DVD Player connections to TV & playback problems!

mopsymuffin

Help please anyone who understands the more techie side of setting up DVD players with TV with BT Vision Box. Please note this problem has only just happened in the last couple of weeks! I have 2 DVD players attached to my TV. One is a SONY standalone & I have connected it with the yellow phono lead plugged into a SCART adapter into the back of the TV which is set up as AV EXT3 Input. The other is a DVD combi + recorder & this is connected via SCART & set up as AV EXT2 Input. They have been plugged in to the TV since I first got my BT vision box (SCART AV EXT1) about 3 years ago & they have all worked/played perfectly & both with a good picture. I haven't changed any settings on the TV or wires.

Just in the last couple of weeks they have both stopped displaying properly! The TV recognises both of them & you can see a picture from both machines but it is now black & white with pink & green blurry/fuzzy lines running in the background. Sound is fine.

Last night I unplugged all of them & then plugged them back in one at a time. Tried different SCART sockets in the back of TV. Rebooted On Vision box & took the aerial out for a while.

BT Vision is fine & very clear but neither DVD's picture colour will display properly, sound is fine. I upgraded to infinity 2 weeks ago which seems weird this has only happened since then but this may be purely co-incidence! Something is amiss in the connection but I just cannot fathom out what! I have also tried a new SCART lead but just the same! I have also posted on the BT Infinity site but they say that the upgrade would have NO effect on connections or playing DVD's independently!

It cannot be the players as said it is happening on both independently even when I plug in to different sockets & only one at a time! I even tried the SONY on its own but plugged the yellow ended phono wire directly into the front of the TV & again the TV recognises it as I get a picture & sound but only B&W with the fuzzy green/pink stripes!

Help please if you can think of anything else I can try I would really appreciate it! I feel I am missing something simple but I just don't know what! Thanks

googler

I think you have to find someone with another TV, or try another TV yourself, with the DVD machines. If you get a good picture with the other TV, then the current TV has some fault in the AV input board. If you get the same symptoms on another TV, the DVDs have both gone faulty.

Alternatively, borrow another DVD/BluRay from someone, and try it in your AV2/3 etc. If that fails, the AV inputs on your TV are at fault, if it works OK, your DVDs are at fault.

I take it the BT box works OK into AV1? If so, what results from trying the DVDs into AV1?

WTFH

OK, can you try the BT Vision in the other SCART sockets (i.e. 2 & 3) to see if it still produces a clear image.
If yes, then the fault is not in the TV but is either to do with cables or players.
If the image is not clear, then it sounds like the problem is with the TV, which I'm going to guess is 5+ years old if the main connections are SCART.
Also, if the image is not clear with BT Vision in 2 or 3, then try plugging one of the DVD players into socket 1. Theoretically it should produce a clear picture.

mopsymuffin

Hi Thank you both for the above two responses. Update from your suggestions: Have now plugged both DVD players into another TV (using existing SCART leads) & both players play perfectly with very clear picture image so therefore not the DVD players or SCART leads.

Then unplugged all SCARTS from back of TV AV inputs 1, 2 & 3. AV1 has BT vision plugged into it which works perfectly at the moment. I plugged the BT Vision SCART lead into AV's 2 & 3 & got the same black & white picture with the fuzzy lines that I am getting from the DVD players. This then proved that as you have suggested it must be the AV inputs 2 & 3 on the TV that are faulty! The only weird thing about this is I then tried plugging the SCART leads of each DVD machine independently into AV1 input on the back of the TV & with both got the same faulty B&W fuzzy image! Then I plugged the BT Vision SCART lead back into AV1 input & luckily it still works perfectly!
What I don't understand now is how the AV1 input can be fine with BT Vision but not work with either of the DVD players!?
It would definitely seem that TV AV inputs 2 & 3 are faulty for any machine. Is this something that is easily fixed or am I better off just buying a new TV?

Many Thanks for your help

almillar

B/W fuzzy images could be to do with RGB, S-Video and composite. From a quick read of your posts, there are still some strange things, but worth a try.
RGB, S-Video and composite are 3 different signal types than can be sent down a SCART lead, RGB being the best quality, composite the worst.
Loads of TVs can take RGB on ONLY the AV1 input. If you can set the BT Vision and DVD players ALL to composite in the settings (look under display or video settings). Once they're all outputting composite, check them all on all the TV's SCART sockets. If this doesn't work, considering the work you've done earlier, I would have to say that there's something wrong with some of the inputs on the TV. SCARTs can be quite fragile, and the pins on the plugs can be damaged, but also the connector on the back of the TV can go a bit 'wobbly'. Make sure you give it a bit of a wiggle to get a good picture.
If you find that they all work, then put the signal quality as described earlier back up to a point that it still works. I'll make a wild guess and say that you'll end up with the BT Vision box on AV1 with RGB, and the other 2 will be on composite.

