Troubleshooting connecting DVD to HDTV

[JoeChalupa]

Okay, so I got this new Samsung 720P hd tv and I hooked up my dvd player but I get a black & white DVD screen and I've tried different hook ups but still the screen is blurry and not clear. It has the old red, white and yellow cords.
Should I just get a new DVD player with HDMI hookup?

[ElNono]

Double check the cable connections. Or better yet, get a component cable.
There's no point in investing on a up-scaling DVD player. Might aswell buy a BluRay device.

[Frenzy]

Rookie move but check to see if the tv is set the the right channel or input. Your using av cable so it should be set to the av input. Hell check if the cables work..

[JoeChalupa]

Double check the cable connections. Or better yet, get a component cable.
There's no point in investing on a up-scaling DVD player. Might aswell buy a BluRay device.

Component cable? will have to try that out. Thanks.

[MannyIsGod]

You should not be using regular AV cables to connect to an HDTV. You're going to get shit for video quality and one thing you'll notice about HDTVs is that although they show better video quality from quality sources, hooking up a bad source to them will leave you with a picture that looks worse than it would on a SD tv.

Hook up either an HDMI cable or component video. The yellow cable is crap. S video is crap too.

[Wild Cobra]

With mine, you have to select your input. Now you might also have a setting that specifies your AV input type.

[JoeChalupa]

With mine, you have to select your input. Now you might also have a setting that specifies your AV input type.

I'm getting frustrated!!
My kids connected the Wii and the same thing is happening. It is all in an unclear screen and in black & white.
I think I do need to use AV since the wii only have the red, white and yellow cords.
I hooked up the HD box today and it looks okay but I need the HDMI connection.
I'm going to mess with the wii connections tomorrow to see if I can get it to work correctly.
When I choose AV at first I was getting no connection, then I got no signal but that was because the wii wasn't turned on. Turned it on and get the B&W screen.
I'm such a doofus.

[PM5K]

Did you freakin win a PAL tv or what?

[ElNono]

Maybe the AV connection is foobar... if it's under warranty you should get the TV swapped.

[Cry Havoc]

You should not be using regular AV cables to connect to an HDTV. You're going to get shit for video quality and one thing you'll notice about HDTVs is that although they show better video quality from quality sources, hooking up a bad source to them will leave you with a picture that looks worse than it would on a SD tv.

Hook up either an HDMI cable or component video. The yellow cable is crap. S video is crap too.

This.

It's pointless to even have an HDTV if you're using red white yellow. They are the worst quality cables you can buy. This isn't some nuanced situation that only people with eagle eyes can see, it's a massive, punch you in the face difference. Use at LEAST component cables.

[Drachen]

This.

It's pointless to even have an HDTV if you're using red white yellow. They are the worst quality cables you can buy. This isn't some nuanced situation that only people with eagle eyes can see, it's a massive, punch you in the face difference. Use at LEAST component cables.


I didnt realize this until recently. My friend who hangs out at our house a lot leaves his PS2 at our house so that we can play when he comes over and we have a 50 inch HDTV. Well he bought component cables for it and I didn't notice much of a difference. Then he bought a 40 inch quattron and took his PS2 back, another friend decided that he would leave his PS2 at our house, and the next time friend 1 came over and we decided to play Burnout 3, I couldn't even see the road (he took his component cables and we were back using composite). It was also the first time we were using our 42 inch plasma screen for games so I think the resolution is a little higher than on our 50 inch DLP, so it was doubly bad. Composite sucks.

[JoeChalupa]

well the wii only has the red, white, yellow cables coming from the back. I'm going to get an HDMI to hook up the cable box and also component cables to see if that works. thanks for all the tips

[JoeChalupa]

okay, now I see I need to buy the component cable for the wii and see if that helps at all.

[Drachen]

okay, now I see I need to buy the component cable for the wii and see if that helps at all.

Yeah, I think its like 12 bucks through amazon or something. I think you can get it through gamestop for like 25

[resistanze]

I'm still unclear why there is no color, even with RCA cables.

[ElNono]

I'm still unclear why there is no color, even with RCA cables.

Could be a bad/loose AV connector on the back of the TV.

[Frenzy]

I don't own a Wii. But its surprising it does not have a hdmi cable in the back. Just av and comp?

[resistanze]

I don't own a Wii. But its surprising it does not have a hdmi cable in the back. Just av and comp?

Pretty sure the highest output from a Wii is 480p. No need for HMDI.

[Nathan Explosion]

Pretty sure the highest output from a Wii is 480p. No need for HMDI.

Yeah it only does 480p. And I bought a component cable for less than $10 on Amazon while Target and Gamestop sell it for $25 or more.

[Cry Havoc]

Yeah, I think its like 12 bucks through amazon or something. I think you can get it through gamestop for like 25

monoprice.com

[Frenzy]

monoprice.com

Great place

[Drachen]

monoprice, WTF, where have you been all my life?? That place looks wonderful!

[Cry Havoc]

monoprice, WTF, where have you been all my life?? That place looks wonderful!

:tu

You're welcome. :lol

[Drachen]

LOL, the first thing I saw was a 6 foot high capacity HDMI cable for $0.96. and all I could hear in my head was:
"Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination"

[phyzik]

It almost sounds like your plugging your AV cables into the component jacks on the TV.

