socrates_777

I am at the end of my rope. I have rerouted this setup everywhich way I can think of and I still get the same results. Let me start with the basics. I have a RCA 25" TV, a Sony STR-K750P suround sound 5.1 system, a Sony SLV-N80 VCR, and a Pioneer DV-525 DVD player. I have all of my video going from my VCR to my RCA TV via coax. The RCA plugs for this TV are in the front and I have kids. I have the sound from each peice of equipment split to the suround system. In my present setup I have the video from the DVD player going to the LINE 1 input on the VCR and the audio going to the DVD input on the suround system. I mute the sound on the RCA TV and crank up the sound on the Sound system and set the VCR to LINE 1. I have been watching my Smallville seasons that I got for Christmas and just got my family into the living room for movie night and I wanted to watch Fantastic Four. The problem is that the entire movie fades from really dark to really bright every15-20 seconds. It is extremely irritating. I know that the fantastic four DVD is fine because I can take the Pioneer DVD player into another room and hook it up to another TV and watch it fine. I also know that the rest of the setup is ok because I watched Smallville on DVD for a few hours today without any issue. Why is this happening? I thought it was the cables but I have switched them out. I have also tried different DVD players and different viseo paths. I.E. using LINE 2 on the VCR. Nothing has worked. Has anyone else seen this type of issue before. It has truely ruined my family night but maybe if I can fix it it won't ruin the next one. Thanks a ton for any help you can lend.

Shack

I think the problem is that you're running the DVD through the VCR. If you can hook the DVD player up directly to the TV, it should solve the problem. Good luck!

Mexican Menace

Yeah the VCR's the problem. What you're seeing is the VCR's Macrovision copy-protection in effect. If you were to try and copy a store-bought/rented movie with your VCR, the fade-in/fade-out would be all you got on the copied tape. If you have more input devices than you have input connections on your receiver, you can pick up a multi-input switchbox pretty cheaply at BestBuy or WalMart.

socrates_777

Thank you guys. The copy right makes perfect sense. I will go out tommorrow and buy the switchbox. This is sad and frustrating that I have to do this but you got to do what you got to do. I am assuming that this is the same issue that is happening with my amily guy movie DVD also. Thanks again for you guys help. Family movie night is back on.

SINGLE104

The video from your DVD Player must be connected to the video 1 or video 2 source on the back of the TV. S-Video, or Component Jacks are better, Components jacks are even superior to S-Video, if your TV is compatible to either. The reason why your expericing video distortion from the DVD Player during playback is because you have the video out from the DVD Player connected to the Line 1 input on the VCR. DVD Players cannot be connected to a VCR in any form because of the copy protection macrovision device that are encrypted in DVDs, whenever the circuitry from the DVD Player detects a recordable component connection.
Usually, the inputs in front of the TV panel are easy accessible, and mainly used temporarily for portable electronic equipment such as: video games, cameras, and such, so the cords will not be permanantly conspicuous in front of the TV.