DVD player

[blair]

My wife and I bought a cheap DVD player and the DVD player only has composite audio/video. The TV that we intended to hook it up to only has a coax input. So I took an old (unused) VCR that has both and ran the DVD player's output into the composite audio/video input of the VCR, then ran the coax output of the VCR into the TV. It worked with one problem: the picture keeps going dark to light, light to dark, dark to light, light to dark, dark to light, light to dark. And it doesn't stop there. It then goes dark to light, light to dark, dark to light, light to dark and this repeats indefinately. I took the DVD player and hooked it directly up to our other TV and it worked fine. Any know what the problem could be?

 

[AVB]

Sounds like the Macrovision protection is on. This prevents tape copies of DVDs to be made from discs with Macrovision. Since you are going into a VCR it seems like that should be the culprit. Nothing you can do about it unless you get an adapter from Radio Shack to bypass the VCR.

 

[Toaster]

Yep... Macrovision is the bad guy here... The problem is that Macrovision is a copy protection to PREVENT a consumer from copying protected content to videotape (or recordable dvds too). So the VCR has the Macrovision detection chip, Which all of them do - well, if it was made in the last 15 years? Some of the REALLY OLD (ie: original) VCR's are not affected by Macrovision. BUT AT ANY RATE, you are going to need a RF modulator adapter, which will take your Composite video/audio lines and turn them into a Coax cable for your TV.

I just bought my Brother one of these for Christmas (along with a DVD player for the bedroom).. His Bedroom TV doesnt have AV inputs either- so I went to Big Lots, they have the RF kits (DVD HOOKUP KITS) for $9.97, cheapest I've seen them. They are $20+ at Fry's, Best Buy, Radio Shack and Circuit City. You might find one at Wal Mart? But I dunno.

Honestly, depending on how much you spent on your DVD player- Here's another option. Before you spend $20 or $30 for JUST the adapter, you might be better off going to Wal Mart and buying one of those DVD/VCR combo players, which have the RF coax adapter output, they were on sale for $69.

GOOD LUCK.

 

[blair]

"Best replies ever!" (The Simpsons, the fat comic book store guy)

Thanks AVB and Toaster. Now to crack open that goddam VCR and pop out the detector chip!

 

[Rod]

I doubt that's the problem... You're TV is simply too old. I had this problem too, had to buy two new tv's.

How old is your tv?

 

[AVB]

I'm running a DVD player thru an RF adapter into a 27 yo Zenith in our spare bedroom. TV standards haven't changed in over 45 years (for color, longer for BW) so that can't be the problem. If you have a progressive scan player it has to be set for non-progressive output when hooked up to older TVs but that is a setting on the player and not the TV set.

 

[KayakinBoy]

get a convertor from wal-mart. They will know what you are talking about when you go in. They work good.

 

[kingpin]

Get the converter I think mine cost $20.00. I had the same problem and wal-mart had what I needed. Simple hook up just run your coax into the converter, run your a/v lines from the converter to the TV, set the converter to ch.3-4 and you are ready to go.

 

[half full monty]

I'm running a DVD player thru an RF adapter into a 27 yo Zenith in our spare bedroom.

[snapback]152274[/snapback]​

Scotch......new tv?.......Scotch.....new TV?........ummmmmmm........ahhh...it is the spare bedroom......

 

[AVB]

Don't feel sorry for me, there's a 106" Electrohome 8501 CRT Front Projector HiDef unit in the movie room.

I'm running a DVD player thru an RF adapter into a 27 yo Zenith in our spare bedroom.

[snapback]152274[/snapback]​

Scotch......new tv?.......Scotch.....new TV?........ummmmmmm........ahhh...it is the spare bedroom......

[snapback]152289[/snapback]​

 

[Lee]

Yep, mine did the same thing and I'm using an old Zenith console 20+ years.

Get the converter from Target or Walmart and that will fix the problem!

 

[hungsolo]

Or, you could go here:

http://www.videohelp.com/

and look up your model of DVD player and turn off the Macrovision, Region limitations, and everything else that might be available.

This is an invaluable site. I've turned off all that stuff on my electronics so I can record bits and pieces of DVDs I own. It's OK and legal - I do it for my wife, who's an English teacher, so that she can use the clips in class. Educational fair use and all...

 

[blair]

Or, you could go here:

http://www.videohelp.com/

and look up your model of DVD player and turn off the Macrovision, Region limitations, and everything else that might be available...

NOW WE ARE GETTING SOMEWHERE.

I'll check it out directly. Thanks. :thumbs:

 

[Rod]

Oh well, I needed a new tv anyways.