[HTbuph]

In setting up my scaler yesterday (I'd like to use it as a switcher between my dvd player and hi-def STB), I had trouble getting my NEC CRT to sync with the passthrough from my STB. The pj said the it couldn't sync with the horizontal or something like that. I was passing the STB through one of the vga ports on the back of cyrstal image. The cable between the stb and the scaler has 5-bncs on one end and a 15-pin connector on the other. What I see on the screen when I select the vga passthrough using the remote is a myriad of horizontal lines that flicker in and out with no image coming up, and the message from the pj about the horizontal rate.


I am using a panasonic hdsu-20 with the video out set to native.


When I send the signal directly from the STB to the projector, I get a beautiful picture. The problems start only when I put the scaler in line between the stb and the pj. I am beginning to wonder if the scaler is truly passing the signal through, or it is trying to scale the signal when it shouldn't.


Does anybody have any idea what is going on here?


Thanks,

Tim

 

[clopez]

Hi there

First,

Are the connectors for the Horiz/Vertical Sync hooked up correctly.


Second,

Is the device setup up to do sync on green by mistake.


Third,

Feed the signal to the projector then do setup of the signal source on the NEC. Make sure its not trying to lock on to a different sync signal than what you are sending. My NEC sometimes does that and I have to turn it off, turn off my CrystalImage scaler and turn on the scaler first, then set it to vga then turn on the projector on last.


Sorry I dont have a firm solution just things I would check.


clopez

 

[HTbuph]

Your first point made me realize something. Since the cable I am using is a 15-pin connector on one end and 5-bnc on the other, I am really not able to tell which bnc is for horiz and which is for vert sync. I'll have to try both and see if that is the problem.


thanks

 

[David F]

I had this exact same problem with the CI and the Panasonic HDS20, and a custom cable from bettercables.com. You will have to ship the CI to AVSource in California. They had to make an internal adjustment to make the CI work with the Panny. (They never really did explain what change they had to make, but it worked perfectly once I got it back.) There's unfortunately nothing you as an end user can do.


Mine was the first unit they modified and they paid for shipping of both the CI and Panasonic box both ways. You shouldn't need to ship the Panny since they now know what's wrong, but they might ask you to fork over shipping at least one way on the CI. Give them a call. The number is (818) 701-9073.

 

[David F]

I'm guessing your error message said, "H-frequency over limit! Cannot signal entry." Right?

 

[HTbuph]

Yes, David, that was the message.


I went down this morning and switched around the horizontal and vertical sync BNCs. I still had the same problem, but not the message. I managed to get the input select display to stay up long enough that I could select the correct input for the panny hi-def. That allowed the video to be displayed correctly, but the NEC said it was an unregistered signal. So I simply did a new entry and copied the previous entry I had for the panny when it was directly connected to the NEC. That did it. I turned the NEC off and on again to make sure I didn't have to go through everything again...I didn't. But your story makes me wonder if I won't have the same problem again.


If I continue to have the problem, I'll give them a buzz. Thing is, I just had the CI returned from them last week and don't really want to send it back out again.


Thanks

 

[David F]

Well, if you got it fixed, that's great. I tried multiple cables, different scalers and STBs (a friend came over with different equipment), I posted multiple messages here on the forum, to no avail. I even tested the VGA pins to make sure they matched the schematic from the CI manual.


I could never get the NEC to accept the input. If I tried to force-select the 1080i input in the projector I still got the same message. I'm glad you were able to work it out. If you're getting a picture you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[HTbuph]

It was something of a hassle, no doubt. The signal the NEC was receiving from the CI vga passthrough threw the NEC for a loop, I guess. But once I got the NEC to apply the previously saved settings to the vga passthrough signal, it settled down. Even though it said it was an unregistered signal, I at least had video that I could register and work with.


Thanks . All is good now, hi-def and dvd.

 

[DMan]

Quote:

I am using a panasonic hdsu-20 with the video out set to native.

This is also part of the problem. This native setting will require the projector to have to sync to many different resolutions (1920x1080i, 1280x720p, 640x480p)


You could actually set your Panasonic STB to output 720p (1280x720) and then if you're running your CI output at 1280x720 then the projector would only need one memory. That is if the Sync Polarity matches between the stb RGB output and the CI RGB output.

 

[HTbuph]

I'll have to try that and see how it works out.


Thanks Darren!