help a pitiful DVD newbie?

[daycart1]

OK, I've got the cheap, new JVC DVD hooked up to an old TV's audio in connector using the componet out connects on the DVD. Black and White only! What gives? All TV settings are normal for color.

THanks for any help!

 

[Hirsch]

Component out is three cables, all video, which I'm pretty sure an old TV won't accept. You'll need to use composite output, if your TV doesn't accept S-video. The audio-in connectors are for the audio signal, not the other parts of the component video signal! You should have one cable going from composite out of the DVD player to video in of the TV. Two more cables will go from the audio outputs of the DVD player to the audio inputs of the TV.

 

[M.Sensation]

^ What he said.

Also, some receivers do video switching in which case you could run the dvd into the receiver (As well as your VCR, video game consoles, etc...) and from the receiver to the TV. That still limits your options as to what the TV can handle but at least it's a little more convenient anyways (especially for older TV's that only have one set of RCA inputs).

 

[grinch]

i don't recommend running dvd players through vcrs. i find that no matter what, the stupid copy-protection crap cruds up the signal and makes some movies (on some setups) unplayable!

 

[M.Sensation]

Not through the VCR, through an A/V Receiver. Sorry for the confusion. I personally don't do this because I have a new TV with enough inputs for my DVD, VCR, GameCube™ and PS2 so that I never have to disconnect one to connect another. But a friend of mine has an older ~circa 1993 TV that only has one set of RCA inputs. So he uses the cable input for the VCR on the TV and the receiver handles the DVD and his Xbox. There probably is a slight degradation of video signal by doing it this way but for him it's not much of an issue.

 

[Russ Arcuri]

Quote:

Originally posted by grinch i don't recommend running dvd players through vcrs. i find that no matter what, the stupid copy-protection crap cruds up the signal and makes some movies (on some setups) unplayable!

Older VCRs are affected by this; newer ones aren't. Macrovision messes with the automatic gain control circuit in VCRs. Older VCRs had this circuit active all the time, and therefore running a DVD player through the VCR would cause problems. Newer VCRs activate the automatic gain control circuits only when they're actually in record mode, so most DVD players can be hooked up through them without Macrovision screwing things up.

 

[CaptBubba]

It definatly is a problem with new VCRs too.

Have you tried replacing the cable? Dunno why it would couse B/W, but it is a good place to start.

 

[raymondlin]

1 site

www.thedvdforums.com

It's a DVD forum site, if the above suggestion don't work, someone might be able to help you there.

 

[daycart1]

I got the same result from the dvd composite video RCA out, and I have no a/v receiver. I'll try the forum Raymondlin suggested. Thanks for the suggestions.
I might simply need to get a new TV--my clunker is 5 years old.

 

[NickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by daycart1 I got the same result from the dvd composite video RCA out, and I have no a/v receiver. I'll try the forum DA suggested. Thanks for the suggestions. I might simply need to get a new TV--my clunker is 5 years old.

Some older TVs need an adapter to work with DVD players. Radio Shack and Best Buy sell them. Around $35 I believe.

Nick

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by NickG Some older TVs need an adapter to work with DVD players. Radio Shack and Best Buy sell them. Around $35 I believe. Nick

The adapter in question is an RF modulator, which would be needed only if the DVD player had to input to the TV via the antenna input. If the TV has a video input, it's not needed.

It would be a good idea to check the manual of the DVD player to make sure that the composite output is set up correctly.

Daycart1, does the TV correctly show color when watching it normally?

 

[daycart1]

I do have a really old TV with only an antenna output, but I probably would want to invest even $30 in an adapter for it. The other has a single video in RCA and the color works fine except for DVD input. I'll double check the manual...

Thanks again, all.

 

[Russ Arcuri]

Quote:

Originally posted by CaptBubba It definatly is a problem with new VCRs too.

What, Macrovision? It may be a problem with *some* new VCRs, but it's not a problem with most of them. My parents had to tie their DVD player in though a VCR. Macrovision caused big problems with their living room VCR, so they swapped that VCR with a newer one they had in their bedroom, and it works great. I know of several other people doing this, and as long as they have a fairly new VCR, it works fine.