No Composite Video or S-Video output
May 28, 2011 11:39 AM   Subscribe

DVD player can only output to HDMI or Component but not Composite or S-Video. Can I fix this?

A friend gave me her Toshiba DR-6 (DVD Player/Recorder), without any video cables or remote control, for free as she complained she only got sound from the device. She has never had it fully working before.

The device has 4 video output method (Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI). I tested all four methods with existing working cables and only two, Component and HDMI, worked.

The TV that I want to hook this up to has no HDMI input, and getting new Component cables seems like it would cost more than to purchase a new player in the first place.

Are there any other reasons why this would happen barring faulty outputs? Is there a secret button sequence to press to reset the device without using a remote control?
posted by lucia_engel to Technology (11 answers total)
 
Best answer: a 6-foot set of component cables costs about $4 + s&h (about $7 for me) from monoprice. That's probably what I would do, as it's less than the player.
posted by deezil at 12:04 PM on May 28, 2011


Seconding monoprice for great prices on cabling
posted by buggzzee23 at 12:05 PM on May 28, 2011


Also, if you happen to live in the Cucamonga area, you can will call monoprice orders and save the cost of shipping.
posted by buggzzee23 at 12:07 PM on May 28, 2011


Also, there's not any difference between component cables and standard RCA cables. So, if you have a spare set of red-white-yellow cables they will work fine. Or two sets of stereo audio cables.
posted by The Lamplighter at 1:23 PM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


Also, there's not any difference between component cables and standard RCA cables. So, if you have a spare set of red-white-yellow cables they will work fine. Or two sets of stereo audio cables.

Depends on who made the cable. Cheap RCA audio cables are usually twisted pair. For video, you want coax.

Twisted pair will work, but the video quality will suffer and there will be noise in it.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:49 PM on May 28, 2011


Best answer: This is probably happening if the player is set to progessive scan. Since composite and s-video can't do compressive scan, they're probably not getting any output. Many players have a physical switch on the back to toggle between interlaced and progressive. If not, you'll have to hook it up to something that can take a progressive signal and switch to interlaced with the player's menus.
posted by zsazsa at 2:53 PM on May 28, 2011


Also, there's not any difference between component cables and standard RCA cables. So, if you have a spare set of red-white-yellow cables they will work fine. Or two sets of stereo audio cables.

This is wrong. As Chocolate Pickle notes, a video cable is coaxial.

The player is not currently set to output interlaced. This can be changed via the remote, through the menu system or a dedicated button, or a switch on the machine. But why bother? Just get some component cables for 5 or 6 dollars.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2011


You'll be fine with any 3 rca cables you pull out of your junk drawer as long as they are roughly the same length and not longer than 5 feet or so.
posted by jmsta at 5:41 PM on May 28, 2011


zsazsa has it.

Even if you decide to set the player up with component, you will want to switch the component output to interlaced, because interlaced content with progressive outputs can cause older displays to choke.
posted by infinitewindow at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks all. I was able to program my atlas universal remote (came with cable box) to use the DVD player and turned off progressive mode.

Toshiba DR-6 device code 1008. Found advanced codes here.

Thanks for the suggestion on where to get cheap cables too. I'm in Canada but that site seems to have fairly reasonable price+Cdn shipping. I was looking for a component AV cable on newegg.ca and it costs $30 on sale.
posted by lucia_engel at 7:29 PM on May 28, 2011


Whereabouts in Canada? If it's in the Lower Mainland, I have some free ones you can have.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:37 PM on May 28, 2011


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