DVR Display is Black & White on a Plasma TV

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

I posted this under home DVR systems but I think this might apply to a more general post:

So I have a Night Owl Poseidon 8 Channel DVR and I'm having a problem. It was working just fine on an older tube style TV. Now I got a Panasonic TC-P42X3 Plasma Screen TV and now all I get is a black and white picture. Just to make sure I downloaded a couple of video clips to a USB stick and they play in color on my computer.

I called Night Owl tech support but they are completely useless. Panasonic is no better. From what I understand if the DVR is not set to NTSC the picture can appear black & white. I checked and it is set to NTSC. The TV does not have a setting for NTSC / PAL but the manual shows that there are two modes: NTSC and ATSC.

The DVR only has two ways to connect to the TV: One is a BNC to RCA connection (this cable was included). The other is a VGA out. Since my TV doesn't have a VGA input I am wondering if I bought a VGA to HDMI cable do you think this would solve my problem? Has anyone come across this before?

Soundy · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2012 10:43 pm

What input ARE you using on the TV?

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

I'm using the RCA input.

Soundy · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 9:16 am

Which one? If it's a component input, that could be the problem.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

I will have to check when I get back. Funny how Night Owl and Panasonic didn't ask me that. I do know that there are only two RCA Video inputs and one is being used by an old DVD player. I did just recently tried to switch them and either it didn't work at all or it was still black and white. That's why I was thinking of trying a VGA to HDMI connection.

Soundy · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 9:54 am

Very strange. VGA to HDMI *should* work, but from looking around online, it's probably gonna cost you at least $50 to find out. Since VGA is an analog signal and HDMI is digital, it requires a converter box, not just a cable adapter.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

Something like this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812119395

Soundy · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 11:34 am

Yup, that should do it.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

A friend of mine suggested a VGA to Component Cable. Would that be any better?

Soundy · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 1:11 pm

Depends if your TV supports that input. Some newer ones I've seen don't have component at all. The input would also have to support R/G/B signal from the VGA, vs Y/Pb/Pr used for component video. Most SHOULD, but you'll want to make sure.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

I'm not sure. I will have to look.

A lot of trouble to go through to figure out something that the manufacturer should provide support for. Just spoke to them earlier and they are in left field.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

So the TV does have video in L&R Audio + one Video and component audio video connections (5).

tomcctv · **Joined:** Aug 2009 **Posts:** 4975

pourem1 wrote:

So the TV does have video in L&R Audio + one Video and component audio video connections (5).

hi. can you post a pic of the connections on your tv ........... you need to have a yellow video in rca. some also need 3 RCAs (red green blue) for video which will not work for you.

tomcctv · **Joined:** Aug 2009 **Posts:** 4975

or you could go component to VGA on your dvr with 1 on these.

pourem1 · **Joined:** May 2012 **Posts:** 11

See attached

DVR Display is Black & White on a Plasma TV

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