Top 10 DVD Frequently Asked Questions
- My TV does not have the red, white and yellow Av inputs - how do i connect my DVD player to it?
- My DVD player was working fine but now it only has sound and no picture? What is wrong?
- What is region coding and how does it effect playback of a DVD?
- My DVD player is only showing a black and white picture when it should be colour. What could be causing this?
- My DVD recorder is not reading blank disc' and the display reads "no disc" - why?
- I have copied a program onto a disc in my DVD recorder, but it will not work in another DVD player. Why?
- I have connected my DVD player using the white and red cable (left and right audio) and although I am getting sound through my speakers i cannot hear the voice. What would cause this?
- My DVD or home theatre is only playing in stereo - Why am i not getting 5.1 surround sound?
- While playing back some disc's the movie is pausing or the sound and picture is breaking up - why?
- What is component output and progressive scan? Can i use it with my television?
MY TV DOES NOT HAVE THE RED,WHITE AND YELLOW
AV INPUTS - HOW DO I CONNECT MY DVD PLAYER TO IT ?
You will need to purchase an RF modulator which will convert these signals so that they can be connected to the antenna socket on your television. Electronics stores such as Dick Smith, Jaycar or Tandy will have these available.
If you try to connect your DVD player through a VCR you will have problems with picture distortion and incorrect colour resolution. This is because the MACROVISION or COPYGUARD is being activated which prevents the signal from being copied (or viewed) . This is normal as it is the copyright protection feature of the DVD format.
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MY DVD PLAYER WAS WORKING FINE BUT NOW IT
ONLY HAS SOUND AND NO PICTURE ? WHAT IS WRONG ?
You may have switched your DVD player to the COMPONENT video output setting which means you will loose picture but you will still be able to hear the sound. On your DVD remote control, press the button marked I / P while the disc is playing back to correct this problem.
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WHAT IS REGION CODING AND HOW DOES IT EFFECT PLAYBACK OF A DVD ?
To control the release of movie's on DVD, the manufacturer' divided the world market into 8 region'. They are as follows :
Region 1 - 1: U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
Region 2 - Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
Region 3 - Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
Region 4 - Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
Region 5 - 5: Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
Region 6 - Peoples Republic of China
Region 7 - Reserved
Region 8 - Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)
The region code number of a disc is always marked on the back cover as part of the DVD's specifications. This number identifies which part of the world the disc was originally intended to be sold within. The function of region coding is essentially to regulate the release dates of new movie titles. This means that a region 4 disc should only work in a region 4 player. Some DVD player's however are MULTI-REGION* and will play disc's from any part of the world. Your television will have to be MULTI-SYSTEM as well to be able to view these disc's, because different region's also use different colour system's (i.e. PAL>NTSC> SECAM.)
*You will have to check the individual specifications of your DVD player to find out if it supports the multi-region function.
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MY DVD PLAYER IS ONLY SHOWING A BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE WHEN IT SHOULD BE COLOUR. WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS ?
You may have your DVD player set to the wrong colour system. On your DVD remote control there is usually a button marked " N/P ", and by pressing it the player will switch between the NTSC and PAL option. This should be set to PAL as it is the system we use in Australia.
When playing disc's from different regions, this setting may have to be on either NTSC or MULTI.* If you have an older television that is not multi-system (i.e. PAL>NTSC>SECAM), you will only be able to view DVD's that are purchased locally.
If you still have no colour you may have connected the video cable to the green Y COMPONENT connection instead of the yellow COMPOSITE video output on the back of the DVD player or television. Check this connection and try the above procedure again if the cabling was incorrect.
* Please check your DVD' individual specifications to find out if it supports MULTI-ZONE playback.
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MY DVD RECORDER IS NOT READING BLANK DISC' AND THE DISPLAY READS "NO DISC " - WHY ?
There are different types of recordable DVD's available for use with the two different systems that are currently on the market. One system uses PLUS media (DVD+R or DVD+RW), and the other uses MINUS media (DVD-R or DVD-RW). If you use the wrong type of blank disc you will get the "NO DISC" warning on the DVD recorder. You need to check your owners manual to find out which of these types of disc's are compatable with your particular recorder.
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I HAVE COPIED A PROGRAM ONTO A DISC IN MY DVD RECORDER, BUT IT WILL NOT WORK IN ANOTHER DVD PLAYER. WHY ?
When you finish recording onto a disc, to enable it to work in other DVD player you must do one of the following:
If it is a DVDR disc, it has to be FINALISED in the DVD recorder before it will work in another DVD player.
If it is a DVDRW disc, it has to be made COMPATABLE in the DVD recorder before it will work in another DVD player.
