pgtr
03-19-09, 09:31 PM
DVD Player Cannot Display Subtitles via Component?
Equipment:
LCD HDTV: Samsung LN52A550 (2008 model)
DVD Player: Toshiba SD-2109 (1999 model)
Connection: Direct Component (Y Pr Pb)
For the third time since getting an HDTV I thought I'd encountered another flawed or scratched DVD disc. But the fact that each was a foreign language film requiring subtitles made me begin to suspect the problem could be elsewhere...
SYMPTOMS:
========
When playing a DVD requiring subtitles such as a foreign language film - each time the subtitle text appears on the bottom of the screen, lines quickly appear at the bottom of the screen, spread throughout the picture and distort the entire picture ultimately. Then the TV goes to black and reports "No Signal". Just as quickly the picture re-emerges clearly until the next subtitle text appears. This essentially makes any DVD requiring subtitles unviewable. (if you are a speed reader you might get 50% of the text but would have to tolerate the constant screen distorting on and off...) Periods of silence or lacking subtitle text look just fine (as does any standard film in English not requiring subtitles).
HISTORY:
=======
Otherwise the DVD player works great - fantastic picture etc. Until a couple months ago it's always been hooked to a CRT television and used the S-Video outputs - I've never used the component outputs all these years until just recently.
ATTEMPTS TO FIX:
===============
So now I start suspecting the DVD player rather than the discs. I take it apart, check any internal ribbon connectors between boards, apply a lens cleaner to the DVD reader, put it back together, try swapping different component cables in - etc. Swap in different component cables. Try a 2nd component input on the TV. Review all DVD menu settings especially those affectings video or subtitles. Problem occurs with all subtitles regardless of language. Still no joy.
LIMITED SUCCESS BUT:
===================
So I bypass component cables altogether and try an S-Video connector - it works! no distortion, just clear legible subtitle text (albeit with a lower quality picture obviously). Same for Composite Video. These are what I've used to use for 8 or 9 years and subtitles always worked in the past so no real surprise there I guess.
So I'm thinking there's a problem with my DVD player - specifically it's ability to display subtitles while outputing via Component Video but...
POSSIBILITIES WIDEN:
===================
I then experimented with connecting the DVDs Composite Video output to the TV's Component 'Y' input (leaving the TV's Pb and Pr input connectors open). It produced a pale black and white image as one might expect but AGAIN it distorted the picture as before when subtitles appear...
QUESTIONS:
=========
This tells us the problem is not unique to the DVD's component outputs. They can also be recreated by intentionally hooking the DVD's composite output to the TV's component Y input. Though moving that same composite cable over to the composite input - displayed corrected...?
Googling produced no similar problems by others.
Anybody seen or heard of such an issue w/ a (older) DVD player?
Does this infer the TV is at fault? (it's still under warranty)
Could there be some sort of mismatch or incompatibility between the new TV and relatively old DVD player video signals?
My next step will be to ask around and hopefully borrow someone elses (newer) DVD player and see what happens with subtitles over a component video connection.
I don't have any other TVs with component inputs or I'd test my player on another TV. I may similarly take my DVD player somewhere else to test it.
Equipment:
LCD HDTV: Samsung LN52A550 (2008 model)
DVD Player: Toshiba SD-2109 (1999 model)
Connection: Direct Component (Y Pr Pb)
For the third time since getting an HDTV I thought I'd encountered another flawed or scratched DVD disc. But the fact that each was a foreign language film requiring subtitles made me begin to suspect the problem could be elsewhere...
SYMPTOMS:
========
When playing a DVD requiring subtitles such as a foreign language film - each time the subtitle text appears on the bottom of the screen, lines quickly appear at the bottom of the screen, spread throughout the picture and distort the entire picture ultimately. Then the TV goes to black and reports "No Signal". Just as quickly the picture re-emerges clearly until the next subtitle text appears. This essentially makes any DVD requiring subtitles unviewable. (if you are a speed reader you might get 50% of the text but would have to tolerate the constant screen distorting on and off...) Periods of silence or lacking subtitle text look just fine (as does any standard film in English not requiring subtitles).
HISTORY:
=======
Otherwise the DVD player works great - fantastic picture etc. Until a couple months ago it's always been hooked to a CRT television and used the S-Video outputs - I've never used the component outputs all these years until just recently.
ATTEMPTS TO FIX:
===============
So now I start suspecting the DVD player rather than the discs. I take it apart, check any internal ribbon connectors between boards, apply a lens cleaner to the DVD reader, put it back together, try swapping different component cables in - etc. Swap in different component cables. Try a 2nd component input on the TV. Review all DVD menu settings especially those affectings video or subtitles. Problem occurs with all subtitles regardless of language. Still no joy.
LIMITED SUCCESS BUT:
===================
So I bypass component cables altogether and try an S-Video connector - it works! no distortion, just clear legible subtitle text (albeit with a lower quality picture obviously). Same for Composite Video. These are what I've used to use for 8 or 9 years and subtitles always worked in the past so no real surprise there I guess.
So I'm thinking there's a problem with my DVD player - specifically it's ability to display subtitles while outputing via Component Video but...
POSSIBILITIES WIDEN:
===================
I then experimented with connecting the DVDs Composite Video output to the TV's Component 'Y' input (leaving the TV's Pb and Pr input connectors open). It produced a pale black and white image as one might expect but AGAIN it distorted the picture as before when subtitles appear...
QUESTIONS:
=========
This tells us the problem is not unique to the DVD's component outputs. They can also be recreated by intentionally hooking the DVD's composite output to the TV's component Y input. Though moving that same composite cable over to the composite input - displayed corrected...?
Googling produced no similar problems by others.
Anybody seen or heard of such an issue w/ a (older) DVD player?
Does this infer the TV is at fault? (it's still under warranty)
Could there be some sort of mismatch or incompatibility between the new TV and relatively old DVD player video signals?
My next step will be to ask around and hopefully borrow someone elses (newer) DVD player and see what happens with subtitles over a component video connection.
I don't have any other TVs with component inputs or I'd test my player on another TV. I may similarly take my DVD player somewhere else to test it.