[JoeChalupa]

It almost sounds like your plugging your AV cables into the component jacks on the TV.

That was the problem. I plugged into the AV but had the component plugged in. I plugged in to just the AV and it worked then plugged in the audio and success!!
Also connected HDMI cable to the box and now have true HD picture.
Thanks for all the help guys. Only this is that on some channels I can't get the screen size to be wide screen. Other than it all is good now even the Wii!

[Nathan Explosion]

Only this is that on some channels I can't get the screen size to be wide screen. Other than it all is good now even the Wii!

That's probably because the particular program being shown was shot in letterbox format. I can watch Fox in HD but when the Simpsons reruns come on, it goes to letterbox because the early episodes were in 4:3 format. The new episodes are now 16:9 widescreen format.

[PM5K]

You can stretch it but I wouldn't. I think it's the # symbol on the remote.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

The word of the day is Color Coded.

[Nathan Explosion]

You can stretch it but I wouldn't. I think it's the # symbol on the remote.

If you stretch it, it just looks weird. If you're watching a standard def channel, then it looks okay. But if it's a digital/hd channel, when you stretch it, sometimes you cut off the top and bottom of the picture to get it to fill out the sides, or everything looks to wide and distorted.

After a while, it doesn't really bother you when you're watching a letterbox program on an HD channel. I just takes some getting used to at first.

[PM5K]

If you stretch it, it just looks weird. If you're watching a standard def channel, then it looks okay. But if it's a digital/hd channel, when you stretch it, sometimes you cut off the top and bottom of the picture to get it to fill out the sides, or everything looks to wide and distorted.

After a while, it doesn't really bother you when you're watching a letterbox program on an HD channel. I just takes some getting used to at first.

That's why I said I wouldn't, but I'm sure we all have a relative who when we go to their house we see them watching fat people on tv because they stretch everything.

I don't stretch and spend about 95% of my time watching HD channels.

[Nathan Explosion]

Do you all have the problem of watching an HD channel and having to turn up the sound, then accidentally switching to an SD channel and having the TV blaring at you? Both my TVs have that problem so I don't think it's an issue with the TV.

[jimo2305]

Do you all have the problem of watching an HD channel and having to turn up the sound, then accidentally switching to an SD channel and having the TV blaring at you? Both my TVs have that problem so I don't think it's an issue with the TV.

do you have att uverse?

[MannyIsGod]

That was the problem. I plugged into the AV but had the component plugged in. I plugged in to just the AV and it worked then plugged in the audio and success!!
Also connected HDMI cable to the box and now have true HD picture.
Thanks for all the help guys. Only this is that on some channels I can't get the screen size to be wide screen. Other than it all is good now even the Wii!

:bang

[Wild Cobra]

That was the problem. I plugged into the AV but had the component plugged in. I plugged in to just the AV and it worked then plugged in the audio and success!!
Also connected HDMI cable to the box and now have true HD picture.
Thanks for all the help guys. Only this is that on some channels I can't get the screen size to be wide screen. Other than it all is good now even the Wii!
The TV and/or box should have options to change your display. However, I have mine set up so a 4:3 broadcast is not stretched to a 16:9 picture. This causes everything to be "fat."

I would say if you get a variety of black bads on both sides (4:3 on a 16:9 screen), full screen (16:9 on 16:9) and bands on the top and bottom (theater view on 16:9) then things are set right.

As for the right cables, I've been dealing with component from my HD box since March. I bought Amanda a bluray player for her birthday, and forgot to buy cables. I gave her my HDMI cables for the connection. Since then, I mounted my flat screen on the wall, and haven't put the new cables in I bough since after that. One day I'll get a round tuit, and take the TV off the wall and change cables. It just hasn't been a priority because I seldom watch cable, and my bluray player is attached through HDMI.

Anyone have any spare round tuits?

http://www.karlswoodworking.com/images/roundtuit.jpg

[Nathan Explosion]

do you have att uverse?

Nope, Time Warner.

[jimo2305]

Nope, Time Warner.

oh ok.. i used to work for att uverse and customers would usually call in with that problem.. if i recalled correctly we usually BS'ed them and threw some 'sorry bout that' money their way because there was no quickfix to it..

it's been a while so i dunno for sure.. but if i were to troubleshoot the issue.. i'd blame it on the coaxial cables coming from the outlet to your time warner set top box.. or i'd blame it on the set top box not being able to understand the TV's volume settings.. maybe get a different TV that the STB would better understand..

if the volume seems to be unbearable.. i suggest hooking up a soundsystem to the box so that the volume channels thru that instead..

but those are just my suggestions.. your guess is as good as mine..

[Nathan Explosion]

It's not that big of an issue. Sometimes I forget and the sound just blares at me. But when I remember, I usually turn down the sound. I was just curious as to why it happens.

I don't have a set top box because my cable is provided at a discount rate by my apartment. If I get a box, I have to pay full price. I get the local channels in HD though. And both my TVs do it, so like I said, it's not the TV but the cable itself. No biggie though. I rarely watch TV these days anyway. I have Hulu, other websites, and Netflix to keep me entertained.