Is it my cables or my crappy DVD player?

[Chefguy]

Bought a new LCD HDTV for ourselves this Christmas. Connected up the surround system I already had, and ran the DVD player through it, which used to work fine with my old TV.

Threw in the latest Jet Li flick and all I can see are reds and greens. Since I'm relatively sure the movie wasn't shot this way, there must be a problem with either the player or the cables, I'm thinkin'. Any ideas on this? Anything I can check before buying new stuff?

[MC$E]

Make sure you are plugged into the proper jacks on both pieces of equipment. If you are using the component terminals, check the labels (Y, Pb, Pr) and the color codes (red, blue, green) on both ends.

[FilmGeek]

Does it work with other discs?
Does it work if you hook up the DVD directly to the TV?
What cables are you using? Optical? Component? RCA? S-Video? Digital Coax?

Have you burned sage and prayed to the HDTV Gods?

We got a DLP HDTV yesterday, and the only thing we're getting into trouble with is the progressive scan isn't supported by the receiver (old receiver) and so we can't use the progressive function on the DVD and have surround sound. That's minor, though.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Film Geek - can you connect the component cables directly to the TV and run the sound directly into the amp?

[FilmGeek]

We're spending tonight futzing with it. Couldn't do it last night because we had to work today. On new years! And us with a new TV.

There ain't no justice, I'm telling you.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by FilmGeek

Does it work with other discs?

No, so it's not the disk.

Does it work if you hook up the DVD directly to the TV?

Don't know and won't try until tomorrow.

What cables are you using? Optical? Component? RCA? S-Video? Digital Coax?

They're cheap RCA component cables, so maybe I need newer/better. I checked the color - to - color connections (I thought), but may try that again.

Have you burned sage and prayed to the HDTV Gods?

No, but the wife burned the garlic at dinner.

Forgot to mention that the picture kept fading to dim and back again.

[Q.E.D.]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

Forgot to mention that the picture kept fading to dim and back again.

That's the classic symptom of Macrovision protection. Chances are that somewhere along the way, you're running the video signal through a VCR. If that's the case, you've got two problems. First, most VCRs can't handle the component video signal (or did you mean composite=, the yellow, red and white connections?) Second, DVD players which provide Macrovison protection can't be run through a VCR, even if you're not recording the signal; the AGC circuitry upon which Macrovision relies gets misled into thinking the signal is alternately too high and too low, causing the picture to dim and lighten repeatedly. Double check your connections and make sure the VCR is out of the loop.

[MannyL]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

Forgot to mention that the picture kept fading to dim and back again.

Is the DVD player feeding through a VCR into the TV?

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by MannyL

Is the DVD player feeding through a VCR into the TV?

Nope. It's feeding through the surround amp, and it worked before. Maybe I need to connect the video directly to the TV and leave the sound hooked to the amp. The DVD player is about six years old, so perhaps it's old technology.

[Chefguy]

Got off cheap. I replaced the component cables from the DVD to the amp and from the amp to the TV with better grade stuff. Voila!

[DanBlather]

Do you have a video gane attached to the TV as well? On my TV the front and back video jacks share the same "connection" and you have to unplug one or the other.

[Iggins]

In general, newer TVs have scads of inputs. It seems to be becoming more common to run video directly to the TV, and only run the audio through the receiver. Of course, that makes changing between sources more complicated, but that's what universal programmable remotes are for!

[Hampshire]

Make sure your not mixing up component inputs/outputs with composite inputs/outputs. They look very similar but do completely different things.

Composite jacks are usually yellow/red/white. They use the yellow to carry the picture signal, white for left channel audio, and red for right channel audio.

Component is also 3 cables red/blue/green but it used solely for the picture.
You have to run a seperate audio signal using red/white lines or an optical cable or a digital audio line.

A lot of these jacks look the same. I would guess your running a composite signal to your amp and then your trying to run it into the TVs component inputs. Won't work very well.