If either of these two procedures does not enable the disc, it may be because the DVD player you are using does not support recordable DVD formats. This usually applies to early model DVD players that may have been purchased before DVD recorders were readily available on the market.
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I HAVE CONNECTED MY DVD PLAYER USING THE WHITE AND RED CABLE ( LEFT AND RIGHT AUDIO ) AND ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING SOUND THROUGH MY SPEAKERS I CANNOT HEAR THE VOICE. WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS ?
Incorrect speaker set-up will cause this problem. To listen to the DVD soundtrack in stereo you need to check the following settings :
The SPDIF output should be set to PCM.
On the SPEAKER SET-UP page you need to make sure that the DOWNMIX is on STEREO.
On the 3-D PROCESSING page DOLBY PRO-LOGIC II should be set to AUTO.
If you are still not able to hear the dialogue (voice) track you need to check the connections on the rear of your DVD player. Make sure you are using the LEFT and RIGHT output sockets, NOT the FRONT RIGHT and FRONT LEFT as these channels only contain music and effects - no voice.
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MY DVD OR HOME THEATRE IS ONLY PLAYING IN STEREO - WHY AM I NOT GETTING 5.1 SURROUND SOUND ?
This can be caused by either incorrect menu set-up on your DVD player, incorrect wiring, or the particular DVD you are using. If you are connected to a 5.1 channel amplifier you need to make sure that these settings are as follows :
The SPDIF setting should be in the RAW position.
On the SPEAKER SET-UP page the DOWNMIX should be turned OFF.
On the 3-D PROCESSING page DOLBY PRO - LOGIC II should be set to AUTO.
The CENTER, FRONT, REAR and SUBWOOFER should be switched on.
The DVD you are using may also cause this problem. Not all DVD's have a 5.1 channel soundtrack so you will only be able to listen to the movie in STEREO (2.0) or even only MONO on certain disc's. This is only likely to occur with movies that were made prior to 1993, lower budget productions such as TV series and older films which have not yet been remastered for DIGITAL 5.1 surround.
You can easily find out the soundtrack information by looking on the back cover of your DVD disc where it will be listed.
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WHILE PLAYING BACK SOME DISC'S THE MOVIE IS PAUSING OR THE SOUND AND PICTURE IS BREAKING UP - WHY ?
All DVD players have a certain tolerance so they are still able to play disc's that are not perfect. They will not however be able to play badly scratched or heavily marked disc's, including those with excessive fingerprints on the reflective side of the disc. This is usually only a issue with rental disc's so take note when using these in particular. While poorly maintained disc's will not directly damage the machine, they will adversely effect the viewing quality.*
*A momentary pause approximately halfway during playback may be experienced - this is normal as it occurs when the DVD is accessing the second layer on the disc (DVD9 format).
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WHAT IS COMPONENT OUTPUT AND PROGRESSIVE SCAN? CAN I USE IT WITH MY TELEVISION?
PROGRESSIVE scan differs from a standard video connection in two ways. The first difference is in how the on screen image is re-created. With a COMPOSITE video connection (yellow cable) all the information is contained in one cable and the picture is scanned in alternate lines (interlaced). The COMPONENT video system scans every line of the picture on each PROGRESSIVE scan to reduce flicker and improve overall image quality.
The other noticeable difference with progressive scan is the connection itself which consists of 3 separate leads -red, green and blue*. For your television to be able to be connected using this system, it must have these 3 corresponding sockets which are colour matched the same.
THE SOCKETS/CABLES ARE AS FOLLOWS /
Y = GREEN CABLE
Pb = BLUE CABLE
Pr = RED CABLE
Once you have connected your DVD player using these cables you will need to select the DVD input on your television. With the DVD player switched on and a disc playing, you will have to switch your DVD player from INTERLACE to PROGRESSIVE scan. You can do this by pressing the button marked I/P on your DVD player's remote control. You should now have a picture on your television.
*Please note that these cables are for picture only - you will still need additional cables for the audio connections.
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WHILE PLAYING BACK SOME DISC'S THE MOVIE IS PAUSING OR THE SOUND AND PICTURE IS BREAKING UP - WHY ?
All DVD players have a certain tolerance so they are still able to play disc's that are not perfect. They will not however be able to play badly scratched or heavily marked disc's, including those with excessive fingerprints on the reflective side of the disc. This is usually only a issue with rental disc's so take note when using these in particular. While poorly maintained disc's will not directly damage the machine, they will adversely effect the viewing quality.*
*A momentary pause approximately halfway during playback may be experienced - this is normal as it occurs when the DVD is accessing the second layer on the disc (DVD9 format).
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