Interference

[VA561]

I have a 1960 rca color tv. I use the dvd player through an rf converter to play color programs. It is the same rca brand converter that I use when I play dvds on my 1950 Philco. Here is the problem that I am having. When I play shows on the dvd player, whether they are 30 minutes or an hour, everything works fine. When I attempt to play a movie I get some sort of interference as indicated by the picture. It only seems to happen when I play movies and it does't matter if they are old or new films.
This only happens on my color tv. not on my black & white Philco. It doesn't make any sense. I switched dvd players and switched from channel 3 to 4. The interference will stay there for about 4 seconds, then disappear for about 2 seconds and repeat the cycle over and over again. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[fujifrontier]

It's more than likely Macrovision or some sort of copy protection. My Philco colour roundie does the same thing (when you can convince it to show a picture), and so does my newly found Sony KV-1212. I'm almost a little glad to see yours does it exactly like my Philco does, that's one less thing I have to worry about on mine.

[miniman82]

Macrovision...

You need a TBC (timebase corrector), since the copy protection info if placed in the sync areas of the signal if I am interpreting how it works correctly. Search the net for copy protection remover.

[bgadow]

It's interesting how some sets pick it up while others miss it. I recall my Zenith roundie having trouble with it, while a cheapo 60s DuMont shows nothing. Maybe it really takes a more advanced set to pick that unwanted signal up?

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by miniman82

Search the net for copy protection remover.

Or search for "video stabilizer." I got one and it removes this kind of hash from my DVDs:



Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[mstaton]

Or just buy a Philips DVP-642/37 DVD player. I downgraded the firmware to 0531, no more macrovision. Early ones escaped the factory with this firmware, region-macrovision free! I can email the firmware if you have a player like this already. Video stabilizers are OK but one less thing in the path this way and the players are cheap and plentiful.

[ctc17]

I use a video stabilizer too. It gets rid if almost all of it.

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by mstaton

Or just buy a Philips DVP-642/37 DVD player. I downgraded the firmware to 0531, no more macrovision. Early ones escaped the factory with this firmware, region-macrovision free! I can email the firmware if you have a player like this already. Video stabilizers are OK but one less thing in the path this way and the players are cheap and plentiful.

I have a fairly new Phillips one but it's black, how do you change the firmware??

[holmesuser01]

I've got a macrovision box that I bought in the mid 1980's. I've re-capped it, and rebuilt the power supply twice, and it still runs, making my CTC-10 look good, along with any other sets that are running off the same modulator line.

[Penthode]

The Macrovision protection introduces high amplitude pulses at the end of the vertical blanking interval. If the set has slow vertical retrace the Macrovision pulses will be seen. You will see the pulses on an oscilloscope or waveform monitor.

Either the signal can be modified to block the pulses from the last few VBI lines or else the vertical retrace blanking circuitry of the set modified to conceal the pulses. I did the former once with a circuit I built to block the active line during vertical retrace while gating in the horizontal sync.

It is funny how the composite analog video interface was used to convey all sorts of extra junk over the years.

[mstaton]

You need the model I posted. You can check on the net with your model number to see if it can be done. If its a 642, I can email it to you

Originally Posted by zenithfan1

I have a fairly new Phillips one but it's black, how do you change the firmware??