Admin: see this link for the fix.

I've noticed that while video switching is incredibly convenient it seems to have created a number of problems with my system. Oddly the problems are centered entirely around inputting a component video signal.

The most persistant and irritating problem is that sometimes while watching DVDs there will be a brief white flash across the entire screen. After paying attention to this I noticed that they always come up at the same time. Since the problem is reproducible testing ensued to determine the cause. The white flashes never show up coming from any other video input (TiVo runs on S-video and a Gamecube on composite) or when watching TV directly over cable.

At first I thought it was just a connection issue and after putting it off for a bit due to the hassle of hauling out the receiver and checking everything I held off on it until I had to take it out for the recent software update. Everything go unplugged so the receiver could go visit the computer. When I rewired I made certain that all of the connections everywhere in the chain were secure and paid extra attention to separating out the sources, the speaker wires, and the power cords to prevent crosstalk.

After plugging everything back in I recalibrated with DVE and while doing this noticed (as I had before) that when running through the 1070 the blacker-than-black bar on the pluge pattern was no longer being passed. Since I had it before I got the 1070 I double-checked and yes, this was the result of running it through the receiver (it has nothing specifically to do with the component input as I found when running the DVD player into the 1070 through a composite input, but it is a mild disappointment that the 1070's video processing circuits don't pass it). I brushed it off because while it was important I could deal with it. It was during the recalibration that I noticed that the white flash problem still existed.

I checked a few other discs as well and they all had the same problem at various points. After settling on a test disc I cleaned it with a soft cloth and tried again. Still with the flashes! I methodically trying loosening component cables from the back of the DVD player to see if it was a problem with a particular cable... nope. I tried routing the component cable directly to the TV and this seemed to fix it. I tried replaying the chosen problem area four or five more times and the problem failed to reappear.

At this point I could tell it was definitely not the fault of the disc itself (well, since it was locked to specific points on every disc I tested it was, but that's largely irrelevant) since removing the 1070 from the loop solved the problem. It was at this point that I tried to shake it down even further. I checked the DVD player using composite cables directly into the TV and again, after multiple passes there was no flash. I tried connecting the DVD player through the 1070 with composite cables and there were no problems with flashing.

At this point it was largely isolated: the problem was coming about only when the DVD player (or perhaps another device, I don't have any other component-out equipment to test with) is connected to the 1070 on a component input. It was definitely not a problem with the component output (component out is the only video output I have connected) or it would have shown up when I upconverted from one of the non-component inputs. I finally tried checking the other two component inputs thinking it might merely be a single defective input, but I had the exact same problem at the exact same time on DVD, Video 2, and Video 3.

Any idea what might be causing this problem and, far more importantly, any ideas on how I might be able to fix it (that do not involve just passing video directly to the TV)? Also is anybody else having problems at all like this or am I the only one?

Belgand,

I have the same issue with the 970 (basically 1070 minus the amps). I get the white flashing and I also have a 6" vertical band on the left side of my 92" screen that looks like a thin grayscale bar has been laid on top of it. I have talked to Scott and he told me to try a reset, although he thought that may not work as it sounds like a hardware issue. I am going to try later tonight.

Yeah, I had to reset when I applied the upgrade and that didn't fix it.

Do you own Toy Story 2? I am wondering if the white flashes happen at the same points on your 1070 and my 970. If so, I will tell you where to look.

Why don't you guys post a couple of DVDs and the times that this happens at?

It would help the Outlaws troubleshoot it.

Also I have a 970 on order. When I set it up I could test for this too.

Regards,

Charlie

Toy Story 2 is the only movie I remember remember exactly where a white flash was at, though there were several during my testing scenes in this movie. The issue was present on Episode 3 and U-571 as well. I know I use chapter 15 on U-571 and the opening sequence on Episode 3, but I don't remember exactly where the flashes occured.

It occured on Toy Story 2. A white flash happened right after Buzz Lightyear runs from the spikes and picks himself up on the platform before jumping on the suspended discs. This scene is the opening sequence for the movie.

The flashes were also only when using a component input. After doing a reset on the 970 last night the S-video looked better than it did originally, but the blacks were still pretty poor. I have given my info to Scott and he has been very helpful.

Nope, don't have Toy Story 2, U-571, or Episode 3.

I was using The Big Lebowski (the original, not the recent re-release) where there is a flash shortly after the beginning of chapter 2 just as Woo (the second thug) walks down the hallway.

Probably the best reference to work from here is Digital Video Essentials where I have most definitely noted the flashing. I'd need to pull it back out and work out at least one place where it occurs. I've also noted it a few times in the extended edition of LOTR: The Return of the King, but I'd need to go back and find out when they happen.

Though the problem looks to be with the 1070 alone the DVD player I'm using is a Sony DVP-NS300. The discs seem to have a role in this and it may be that the player does as well. Every little bit helps.

Just threw in The Matrix to check and I found something interesting that makes it rather convenient to check on this problem: start the movie and then stop it (I found this works pretty much any time in chapter 1, but not necessarily in other chapters) and almost immediately after it goes back to the DVD player's title screen the flash shows up. I checked some other discs and they didn't show this . Otherwise it's a pretty quick way to test. Just start, stop, and wait for the flash.

Belgand,
I have the same problem. To be more specific, my "white flashes" appear to be artifacts all over the TV screen. That is, not only in the viewing portion but in the black bars as well.

