Hello everyone,

I recently bought the LG 30FS4D (my first HDTV) and I'm experiencing an issue with the composite video, oddly enough. I'll give my backstory and hope that this is some type of easy calibration fix..

I noticed that when I was playing a Playstation 2 game (which was hooked up with composite cables), the screen would occasionally jitter very noticeably for a few seconds then return to normal. Over time and testing, it seems like the more that's on-screen, the more likely it occurs. My XBox/360 (hooked up with component cables) never experienced this jitter issue, just as a note. I initially thought the problem was the Playstation 2 or the connections, but I found that my GameCube encountered the same issue as well (also hooked up with composite cables).

I experimented by hooking up my XBox to the TV with composite cables instead of the component and what did I encounter? Yes, the jitter issue! I also plugged the composite cables of the PS2 into a different TV and never found a problem, so it seems reasonable to assume this LG has some problem displaying video sources plugged into the composite inputs (I also tried switching to all 3 composite inputs, all with the same results).

My questions:

Does anyone know why this would be? I don't know enough about the difference between composite vs. component signals, but it seems that's the problem. I haven't come across the jitter problem while watching TV either, which is hooked up via HDMI -> DVI. It's just the composite video..

Is this an 'easy' fix? One that I can perform or no? I do have a Best Buy protection plan, so I suppose I'm covered no matter what it is. I just am curious, as most of this is pretty new to me.

Thank you for reading; I appreciate any help you can provide!

Hello everyone,

I recently bought the LG 30FS4D (my first HDTV) and I'm experiencing an issue with the composite video, oddly enough. I'll give my backstory and hope that this is some type of easy calibration fix..

I noticed that when I was playing a Playstation 2 game (which was hooked up with composite cables), the screen would occasionally jitter very noticeably for a few seconds then return to normal. Over time and testing, it seems like the more that's on-screen, the more likely it occurs. My XBox/360 (hooked up with component cables) never experienced this jitter issue, just as a note. I initially thought the problem was the Playstation 2 or the connections, but I found that my GameCube encountered the same issue as well (also hooked up with composite cables).

I experimented by hooking up my XBox to the TV with composite cables instead of the component and what did I encounter? Yes, the jitter issue! I also plugged the composite cables of the PS2 into a different TV and never found a problem, so it seems reasonable to assume this LG has some problem displaying video sources plugged into the composite inputs (I also tried switching to all 3 composite inputs, all with the same results).

My questions:

Does anyone know why this would be? I don't know enough about the difference between composite vs. component signals, but it seems that's the problem. I haven't come across the jitter problem while watching TV either, which is hooked up via HDMI -> DVI. It's just the composite video..

Is this an 'easy' fix? One that I can perform or no? I do have a Best Buy protection plan, so I suppose I'm covered no matter what it is. I just am curious, as most of this is pretty new to me.

Thank you for reading; I appreciate any help you can provide!

How many composite inputs does this tv have? Have you tried each one of them if there is more then one? I don't know if there is a real easy fix. Since this TV is an HDTV you might as well go buy the PS2 Component Cable or S-Video cable from someplace like Circuit City. Atleast that way you will be able to get the most out of games that are 480p. There should also be S-Video or Component Cables for the Gamecube also.

This TV has 3 composite inputs, all of which I've tested out. They all seem to have this problem displaying video through composite.

I am aware of component cables/s-video for PS2 and GC, but that's not really a fix, as I'd have to spend more money for something I don't really need. In addition, some of the older systems don't have the option for component or s-video.

At any rate, my TV has a problem displaying video through composite cables, in each of the three composite inputs. Perhaps it's just my TV, but either way, it needs to be addressed.

I was hoping someone else has encountered this problem and could say if it is a calibration problem or something bigger.

Here's an update for anyone interested:

I had a Best Buy technician over today to take a look at the problem. I have been trying several different sources plugged in through composite cables over the past week, in an attempt to be as thorough as possible before he got here. Anyhow, after a couple minutes of playing a game on my XBox in front of the technician, I reproduced the jittery video problem (thankfully, as sometimes it takes a while to happen!). He saw the problem from start to finish and then stated it was my XBox. I told him I had experienced the problem several times on various game consoles, but he still felt that it was my video game systems. I even explained to him that I noticed this problem while watching a VHS tape on my VCR, which he didn't seem to believe it. Basically, his explanation was that the video game systems are digital, displaying themselves in an analog fashion through those composite cables or something of that nature. Of course, I couldn't get the problem to reproduce on the VCR (at least not while he was here), so he felt strongly that it was my video game systems, not the TV.

I definitely don't like intermittent problems, but it seems like there is a problem and I just can't believe it's my video game systems since I never experienced this jittery issue on different TVs when my systems were hooked up via composite cables.

Ultimately, we agreed to have it sent in to a shop so someone could monitor it closely. Until then, I'm going to have to watch my VCR more than I have in a long, long time to see if I can definitely make this problem happen on there too.

Has anyone else experienced this problem with composite video? If so, was/is there a fix for it? As I said, I really can't think it's my video game systems because this type of problem has never happened on any of my old TVs.

Thanks for any input!

I have the same set with the same issue. It does this while displaying standard cable channels, and while displaying DVDs sent through a S-VHS cable. The Best Buy tech was wrong I believe. I haven't had a chance to see if it does this over component cables, but I'm fairly positive that its the same issue, since the word 'jitter' is exactly the same way I would describe it. It looks like its dropping every other frame.

It's just bothersome enough to get on my nerves, but yet it only shows up on occasion, and when it does it last for maybe 5 seconds or so and is gone. Half the time other people in the room don't notice it too...


Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I don't have this problem with composite cables... I know this sounds like a long shot, especially since two people have had this same problem. But could it possibly be that the composite cable is too old? On an old SDTV the SNES would jitter because the composite cable was crimped, I stripped the cable and found broken wires inside.