mopsymuffin

Thanks for your response & suggestions al millar. Sorry I have taken so long to come back only I am not sure that I understand what I need to do from your suggestions! I am not sure if I have RGB how would I know this? I think my inputs are composite!
I don't understand how to change the TV in settings all to composite! I have looked at the TV manual & the settings on the TV screen & this is what it looks like at the moment:
A V CONNECTION
Digital input - 1 is on EXT 4
Digital input - 2 is on EXT 3
EXT2 input is on AV
EXT3 input is on AV
EXT2 output is on TV (Have also tried this on EXT 1 but made no difference)
I have not changed the above settings & they all worked before but for some reason the output from EXT 2, 3 & 4 is only giving the B/W fuzzy picture!
Does this make any sense to you?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the SCART pins as mentioned above I have tried all in another TV & they work ok so if there is something wrong I think it is more likely to be the connector on the back of my TV!
My BT vision box still works on EXT 1 but I do not understand how to make the other 2 composite as suggested.
Does all this make any sense to you cos I must admit I have got myself totally confused now!
Thanks again for your help.

almillar

mopsymuffin - OK we'd better take this in small steps, and sorry if I ask you to repeat things that you've already done, but this will help me and possibly others help you.
What's the model number of your TV? You may find it on a label at the back.
Just concentrating on EXT1 (AV1) - you say that the BT Vision box works through it, but that both DVD players are B/W and fuzzy through it - is that right?
This would suggest that NONE of your TV inputs support RGB, and therefore that your BT Vision is set to composite output, whilst the DVDs are both set to either RGB or S-Video.

mopsymuffin

Hi almillar The TV is Toshiba 36ZP18P . Yes the BT Vision Box SCART plug is plugged in to the 1st left input on the back of the TV & at the moment this is working well with good reception & yes when I try each of the two DVD players they are not clear as described. There are 3 SCART inputs on the rear of the TV & the 2 DVD's have bee plugged into SCARTS 2 & 3 for a few years now & all worked clearly! The problem with the DVD inputs only started 2 or 3 weeks ago & to my knowledge I haven't changed any settings or if I have it would have been by accident!
It is the bit about none of my TV inputs supporting RGB, that BT vision may be set to composite & DVD's set to either RGB or S-Video that I do not understand! If they all worked happily before I just don't understand why this has suddenly happened!
I really do appreciate you trying to help me with this, thanks! I am baffled!

mopsymuffin

almillar - update on my last post.... I have just found on the back of the TV instruction manual it says: External connections. EXT1 Input 21-pin Scart RGB, A/V ...... EXT2 Input/Output 21-pin Scart A/V, S-video, selectable output ....... & EXT3 Input 21-pin Scart A/V, S-video
Presumably this means that the TV does support RGB but only on EXT1 (Scart 1)

almillar

OK good info, we'll get there!. As you say, looks like we've got 3 SCARTs at the back, and only AV1 supports RGB.
So it doesn't matter what settings are on the BT box, it works.
This:

The only weird thing about this is I then tried plugging the SCART leads of each DVD machine independently into AV1 input on the back of the TV & with both got the same faulty B&W fuzzy image!

Is what I want to work on. Can you confirm that both DVDs are B/W and fuzzy, even on AV1?
Something random has certainly happened, and we probably won't know what it was. Maybe someone or something sat on a remote control!
I want to check the picture output settings on both your DVD players. Have you got the model numbers for them, or can you have a hunt around in their menu settings?
There maybe a 'region' setting like NTSC, PAL, SECAM or others. It should be PAL. Also a different type of region, the DVD region, should be '2' if you have settings for that, unlikely.
And the other setting is the one we've talked about - it could be in different parts of the menus, but it will have options like RGB, S-Video, composite. You want to set them both to composite. THEN try them in AV1.
If you can't find the settings, I might be able to if you give me the model numbers and I have a google...

mopsymuffin

Hi you're a GEM thank you so much for coming back to me.... I will search for the model numbers & get back to you..... Yes I did try both DVD's in SCART 1 on back of TV & yes both fuzzy pic, B/W with a pinky mauve line going across. Same picture from DVD's in all 3 scarts.
However, as mentioned before I carried a small flat screen TV that I use in the kitchen, into the living room & plugged each DVD player into the SCART of the small TV (it only has one SCART input) & the picture was perfect & clear on both of them so I know both DVD players cannot be faulty! Mmmmm it is possible someone sat on the remote controls ha ha but 'both' of them! You are right it is random & driving me mad cos I am not one to give up! I will try & look at the menus of both players on screen.....