Just bought a Philips Widescreen TV and I've been setting things up...everything seems fine but oddly the Hitachi Stereo VCR only seems to come up as a mono source whether it's via the scart connection or through the RF...

The other non-video channels are in stereo with no problems...also I've tried out my Freeview box through scart (in stereo) and PS2 via the composite (again fine)...also I've changed scart leads and tried another socket on the TV (but it only seems to read a signal for VCR on one socket)...

Had a look on the VCR settings can't see anything...

So am I doing something wrong, is there a prob or is there anything I can try?

Thanks...

is your tv reporting that it is a mono source?

Your TV won't get a stereo signal from the VCR via RF, not even when watching the VCR's tuner rather than a tape. You can only get stereo via the SCART.

I presume you've tried the other equipment in the same SCART socket on the TV as you tried the VCR, if not try.

I'm surprised that the TV can't see the VCR on another socket particularly since you say it can see a composite PS2 signal. This should look the same to the TV as the VCR.

Things to try:

Make sure you have the VCR reading playing a good stereo source and make sure it's playing the stereo tracks (and not the mono track or just one of the stereo channels only).

If the VCR has stereo out phono sockets for connection to a amp check this.

Get a SCART lead with phone out connectors and connect these to amp etc. and try that.

If none of these work then it's almost certainly a faulty VCR I'm afraid.

Is the VCR set up for stereo?

Most NICAM ones have a mono/stereo/stereo hifi audio set up.

It should be set to "Stereo Hi-Fi" and not any of the others...

Weird thing is that when I left it last night mono as could be...turn it all on this morning and suddenly it's in stereo though the scart...and I have absolutely no explanation for it, as I changed diddley squat...

I had a browse around at http://www.avforums.com ...and found a post where someone said the had a similar problem with the set I've just got (may have been the 28" model my one a 24" Philips 6006)...so perhaps it's a bit funny like that with sources....

Anyway seems fine now...pretty good widescreen set for £260...only drawback is the black screen border is a little wider on the right side to the left and it can catch your eye a little...but I'm sure that will be less noticeable in time...

We must remember - when you play a Nicam/Stereo soundtrack through a SCART onto a Nicam Stereo tv, the tv will not display the "Nicam light". Many people think this is a Stereo light, and when it doesnt light up, they think they have a prob. It's just that the tv light or indicator "see's" Nicam Stereo but not "Stereo" (on most brands anyway). The sound will be in Stereo however, but the light or indicator stays out.

It was the indicator on screen was saying mono...and it was very much mono...I know I've worked with audio for years

The other thing i've noticed is the bottom of the screen is slightly lower on the left than the right....None of this is enough to return the set but don't they centre these things properly when they fit them?

i would guess it was caused by either the left or right audio pin in the scart lead being lose or just the scart lead not being connected tightly at the TV or VCR end explaining how the sound suddenly came into stereo, if the problem happens again check first that the leads are in tightly on both ends and if that doesnt help try a different scart lead, preferably one that you know delivers stereo sound ok

Things seem fine now...just got a little ghosting so I am going to invest in some well shielded scart cables

This is a bit odd... I've been using the TV more today than at anytime since I set it up on Sunday and I was watching the footie tonight and in the bottom left hand corner I could see some, what I can only describe as, darker marking. I thinik it was in some way highlighted by the green pitch...

Anyway, I did a check on an empty AV channel by turning up the brightness to get a grey screen and noticed there is a minor but apparent screen issue...

I think the problem appears worse the longer the set is on...currently I'm leaving it on to see what happens...

Can anyone tell me what the problem may be and what should I do? Isn't it the case that unless a problem is crystal clear obvious that the reseller won't do anything?...

Do you have any speakers or mains cables near the screen?

If so, move them away and the picture should recover in time.

Regards

d_d_l

Could it be the internal speaker doing something it shouldn't?..The nearest mains plug is about 5-6 feet away...and the freeview box and video are closer to the right hand side of the TV...

If I'm going to be 100% accurate the problem is not right in the left bottom corner but slightly further 3-4 inches to the right
Last edited by Deanzee : 12-06-2003 at 01:22

Press MENU, go to FEATURES, choose ROTATION.
From here you can slightly rotate image so it stays straight.

They do centre these things properly, but the large screen sets are sensitive to terrestrial magnetic field variations so you may have to re-adjust it if you move the set to a different place.

Turn your set off (I mean power off and not just standby) for about 5 minutes, and then back on. The dark patches should be gone now.

These colour spots appear when peaple leave their sets in standby rather than switching off.
They can also appear if you have too much brightness/contract.

Be a first if they do!!


This is deguassing. The control mechanism for this is usually when the set is cold. Most I believe even degauss from standby providing the set has been in standby for long enough for it to cool down so it shouldn't make a difference if it's switched off. Even if it's switched off you still have to leave it long enough to cool before switching it on again for the set to degauss. This degaussing is most obvious to owners of Sony's since when it degausses the sets "grunt" when you switch them on from off or standby. If you do a quick on and off the set will come on without "grunting" since it is warm and will not degauss when warm.

It's still there this morning...admittedly to a lesser degree...but I haven't had it on for an extended period today...

Anyway I'm getting it checked out...it may be pretty minor but a new set shouldn't have any probs..I'd probably leave it if it was a year or two old...

I just hope they don't send some half blind divvy round who knows less about it than i do...it might be hard for them to spot as I said earlier it's only really noticeable on green (last night's footy) and grey or with the brightest to the max...

Seems after doing all a bit of research and having someone round that a shadow or darker marking is a pretty usual with widescreen tv's and mine is about average...

Sadly very little one can do about it...I was told it could get better over time and wouldn't get worse...not so sure myself...I'm just glad it cost £260 and not a grand.

Perhaps manufacturers should put out a similar warning/advisory to that that made in relation to broken/duff pixels on LCD screens...

my sanyo only has Nicam Auto or Off

Same on my Sanyo, and the shared Pani.

On my Sanyo on SCART sources you can select, Left Channel, Right Channel or Stereo too.

Don't know your particular Sanyo machine, but I am not talking about NICAM.

Most modern stereo VCRs can record in HiFi sound from any source - not just NICAM.

NICAM is only the means of receiving stereo reception off air and has nothing to do with the way the recorder lays down the stereo tracks - and that's the audio setting I was talking about.

Look under "HiFi stereo" in the manual and see what it says...

mine is a sanyo vhr768e