Q: B&W output from muliformat VCR

[Jeremy]

I've got a Sharp mulitformat VCR (pal, secam, NTSC) that seems to want to only
playback in black & white. I'm sure I had it playing back in color before, but
as I don't have the manual for the machine I don't know if this is a setting I
can't find yet (hopefully) or something has broken in the VCR. I've never
heard of a VCR losing it's ability to display color - is that possible, and if
anyone have any idea which component would be responsible??

Thanks for any help! Please followup to the group or email [email protected]

thanks again!!

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

I've got a Sharp mulitformat VCR (pal, secam, NTSC) that seems to want to
only
playback in black & white. I'm sure I had it playing back in color
before, but
as I don't have the manual for the machine I don't know if this is a
setting I
can't find yet (hopefully) or something has broken in the VCR. I've never
heard of a VCR losing it's ability to display color - is that possible,
and if
anyone have any idea which component would be responsible??

Thanks for any help! Please followup to the group or email
[email protected]

thanks again!!

Many of these multi format models have a switch on the front panel for color
/ black-and-white. A newer model might have it in the menus.

Mark Z.

 

[Andy Cuffe]

I've got a Sharp mulitformat VCR (pal, secam, NTSC) that seems to want to only
playback in black & white. I'm sure I had it playing back in color before, but
as I don't have the manual for the machine I don't know if this is a setting I
can't find yet (hopefully) or something has broken in the VCR. I've never
heard of a VCR losing it's ability to display color - is that possible, and if
anyone have any idea which component would be responsible??

Thanks for any help! Please followup to the group or email [email protected]

thanks again!!

Make sure you have it set to output the correct format for your TV.
If it's outputting PAL and you have an NTSC TV, you will see a B/W
picture. Even a multi standard TV might not be able to display all
formats in color.
Andy Cuffe

[email protected] <-- Use this address until 12/31/2005

[email protected] <-- Use this address after 12/31/2005

 

[Jona Vark]

Are you using an SVideo connection by any chance?

 

[Jeremy]

Are you using an SVideo connection by any chance?

I'm using the yellow rca video connector, if that's S-video (sorry for being so
dumb, but thanks for all the replies!)

 

[Jona Vark]

says...

I'm using the yellow rca video connector, if that's S-video (sorry for being so
dumb, but thanks for all the replies!)

ok.. that's a composite video connector.. Sometimes a bad S Video cable can
result in B/W images..

sorry..

 

[Jeremy]

Make sure you have it set to output the correct format for your TV.
If it's outputting PAL and you have an NTSC TV, you will see a B/W
picture. Even a multi standard TV might not be able to display all
formats in color.
Andy Cuffe

Thanks Andy, is it possible this so-called 'multiformat' vcr only outputs in
PAL and is not switchable to NTSC?? I had assumed it was made for people in
North America to watch PAL tapes on, but maybe it is made for people outside of
North America to watch NTSC tapes. Actually I assumed multiformat means input
and output of all formats listed on the door of the tape slot, meaning anyone
could use it to watch tapes no matter what kind. If that's not
the case, would the guy who sold it to me be obligated to refund my money or
should I have known what I was buying??

 

[Laurence Payne]

ok.. that's a composite video connector.. Sometimes a bad S Video cable can
result in B/W images..

Or a good one, feeding an input that doesn't recognise the chrominance
signal. Many domestic SCART inputs are like this. The pin's
there, but it's not connected to anything.

 

[b]

I've got a Sharp mulitformat VCR (pal, secam, NTSC) that seems to want to only
playback in black & white. I'm sure I had it playing back in color before, but
as I don't have the manual for the machine I don't know if this is a setting I
can't find yet (hopefully) or something has broken in the VCR. I've never
heard of a VCR losing it's ability to display color - is that possible, and if
anyone have any idea which component would be responsible??

a few basics first....

1) what tv have you hooked it up to ? is it multisystem? (i assume you
are in N. America)
2) what standard is the tape you are trying to play?
3) are the symptoms the same on PAL and NTSC tapes? speeds?
4) model of machine?? (I have a sharp VC-890ET multisystem deck)
5) have you tried it on a different monitor?

if still faulty, could be a dry joint on a crytal on the relevant
chroma section...but check the above first and post back!
-Ben

 

[Jeremy]

1) what tv have you hooked it up to ? is it multisystem? (i assume you
are in N. America)
2) what standard is the tape you are trying to play?
3) are the symptoms the same on PAL and NTSC tapes? speeds?
4) model of machine?? (I have a sharp VC-890ET multisystem deck)
5) have you tried it on a different monitor?

if still faulty, could be a dry joint on a crytal on the relevant
chroma section...but check the above first and post back!
-Ben

I think it is a multi-format VCR not multi-system. Multi-system means it has a
converter built in which this one apparently doesn't because you need a
multi-format TV to view it or a TV of the format the tape you're playing from
the VCR is. If you play a PAL tape through an NTSC tv it goes in black &
white. The vcr model is VC-MH300

 

[b]

I think it is a multi-format VCR not multi-system. Multi-system means it has a
converter built in which this one apparently doesn't because you need a
multi-format TV to view it or a TV of the format the tape you're playing from
the VCR is. If you play a PAL tape through an NTSC tv it goes in black &
white. The vcr model is VC-MH300

Ok. what you have there is a multistandard vcr, but without standards
conversion, since, as you say, you need a Tv monitor of the system you
are playing back.
it is correct then that you're getting a B&W picture with pal to NTSC.
The NTSC colour subcarrier is 3.58 and PAL is 4.43.
what would, however, be incorrect is having b&w from NTSC tapes on the
NTSC set! does this happen?
-B.

 

[Dimitrios Tzortzakakis]

My VCR, sony EE-150E has two switches or playback standards:1.color system
:auto/pal-mesecam/ntsc and playbackn pal tv/ntsc 4.43.Have you checked
that your VCR has a similar switch, maybe in the back panel, that can
playback on the standard your tv is?