DVDs on LCD TV - dark scenes too dark

If you have the problem of dark scenes just not working when playing a DVD on a LCD TV - dark areas go completely blank, no detail at all - and all you can find on the net is advice about the TV settings (which doesn't fix it), the answer is: it's the (censored!) Macrovision copy-proofing! :mad: Not the digital 'tell the DVD recorder not to record this disc' signal, but the VCR-defeating brightness variations off the top of the screen. It seems LCD TVs can't deal with this the way CRT TVs can. I found several DVDs were unwatchable due to this problem, putting the signal through a Macrovision remover fixed it completely. :) The difference is drastic. I already had the Mv killer, but why should we have to add another device just so we can watch legit discs?! Is it actually legal for the industry to sell us discs that won't play properly? Email Macrovision and everyone else you can think of and complain!

Comments

  • GormondGormond Posts: 15,838
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    Sounds to me like your TV is dimming the backlight in order to make the blacks look better.
  • NectarNectar Posts: 649
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    Gormond wrote: »
    Sounds to me like your TV is dimming the backlight in order to make the blacks look better.

    Agreed - OP, get a decent TV. Or set it up properly in the first place.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
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    Gormond wrote: »
    Sounds to me like your TV is dimming the backlight in order to make the blacks look better.
    Nectar wrote: »
    Agreed - OP, get a decent TV. Or set it up properly in the first place.
    It's not the backlight, it's a perfectly good recent TV and I DO know how to set it up. (Am electronics engineer and made my own Mv-killer). This problem only happens on copy-proofed discs, broadcast and my own recorded discs look fine. No amount of tweaking the settings works, chopping off the Macrovision cures the problem instantly and totally.
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    Get a DVD player that can turn it off or does not implement it. There's no macrovision on my Denon 1920 DVD player (I send pictures to a kitchen TV by a RF modulator). Not tried my Sony BD player but I would think that's macrovision free.

    Noone these days want's to copy dvd's using cvbs.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,270
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    There's no macrovision on my Denon 1920 DVD player (I send pictures to a kitchen TV by a RF modulator).

    How does that prove there's no MacroVision? - unless by 'RF modulator' you mean a VCR?.
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    How does that prove there's no MacroVision? - unless by 'RF modulator' you mean a VCR?.

    I have a external Rf modulator so it's identical to a vcr. It uses the cvbs output, with macrovision you can't get a stable picture from cvbs via a modulator. The previous dvd player connected to the same kit could not be used to play back commercial dvd's with macrovision unless macrovision was disabled in the menus (Yelo 800)
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,270
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    I have a external Rf modulator so it's identical to a vcr.

    No, it's entirely different to a VCR - MacroVision works by upsetting the internal AGC for recording in the VCR - there's no AGC in just a modulator, so it has absolutely no effect on it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
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    A quote from < http://copydvd.co.uk/ >
    'Disrupted or degraded picture quality can prevent legitimate viewing of some video material on monitors, plasma tv and some lcd tv's as the macrovision signal confuses the video automatic gain control circuits'
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
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    Nigel G: as you're a TV service engineer, I'd be interested in your opinion on this. Do most of the LCD TVs you've seen cope with the Macrovision brightness variations, the way CRT TVs do? Have you had people complaining of the dark scenes too dark problem?
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    No, it's entirely different to a VCR - MacroVision works by upsetting the internal AGC for recording in the VCR - there's no AGC in just a modulator, so it has absolutely no effect on it.

    Why could I not use it with macrovision turned on with the yelo800 ?

    Why was a direct scart the only way to watch the output until macrovision was disabled. ?

    The vcr in the study won't deliver a picture to my pc analogue inputs when playing commercial tapes but it will using my camcorder as a digitiser connected by firewire to the same pc.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,270
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    Fenris wrote: »
    Nigel G: as you're a TV service engineer, I'd be interested in your opinion on this. Do most of the LCD TVs you've seen cope with the Macrovision brightness variations, the way CRT TVs do? Have you had people complaining of the dark scenes too dark problem?

    I've never seen a problem, or heard of any complaints.

    TV's don't normally (I've never seen one that does) apply AGC as a recorder does.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,270
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    Why could I not use it with macrovision turned on with the yelo800 ?

    Why was a direct scart the only way to watch the output until macrovision was disabled. ?

    Presumably a cheap crap DVD Player, that doesn't output the correct signal?. Bear in mind there is no MacroVision on ANY DVD disc - just a signal to inform the player. When the player reads that information off the disc, it adds MacroVison itself to the analogue outputs of the player.

    Digital satellite is just the same, no MacroVision on the broadcasts, but the receiver can be flagged to add it to the analogue outputs.

    The vcr in the study won't deliver a picture to my pc analogue inputs when playing commercial tapes but it will using my camcorder as a digitiser connected by firewire to the same pc.

    Macrovision is an analogue protection scheme, based on how AGC works in VCR's - basically the AGC measures the signal level on the 'back porch' of the video signal. MacroVison either adds an extra high back porch signal, or adds a continually varying one.

    It "shouldn't" affect TV's because there's no video AGC used (or required). If your camcorder accepts it OK, then it's either not using video AGC, or it's doing it at some other place than the back porch.

    Incidently, many BetaMax recorders would remove MacroVision as you recorded a VHS tape to them - as most didn't use the same AGC method as VHS.
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