I recently upgraded(?) my HD DVR cable box to a Scientific Atlanta SA8300HD. When I first hooked it up the video from the component outputs were distorted (overblown contrast, garish colors, loss of detail). I figured I had a bad box so I returned it for another but the second sample acts the same way. Doing some internet research, I found some others on the AVS forum with similar problems. What's interesting is that when the component cables are connected directly to the display it works fine, it's only when I use the 950 for switching that the picture gets messed up. I don't think the 950 is at fault since my previous cable box (SA8000HD) worked fine when connected through the Outlaw. Others are reporting this same behavior when connecting to an AV receiver. I am coming to the conclusion that connecting the pre-pro is engaging an analog copyguard (Macrovision?) circuit in the cable box.

My question is what specifically in the 950 component video switching circuitry is tripping up the cable box? I would think the 950 would just be a straight through hardware switch, but maybe not. Anyone at Outlaw care to comment?

Also, have any other Outlaw users experienced this phenomenon?

Do you have a DVD player with component outputs, and is that (presumably) working correctly? If your older SA 8000 worked with the 950 and if a DVD player works, there has to be something on the output of the 8300 that is causing the problem, not something in the 950. I suppose it's too obvious to ask if the Y/Pr/Pb cables are connected correctly? (Easy and understandable thing that has happened to more than one person here!)

The 950 doesn't feed anything back to the box, as you suggest, but the box can impose some sort of copy protection on the output, and that may be the cause.

PodBoy,

Yes, the DVD player works fine through component switching. Yes, cables have been checked multiple times. And I agree, I don't think the 950 is at fault here. It appears to be more of a compatibility issue. The Macrovision, if that's what it is, should only engage if it is connected to a recording device. The 950 is not a recording device so it should not trip the copy protection circuit, but it still does. So what does Macrovision look at to determine what it's connected to? Maybe the 950 could be at fault if it doesn't provide the correct load signature to the input device. I suppose the answer may be proprietary, i.e. if someone knows the answer they couldn't tell me. But it would still be interesting to hear from Outlaw if they know if this is becoming an issue with their products or anywhere else in the industry for that matter. While Macrovision has been ubiquitous on composite and S-video outputs for years I believe it is only now first being implemented on component video outputs so maybe this is a bit of teething pain. Whatever it is I don't like it.

Can't blame you, but I guess as we move along with digital television and all the attendant copy protection and "flag" stuff, this will unfortunately become more common.

Macrovision is used on DVDs and videocassettes; the scheme(s) used to protect broadcast, cable and satellite content are may and varied. Any one number of things in the SA box, in the way the content is delivered and in the way your particular cable company's system works could be the root cause.

Idea: Can you switch the resolution output but still keep the component connection? WHat happens when the SA box outputs 480P via component vs. 720P or 1080i? (If you can control that.)

I actually tried that. I even went so far as to limit the component output to 480i (standard resolution). Unfortunately this didn't work either. So I don't think the copy protection circuit is "smart" enough to allow down-rezed taping. From what I've been reading, MacroVision signals (at least the earlier versions) are always present, it's just the AGC circuits that are different in recording devices vs. displays.

Another experiment I tried was to insert a "Video Stabilizer" device in the "Y" signal line. This was not a workable solution (and I didn't really expect it to be) as it introduced it's own set of distortions, but it did seem to curb the video gain problems. This little exercise really helped me narrow my list of possible culprits.

FWIW My cable provider is TimeWarner and the Scientific Atlanta DVR uses the Pioneer Passport Echo firmware.