What's new

Rolling Picture/Interference On DVD (1 Viewer)

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
DVDs and DVD players are definitely better than VHS tapes and VCRs. But the one thing they lack is a tracking control. In the days of the VHS tape,the box from Blockbuster always said"IF THE PICTURE ROLLS OR HAS A LOT OF "INTERFERENCE" ADJUST THE TRACKING CONTROL ON YOUR VCR."

This solves 90% of all picture problems. If this doesn't solve the problem,adjust your TV controls. If problems persist,bring the cassette back to the store.

But since DVD players don't have a tracking control,what should I do if the picture rolls or has a lot of "Interference"?
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
DVD players don't have a tracking control because they don't need one. They don't have long strips of tape being drawn across read/write heads that can "drift" up and down, which is what a tracking control is for. And VCRs had such controls because the problem was common and predictable. A DVD player should never exhibit such behavior. If there is anything remotely like that going on you've either got a defective DVE player or something outside the DVD player is the source of the problem.

If you're having problems with the picture "rolling" or interference, I'd check the TV first. Then check your connections. If it isn't either of those things you probably have an electrical problem.

Post the make and model of all you components (TV, DVD player, AV receiver if you're using one) and how they're all connected to one another and then how the power connections are being made. Maybe we can spot the source of the problem.

Regards,

Joe
 

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
What's a DVE? While I'm not having any problems with my DVD player right now,I just want to know what to do if that ever happens,given the fact that NetFlix sleeves give pretty weird instructions on what to do if the DVD doesn't play.
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
What's a DVE?
???? In what context? I never mentioned "DVE" in my post, so I'm not sure where you encountered the initials. There is a disc designed for adjusting your TV's user-accessible controls called Digital Video Essentials, which is often abbreviated as DVE, but since neither of us has said anything about a calibration disc, I can't see what the would have to do with this thread.


While I'm not having any problems with my DVD player right now,I just want to know what to do if that ever happens,given the fact that NetFlix sleeves give pretty weird instructions on what to do if the DVD doesn't play.
So this is just a hypothetical?

DVDs don't have the kind of problems you describe, so you will never see them and there is no "solution" for them. The Netflix sleeve I'm looking at has two instructions for a disc causing problems: 1) Clean the disc. 2) Return it for a replacement. Not sure which of these you consider "weird".

If you ever have a specific problem playing a disc, post the details and we'll try to help.

Regards,

Joe'

P.S.

My answer to your poll would be "none of the above", because I've never seen a case of "rolling picture" or "Interference" (in the sense of static or anything resembling electrical interference) on a DVD. This is probably because DVD is an optical, digital format, not a magnetic analog format and is therefore immune to those sort of problems. (Although DVDs can have problems of their own, most often caused by dirt or scratches.)
 

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
I recently rented Sleeping With The Enemy at my local Blockbuster,and I played it on my computer,and the movie stopped right in the middle where it was playing. So the next day,I took it back to the store,and got credit for a free rental. As for what I consider weird is that DVDs can be cleaned,unlike a tape-it's just that idea kind of seems strange compared to CDs and CD ROM discs:I know DVDs hold much more information than a CD,but I wouldn't wash it with liquid soap or window cleaner:I'd probably use glasses cleaning liquid and a cloth.
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
I recently rented Sleeping With The Enemy at my local Blockbuster,and I played it on my computer,and the movie stopped right in the middle where it was playing. So the next day,I took it back to the store,and got credit for a free rental. As for what I consider weird is that DVDs can be cleaned,unlike a tape-it's just that idea kind of seems strange compared to CDs and CD ROM discs
Sleeping with the Enemy stopped playing because there was a scratch in the disc or dirt on the surface - typical for a rental disc, which are often handled roughly. Why do you consider it odd that DVDs can be cleaned? They are, as noted, optical media. Things that interfere with the laser reading the surface of the disc can cause playback problems. Therefore it makes perfect sense that you can solve many problems by cleaning the discs - just like the CDs they resemble. DVD, CD, -RAM, -ROM, Blu-Ray, what have you, they are all optical discs that have digital information encoded on them. Why would you expect a 5.25" optical disc to be more like an analog magnetic tape than another 5.25" optical disc? The fact the movie DVDs and VHS tapes are both used for movies doesn't make them any more alike than either of them is like film. In terms of recording, playback, physical characteristics and handling, VHS resembles Beta, audio cassette and reel-to-reel tape far more than it resembles DVD. Form, not function, is the common denominator here.

Regards,

Joe
 

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
Should I expect DVDs that I rent at Blockbuster more likely to be scratched or dirty than a DVD from NetFlix?
 

Jason Charlton

Ambassador
Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2002
Messages
3,557
Location
Baltimore, MD
Real Name
Jason Charlton
Originally Posted by LeoTs3181983

Should I expect DVDs that I rent at Blockbuster more likely to be scratched or dirty than a DVD from NetFlix?

The biggest factor in how many scratches a rental disc will have is how long it's been out there, circulating between customers. Newer releases should be relatively scratch-free when compared to older releases.

I always check the surface of rentals (Netflix) before putting the disc in my player. If there are excessive scratches and/or numerous fingerprints, I will take my shirt or a nearby rag, and clean the disc by wiping from the center of the disc outward towards the edge, all the way around the disc. This usually takes care of the fingerprints and dirt, but obviously won't do anything about the scratches.
 

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I have two DVDs from NetFlix at home right now,and I'll be sure to do what you say.
 

LeoTs3181983

Auditioning
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
14
Real Name
Leo Tsypkin
I watched Erin Brockovich today and I checked the DVD for scratches,fingerprints and dirt,and there were none,but I cleaned it anyway before I watched it. Thanks for the advice.
 

JohnRice

Bounded In a Nutshell
Premium
Reviewer
HW Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2000
Messages
18,923
Location
A Mile High
Real Name
John
This is one of the stranger threads I've seen in a while.
 

Al.Anderson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2002
Messages
2,736
Real Name
Al
I second that John, a weird thread - but in a good way. I'm getting this Twilight Zone feeling that Leo just arrived from the 80s. A coma possibly?

Joe, actually you did say "DVE" in your first post, "defective DVE player". It was a fat finger, but hey the way they release new products I thought I might have missed a news release.
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
Joe, actually you did say "DVE" in your first post, "defective DVE player".

Doh! I just saw that. I must have read through that post five times before sending my next reply, but my brain just "fixed" what my eyes were seeing. I hate when that happens. Good catch!

Regards,

Joe
 

Towniehunter

Auditioning
Joined
Feb 1, 2019
Messages
1
Real Name
Jowee
Hi guys I came across this thread because I had exactly this problem, I was watching a dvd and the picture started rolling, exactly like old VHS tapes did. I never expected it to happen because of all the reasons mentioned here so I thought you should know that although it should never happen and goes against the basic premise of the technology and how it works I can indeed confirm that I can somehow happen. If i hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes I'd never have believed it.

It actually caused a fight between me and my girlfriend at the time.

Peace and love
Jowee
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,810
Messages
5,123,572
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top