Hi all,

I have noticed some problems on my 950 on some DVDs, there is a flicker problem on the DVD's startup manu screen. For example, on Anger Management DVD, before the selection startup manu, there were some music and graphic, my TV would start to flicker and the lock on the DD digital would stop and start according to the flickering. If the flickering stop, the sound is back on, but with the flickering, no sound. Is this normal? I did not have that problem with my receiver before.

Please advise.

Could it be a problem with the DVD player instead?

So the problem is affecting both video and audio? Like Keta, I would check out the DVD player first -- the video switching and the digital audio in the 950 are separate parts of the 950, so even if there was a problem with the 950 I wouldn't expect it to show up in those two systems simultaneously. More likely to be a problem with the transport in the DVD player. If it is repeatable, you might try connecting the video directly to the TV to see if you still get the flicker. Also, you might try those specific discs in another player (could be scratches on the discs).

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

[This message has been edited by gonk (edited September 29, 2003).]

Hi all,

I am pretty sure is the 950 because during the flickering, I press the setup menu on the 950 and I have noticed the setup menu on 950 jump up and down as well. The video part is ok if I connect the svideo directly to my TV. Maybe I need to return the 950 for another one?

Thanks,

Ken

I have worked in professional video for years and have seen similar problems on other equipment.

If all, or almost all, your DVD titles exhibit this problem, it is likely an equipment problem. If it is only one or two particular disks, then it is likely a probem with those disks. This is the first "test."

In all likelyhood, it is not the 950, unless other video and audio sources connected to the exact same set of inputs also display the exact same problem. When you test another video/audio source, don't use the same cables as with your DVD player, in case the problem is in the cables.

If other video/audio sources remain stable using the same inputs with different cables, it is either the set of cables you started with, the player itself, or that particular DVD disk. The fact that there are problems with video and audio simultaneously would seem to indicate the player or the disk. If other disks play without problem, I would say it is that particular disk on your particular player.

The fact the the 950 on-screen menu jumbles when the video source jumbles is not surprising. The 950 is likely working with the timing of the incoming video sync signals of the source. If the source sync has problems, the menu display will follow.

Television monitors, by design, can operate with widely varying sync levels. Video processing equipment has more restrictive limits. This is partly how DVD copy protection works. If you try to run the DVD video of a copy protected disk through a VCR, the image will periodically lighten and darken because of variations in sync levels that the VCR uses for reference. The monitor itself does not rely on sync levels in the same way a VCR does, so if you what the DVD directly to a monitor, you don't see the darkening.

This type of copy protection passes through my 950 to my monitor without any problem.

Your sync problems sounds like an sync interruption or sync timing issue, not a sync level issue. Since audio is interrupted at the same time, I would suspect the source player or disk, not the video or audio path.