I basically tried the same troubleshooting as you that ended with the same result: wiring my DVD player and SAT receiver directly to my TV, which works fine. I also noticed that there was no rhyme or reason as to when it happened, i.e. they appeared on all media and channels. This is a hardware problem that needs to be addressed.

Indeed, the flashes appear as a full white flash that covers the entire screen. I've also noticed (although this could just be my mind playing tricks on me as it can be tough to spot) that the scene will often darken just slightly a second or so before the flash occurs. This isn't something that's visible most of the time though, but it's enough that I can sometimes predict a flash.

You said these were on "all media and channels" does that mean you're getting the problem when connecting devices with non-component inputs?

If you haven't checked please try running your DVD player through the composite inputs and checking to see if it's still an issue. That was what I found to be the most perplexing part of this. If it was just adding noise to the signal or amplifying underlying problems with the disc I could understand, but transfering a component signal from a component input to a component output should (I believe) cause less problems than upconverting a composite signal and passing it out through component.

I noticed the white flashes for the first time last night after I connected a second DVD player to the component inputs of my Model 1070. Before connecting the second DVD player, I was using only one set of component inputs, and I didn't have any white flashes. Now I'm using two sets of component inputs, and the video from both DVD players flashes.

In the hope of nailing down this problem, I'd be interested to learn how others with the "white flash" problem are using their component inputs. More specifically:

1) How many component inputs are you using?
2) Which component inputs are you using?
3) Does the problem persist if you only use only one component input?

I hope we see a fix for this soon.

Matt

On the 970 I got, I started with the DVD component input and had the flashes right off the bat. I tried the other two component inputs and had the same issues on all three inputs.

Nope, I'm only using one component input. As I stated originally switching to the other component inputs did not help at all. The same flashes continued to occur at the same time regardless of which input (DVD, Video 2, Video 3) was used.

As well the component inputs were the only video inputs to cause problems. If possible try connecting through the Video 4 inputs on the front panel (unless you really want to dig around in back) with either S-video or composite or both. Does the problem persist?

Personally I only checked composite since my only S-video cable is in-use and would be a PITA to swap around. I deemed that proving that composite did not demonstrate the problem (and my experience of never noticing any issues with devices hooked up via S-video or composite) was sufficient.

I haven't tried any other type of video input aside from component. I'll try it tonight if I get time.

This is curious. I was hoping the problem might be linked to the recent change in my system, but it's probably not. More likely, I just hadn't noticed the white flashes before reading about them in this thread.

My wife certainly had a hard time identifying the problem. Last night, after I began seeing the white flashes, I asked my wife to tell me if she noticed anything strange about the picture while we were watching a movie. The screen flashed about five times over a ten minute period. She didn't notice anything but it was driving me crazy. After about 15 minutes I specifically told her, “Tell me if you see the screen flash.” The screen flashed again and she saw it. Now she can't ignore them either.

Ignorance is bliss.

Matt

Last night, I removed the second DVD player from my system, and, unfortunately, the white flashes persist on the component inputs. As far as I can tell, the composite video inputs aren't affected.

Did anyone else have time to test last night? What were your results?

Matt

It appears that Outlaw is trying to address/recreate this issue. They have sent me a request for equipment list. These guys are great. I don't think I can ever remember an electronics company that has this type of customer service. I feel good about the prospect of getting this issue resolved.

I'll try other video inputs/outputs other than component this weekend.
Ragnar

I got the e-mail too. It's good to see they're working on it.

Indeed. I've worked in customer service for a computer company (*cough*Gateway*cough*, who doesn't want you to know it, but quite predictably outsources all of their customer service and tech. support) and we practically had policies preventing us from being this nice to customers. Since I frequently also had to deal with customer service from a number of other companies I've rarely found anyone who even comes close to this level. Of course, they're a small, consumer-focused company operating in a small portion (enthusiast, online-only) of the market so they have the ability to do things this way.

Once I get my 970 all connected I'll also run a test on Toy Story 2.

I just hope it's not a hardware issue and can be corrected via a software upgrade.

I get the white flash also using component video on my 1070 - it bothered me enough that I switched to svideo on my dvd player.

I also switched my DVD to s-video. I can live with this change while Outlaw fixes the problem.

But I do have a quick question for other 1070 owners with the "white flash" problem: Have you installed the 12-06-05 software update, or do the white flashes also appear with older versions of the firmware?

(I didn't notice the flashes before installing the software update, but that doesn't mean they weren't there.)

Happy holidays, everyone.

Matt

Yes. I stated this in my original post, but I was having the problem before I applied the update. I was initially thinking that it was likely just a loose connection and it would be fixed when I pulled it out of the stack to update. That or something that might be fixed by the update.

No such luck. It has occured both before and after the update.

After seeing this post I was obviously concerned about my most recent purchase (Outlaw 970). Today I was able to set it up briefly to check out the video. I only setup the video section of the processor. I plugged in my X-Box and DVD player over the component inputs. I tried that scene from Toy Story 2 10 times and never saw any white flashes. I was looking really intently for it and saw nothing.

I'll look again after I have instaled it into my whole system, but that is not going to happen until next week.


Regards,

Charlie

I'm glad to hear you don't have the flashes, Charlie. Even with this problem, I really love my 1070 and expect you'll be happy with your 970.

Take care,
Matt