gettin a big screen with surround sound, a new wireless computer system....and then boltin' to, like, Vancouver, where I can blame my irresponsibilities on the "fatties." :thumb:

[el borracho]

You may have to go to another video input on your tv set. Normally the RCA jacks are Video 1 input or something like that. The Coax is setup to be the primary connection. See if you have a menu button and can change inputs.
OK, I have "menu-ed" my way into the TV recognizing the DVD input directly from the DVD player (via RCA cable). One moment while I check for the original problem.

P.S. If the original problem is gone, what does that tell me? The VCR is defective?

[Mr. Kotter]

OK, I have "menu-ed" my way into the TV recognizing the DVD input directly from the DVD player (via RCA cable). One moment while I check for the original problem.

P.S. If the original problem is gone, what does that tell me? The VCR is defective?

Nah, electronics are fickle sometimes; try routing the VCR thru the DVD player now...it might be just fine... :hmmm:

[el borracho]

Bummer. I'd head down to best buy and apply for a card. ;)
Great idea if I had not gone to REI earlier this evening. I would probably save money if I just bought myself franchise rights to a store.

[el borracho]

Hmm. Good news: The original problem seems to be gone. Bad news: After re-connecting the co-ax cables (from VCR to TV) the TV no longer seems to recognize the VCR input (via coax cable).

[Mr. Kotter]

Hmm. Good news: The original problem seems to be gone. Bad news: After re-connecting the co-ax cables (from VCR to TV) the TV no longer seems to recognize the VCR input (via coax cable).

You might need to connect the VCR or DVD as a "aux" component....?

Unless there are clearly identified specific ports for EACH.... :hmmm:

[Phobia]

Turn your TV to channel 3. Or verify you haven't bent over the copper core in the coax. I did that a couple weeks ago on some coax.

[Mr. Kotter]

Turn your TV to channel 3. Or verify you haven't bent over the copper core in the coax. I did that a couple weeks ago on some coax.

Yeah, I've done that too.... :banghead:

[el borracho]

Turn your TV to channel 3. Or verify you haven't bent over the copper core in the coax. I did that a couple weeks ago on some coax.
TV is on 3; co-ax cable is fine. It now seems to be an either or problem with the tv. I can have either the VCR via the co-ax or I can have the DVD via the RCA but not both. I don't know... maybe the TV is junk?

[Phobia]

TV is on 3; co-ax cable is fine. It now seems to be an either or problem with the tv. I can have either the VCR via the co-ax or I can have the DVD via the RCA but not both. I don't know... maybe the TV is junk?

That's crap. You don't have a TV/Video button on your TV remote?

[Mr. Kotter]

... maybe the TV is junk?

How old? $400-700 will replace it with a pretty good model. :hmmm:

[el borracho]

The TV is not that old, about 5 years. The remote is gone but I'm not sure that is the problem. I can now get decent quality with either the VCR or the DVD player but the quality degrades if both are plugged in (even when the DVD player is routed through the VCR). I don't know. I'm off to sleep. Thanks for the help so far, I'll check this thread again tomorrow to see if there is something I have missed.
Goodnight, all.

[jspchief]

I have the same problem with a dvd player connected to my TV/VCR combo in my bedroom. The TV doesn't have RCA jacks, so I'm using a converter so that I can connect through coax. I always just assumed that it was the converter.

[mnchiefsguy]

The reason for the change in picture quality is the macrovision copy protection on the dvd. Your vcr picks up this signal and reduces the quality of its output to prevent you from making vhs tapes of your DVD's. You should connect your dvd player directly to your TV. There are "black boxes" available that you can your signal through to get rid of the macrovision, but those are 40-50 bucks.

[Dartgod]

I have the same problem with a dvd player connected to my TV/VCR combo in my bedroom. The TV doesn't have RCA jacks, so I'm using a converter so that I can connect through coax. I always just assumed that it was the converter.
You've nailed it here. You cannot connect a DVD player through the VCR. The video problems he is describing are exactly the same problem I had when I first hooked up my DVD. I have an older TV with only a coax input. I had to go to Radio Shack and get an RF modulator. It converts the digital signal from the DVD to analog for the TV (or something like that).

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F003%5F010%5F009%5F000&product%5Fid=15%2D2540

[Fire Me Boy!]

It'll do the same thing to TV/VCR combos. If you want VHS and DVD at the same time and are limited by the number of video ins you have on your TV, you'll have to buy a DVD/VHS combo. You can get them at Wally World (Wal-Mart) for $100 or so. Otherwise, get a switcher if you don't want to get a new TV.

[Baby Lee]

You have to run direct to the TV. Running the DVD player through the VCR activates Macrovision copy protection, which is the degeneration you see, even if you aren't recording.

[4th and Long]

Has anyone suggested this yet?

http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE2-985395reg.jpg

Just curious.

:D

[Baby Lee]

TV is on 3; co-ax cable is fine. It now seems to be an either or problem with the tv. I can have either the VCR via the co-ax or I can have the DVD via the RCA but not both. I don't know... maybe the TV is junk?
Maybe a stupid question, but have you toggled the TV/Video button on your remote when using coax? RCA outputs are always 'hot.' but the coax can be toggled off with that button so you can watch something on the TV tuner while recording something different on the VCR.
Also, you may have brushed the channel selector switch on the VCR, and the VCR coax signal is now being sent to channel 4.