pre-recorded dvd help please

What is the difference between the freebie dvd films that came with the papers and the ones you pay for?

In our case the free ones work and the paid for don't!

The player (Toshiba DR1) is connected via scart to a vcr machine then from there via coax to the TV (the TV only has rf in, the vcr acts as modulator).

It was initially tried using half a dozen free films - all of which play fine. With the bought discs the picture appears, distorts, disappears, re-appears etc.
The only obvious difference is the bought discs are copy protected - anyone got any ideas what could be going on?

 

Might be that your TV or, more likley, the RF converter is susceptable to the Macrovision protection IMHO - which is designed to thwart the copying of the DVD onto Video Cassette.

Having said I would imagine that the freebies would have copy protection also as they are still under copyright with the respective studio/distributor. It may be that they simply don't bother with the Macrovision protection as that's another license fee to pay on what is a product thats given away

HTH

Editied to add - If you're playing the DVD through a video recorder, don't. Connect DVD player directly into the TV.

 

That's the whole point - the TV ONLY HAS coax rf input.
This player has rf out (which was the main reason for chooosing it) BUT it only serves to monitor the rf into the dvd (it's a recorder as well) - it does not playback dvd via it's rf out. Hence using the vcr as a modulator.

I had also looked at a stand alone rf modulator but from what you are saying the same problem may well occur?

 

That is IME your entire problem. Check out the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrovision

You'll need a seperate RF modulator to connect directly to the TV. Or (and I know this is probably out of the question) a TV with a SCART input.

Probably not as the macrovision protection basically messes with the VCR's auto gain control.

 

good link, this:

"or the picture will fade between overly light and dark"

is exactly what it does (amongst other things).

 

A search on google will find devices to crack macrovision.

 

wouldn't you know it - the price of an rf modulator and a macrovision filter is roughly the same - around £30.

 

this may seem a rather harsh comment.. but why not just get a new TV? TV's with scarts are cheap as chips these days.. sainsburys even have 24" widescreen sets for £80 and basic TV's from about £40.

for what you would spend on an RF modulator (which would still only give a very poor quality picture) you really would be better off just getting a new TV and taking advantage of RGB enabled scart

 

nothing is as straightforward as it seems...

Yes you are right cost and quality wise, the reasons for not doing so are:

the old TV works - I would feel bad sending it to the landfill simply because it doesn't have the right socket

we are about to start a major building project so everything is going to get packed up anyway, once that's done, room sorted, we know where the TV will go and so on, then (if there's any money left) we can start looking at replacements

the only reason for a dvd player now is that a recent movie features my products, my wife (and baby) have seen it - I haven't - it was my birthday etc. etc.

 

does the TV not even have a basic composite video input?

 

Nope.

It does have what looks like a din socket though...

Made by GEC McMichael I'd guess late 70's early 80's - when the man from Sky was round (not a youngster) he said he'd done his original training as a TV engineer on one...

Anyway, modulator arrived yesterday (excellent service from letsautomate.com - ordered Monday afternoon, arrived Tuesday - and very prompt replies to emails) and picture is fine.