Scrolling lines with PS3 on old Sony Trinitron

March 16, 2008 9:09 PM

So I just got a new (old) tv from my parents, and it's not fully co-operating with my Playstation 3.

So my parents just gave me one of their older tvs. It's a Sony Trinitron KV-27FV16. After hooking it up to my PS3 with RCA composite cables (not sure if the term is right, it's the three red white and yellow connectors), I notice I'm getting a few scrolling horizontal lines that distort the colour of the image. It's not too big a deal, but it is a bit distracting.

This happens with all the input areas on the tv and trying various cables, but does not happen with my PS2.

So it seems to be a PS3/TV compatibilty problem. How can I fix this? Would an S Video cable work better, or is it a matter of resolution? I think the PS3 is outputting a 420p signal, which the tv might not be able to handle, because it's probably about 7 years old. Although the TV I was playing on before is 20 years old and didn't have any problems like this.

Please tell me there's a fix for this, because this TV was meant to give me a better gaming experience without having to buy a new TV.

posted by yellowbinder to technology (5 comments total)

I am not an electrician, but this guy suggests that it could be a ground loop problem. Try unplugging everything else from your television (cable/antenna, other AV inputs) when you try the PS3 and see if that's the problem.
posted by ALongDecember at 9:44 PM on March 16

Further info: It doesn't happen with your PS2 because the PS2's AC Adapter does not have a ground (third) plug. For some reason the PS3 has one, even though other consumer electronics I own (Wii, Sony HDTV, cable box, PS2, Sony stereo system) do not. If you read the thread I link to and other threads in the google search, there's many debates on whether it is safe to use change the three-prong AC adapter to a 2-pronged one using this adapter, thus eliminating the "ground loop". I honestly do not know much about electrical issues, so I suggest what one person in that thread stated: either unplug the other cables from your television or try plugging the PS3 into a different outlet than their television. Perhaps it will be on a different circuit and will fix the problem.

Also make sure you have adjusted the display settings on the PS3 for a traditional AV cable that only supports 480i.
posted by ALongDecember at 10:10 PM on March 16

Try an S-Video cable. They're cheap and the video quality will improve significantly.
posted by ostranenie at 3:58 AM on March 17

Thanks very much, it does indeed seem to be a ground loop problem. I unplugged the television coax cable and everything seems fine. Might be a bit of a hassle to unplug it every time I want to play, but I guess it's better than taking an electrical risk adapting or snapping off the third prong as suggested in the linked thread.
posted by yellowbinder at 5:57 AM on March 17

You don't have to do that. Just run the cable through a cable isolator which will lift the ground of the cable going into your set so you have one ground, the ground at the electrical outlet, thereby eliminating your hum.
posted by caddis at 7:40 AM on March 17