Problems with color banding on Sony NS700P (1 Viewer)

[Nathan.G]

Ok, I've owned this dvd player for a couple years now and haven't had any major issues with it. (It was plugged into a crappy 31" tv).

So finally I upgraded my TV to a Panasonic 47" HDTV Widescreen projection tv. Needless to say I was happy going from standard composite video to component with progressive scan.

In either case I've been noticing lately that my dvd player is creating a banding effect with bright colors and it's annoying the crap out of me. Finding nemo DVD is a good example when they swim down into the depths and encounting the light fish.

I spent a good amount of money on this player when it came out, and perhaps I should have done more research but is there anything I can do to correct this banding issue?

I think I've seen it listed as a "CHROMA" problem.

Thanks!

 

[Jack Briggs]

If you are talking about an apparent rough transition from one shade of the same color to another shade (from light to dark, but in abrupt gradations), you might try lowering the white and black levels on your new widescreen display. Try that first and see what happens. If the black level is set too high, the picture will be washed out and color banding will be more apparent.

 

[Nathan.G]

Yep, it's a abrupt gradations from light to dark.

Now I'm not sure about the white and black settings.
Do you mean the brightness or contrast settings?

 

[Jack Briggs]

Yes. White level is "contrast," and black level is "brightness." What you're describing is not the so-called "chroma bug." Abrupt gradations in shading almost always are a result of inaccurate picture-control settings.

 

[Nathan.G]

I tried the different settings with the contrast and brightness but no good.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Rachael B]

Nathan, are there horizontal bands of semi lucsient colours across you screen, pink and aqua perhaps? I've seen this in certain situations with some Sony players, using component output, never with S-video. If so, try S-video just to see if it goes away....

 

[Nathan.G]

Ok I'll have to try the s-video tonight.
Now I know s-video will not look as good as progressive component video, but if this works is my only option to replace it?

I doubt sony has any sort of recall or known issue/fix for this kinda thing.

Also I will try to take a picture of the screen too to better explain the problem.

Thanks again!

 

[Rachael B]

So, I described it? There might be a way in the service menu of the set to make the player and set compatiable with Component Video, but I wouldn't do that. Players are so cheap these days.

I had this problem with a Sony 7700 and Sony XBR 250 set some years back, about '99-2000. Sony was perplexed at first but finally said that the set could be adjusted for the player. Since other players, and I tried several, worked fine with no messin' around, I returned the newly purchased 7700. Their DVP-S9000ES does the same thing with the XBR 250 via component video only.

Some players and displays just don't get along...

 

[Nathan.G]

Yep, you pretty much described it.
I'll try the s-video and take a picture of component and s-video tonight.

Why wouldn't you change stuff in the service menu?
Can it damage the tv?

 

[Rachael B]

Nathan, I didn't want the TV adjusted for only a limited number of players. At the time I was switching rather frequently, players...

 

[Jack Briggs]

Wow, Rachael, the old 7700 was once the state of the art in DVD players. Interesting to note that you had such problems with it -- especially considering that it was interfacing with a first-generation Sony WEGA.

 

[Rachael B]

Jack, it's a second generation Wega. It's the last XBR that wasn't HDTV ready but it has the squeez mode. It is kind of absurd, ironic, and rediculous that the 7700 had compatibility issues with one of their nicer sets!

This type of coloured banding has occurred with some Toshiba players of a few years back with certain sets too. I remember that from threads here and at AVS too. Sometimes it's so faint that you can miss it in really dark scenes. Then you get a light, bright scene and it's so funky, it's like, why is that man wearing a pink veil or is his face sunburned? You get just as many aqua bands too. The bands are various widths and at various latitudes and they come and go, variously.

It pops up, literally, with several Sony models too, maybe some other brands too? Solving the 7700/250 XBR situation led me to several A/V websites, including this one. Best wishes!