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Sony Trinitron and s-video with PS2

J

J T

Jan 1, 1970
0
Maybe there is someone here with an ideas brighter than mine. I'm
trying to hook up my Playstation 2 to my 5 year old Trinitron via
s-video. Despite trying a number of cables, whenever I'm playing DVDs,
the video signal will intermittently be lost for a second or two at a
time (displays a black "video" screen). The audio continues smoothly.
After a decent amount of research I figured out that this is
apparently due to a known incompatibility between some trinitron/wega
models and the PS2. The running theory seems to be something along the
lines of when the PS2 is playing very dark scenes the TV interprets
them as no signal. Though I've found many people talking about having
this problem (search google groups for "vega ps2 dvd s-video" for
examples) I haven't found any solutions. The closest was a suggestion
to set y-dc to 0 in the service menu of the TV(that didn't work). I'm
hoping that someone can come up with an idea that would make this
work. Everything plays fine if I use the composite video cables, but
of course I'd prefer to use s-video (no component on this model).
Thanks in advance for any help.
 
T

Tom MacIntyre

Jan 1, 1970
0
Maybe there is someone here with an ideas brighter than mine. I'm
trying to hook up my Playstation 2 to my 5 year old Trinitron via
s-video. Despite trying a number of cables, whenever I'm playing DVDs,
the video signal will intermittently be lost for a second or two at a
time (displays a black "video" screen). The audio continues smoothly.
After a decent amount of research I figured out that this is
apparently due to a known incompatibility between some trinitron/wega
models and the PS2. The running theory seems to be something along the
lines of when the PS2 is playing very dark scenes the TV interprets
them as no signal.

Hmmm...I am not up on this, but shouldn't a "No signal" condition be
based on the presence or absence of sync, rather than signal level
above the 7 (or whatever) IRE units at black level?

Hmmm again...when I was working in TV broadcastion there was a lot of
talk about using zero as black...maybe, if a PS2 can go below the
threshhold that a TV uses to determine no signal, IF the signal level
is the trigger, that could be the cause. All theorizing here, of
course.

Tom
 
J

Jerry G.

Jan 1, 1970
0
The Sony set should indicate a no signal condition if it looses proper sync.
The video signal should be able to go down to zero black without fault.

Take your PS2 unit to a place that has a scope, to look at its output to
know if it is working to proper specs. If it is working to proper TV
specifications for S-Video, and there are problems with the Sony set, maybe
there is something intermittent.

If your set works properly with the DVD player, and not with the PS2, then
the fault is the PS2, and not the TV set.

This is the way I see it...

--

Jerry G.
==========================


Maybe there is someone here with an ideas brighter than mine. I'm
trying to hook up my Playstation 2 to my 5 year old Trinitron via
s-video. Despite trying a number of cables, whenever I'm playing DVDs,
the video signal will intermittently be lost for a second or two at a
time (displays a black "video" screen). The audio continues smoothly.
After a decent amount of research I figured out that this is
apparently due to a known incompatibility between some trinitron/wega
models and the PS2. The running theory seems to be something along the
lines of when the PS2 is playing very dark scenes the TV interprets
them as no signal. Though I've found many people talking about having
this problem (search google groups for "vega ps2 dvd s-video" for
examples) I haven't found any solutions. The closest was a suggestion
to set y-dc to 0 in the service menu of the TV(that didn't work). I'm
hoping that someone can come up with an idea that would make this
work. Everything plays fine if I use the composite video cables, but
of course I'd prefer to use s-video (no component on this model).
Thanks in advance for any help.
 
L

LASERandDVDfan

Jan 1, 1970
0
Maybe there is someone here with an ideas brighter than mine. I'm
trying to hook up my Playstation 2 to my 5 year old Trinitron via
s-video. Despite trying a number of cables, whenever I'm playing DVDs,
the video signal will intermittently be lost for a second or two

I have this problem with my Sony KV-27S66 (1999 model) when using S-video with
my PS-2's DVD player.

This isn't a picture tube problem. I think the PS-2 uses a very aggressive
MacroVision generator that goes beyond the compensation abilities of the TV's
automatic picture gain controller, so it blanks out when it thinks it has too
weak of a video signal when the MacroVision AGC pulse in the vertical blanking
is at its highest, especially in dark scenes and black screens.

Non-MacroVision titles will not make the TV blank out, so some DVDs, such as
MGM/UA's DVD release of "WarGames" or Columbia/TriStar's DVD release of "Isamu
Tezuka's Metropolis" will not cause your TV to go blank.

The only solution is to use a standalone DVD player with S-video to enjoy the
better picture quality that is possible with a separate Y/C connection. You
can still play games on the PS-2 with s-video without problems.

You can also consider getting an s-video switchbox to switch between the DVD
player and the PS-2 when using one s-video input on the back of the set. This
is what I use to share one s-video connection with my PS-2, DVD player,
LaserDisc player, and X-Box. These boxes only cost about $20-$25 at your local
Wal-Mart store.

And they say MacroVision is fully compatible with all TVs. Bah! - Reinhart
 
L

LASERandDVDfan

Jan 1, 1970
0
If your set works properly with the DVD player, and not with the PS2, then
the fault is the PS2, and not the TV set.

There is nothing wrong with the TV set.

It's the MacroVision in the PS-2 that causes the problem. It's too aggressive
as it injects an AGC pulse that can cause the signal sync to be lost when it
hits its highest intensity in dark scenes, I think by exceeding the AGC's
compensation range in reducing the video gain and weakening the sync to the
point where the display thinks it can no longer properly drive the video signal
and blanks out. This problem will not manifest itself with discs that doesn't
have the MacroVision on-bit enabled.

The only solution is to get a different TV or use the PS-2 only for gaming and
relegating the DVD playback on a standalone DVD player. - Reinhart
 
J

J T

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hmm. That is interesting if unfortunate. I was hoping to avoid
buying a separate dvd player for the near future, but I guess I'll
have to either do so or watch movies via composite. Just one more
reason to love DRM. Thanks for the information.
 
L

LASERandDVDfan

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hmm. That is interesting if unfortunate. I was hoping to avoid
buying a separate dvd player for the near future, but I guess I'll
have to either do so or watch movies via composite. Just one more
reason to love DRM. Thanks for the information.

Well, it's no big loss really. The PlayStation 2 is a great game console, but
is a lousy DVD player.

The same holds true for the X-Box, which is worse as a DVD player, IMO, since
it uses a software-based DVD player and you have to buy the DVD Remote
accessory to use the DVD player function in the console. - Reinhart
 
J

J T

Jan 1, 1970
0
Well, it's no big loss really. The PlayStation 2 is a great game console, but
is a lousy DVD player.

I agree on the quality as a DVD player - even more so now. Though
when you've already bought it for gaming the price is right. I
definitely don't plan to buy a Sony DVD player in any case - don't
want them to be the ones to further benefit from the design flaws in
their current products.
 
L

LASERandDVDfan

Jan 1, 1970
0
I
definitely don't plan to buy a Sony DVD player in any case - don't
want them to be the ones to further benefit from the design flaws in
their current products.

Actually, Sony DVD players are among some of the better players that are out
there, along with Pioneer, JVC, and Panasonic.

As for me, I buy Sony products, but stick with their high end stuff.

As for television monitors, I can never think of considering any other brand
than Sony. - Reinhart
 
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