When connecting video or set-top box using composite video cable picture is black and white. If I use S-video I get colour. Video only has scart and tv only has composite/component/s video connectors so I am using a scart to composite or scart to s-video adapter. TV is a new Philips LCD

What cable connection are you using on the DVD recorder and the display? What format DVDs are you using?

I've seen this before in two cases: composite video cable connecting to one of the three component video jacks and PAL video on a NTSC unit.

The included video cable was a composite video cable. This carries video on the yellow wire and audio on the red and white wires (3 RCA jacks at each end). Sometimes the appropriate jack cluster is called A/V. Make sure you have composite out to composite in.

Component video use 3 wires just for video (Y,Pb,Pr) and a second cable will carry the audio. You will need to get this cable if you do not have one. This will give you a much better picture since composite is limited to standard definition signals. They are available at many shops. (However stores that sell electronics often mark up the video cables. Try an online cable shop.)

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

I assume your DVD is coming up in colour when you plug it into a standard scart connector? Have you tried using a different S-Video cable because this sound symptomatic of a dodgy lead?
Check the SCART end of your lead for any bent or broken pins.

Failing that if the problem lies with the TV itself I'd really recommend having a pro look at it. Plasma's are expensive and opening it up if you don't know what you are doing is a bad idea.

You will need to purchase a scart to HDMI converter - available in the UK for about £40.

If you Google 'Scart to HDMI converter' you should find several options, which will be cheaper if you are in the US!

Unfortunately the Humax box you have only supports Scart A/V I/O, which is of course now obsolete.

Do I understant this correctly? You are using a composite video cable (A/V y,r,w) and connecting it with the component video input (and then telling the TV to use the YPbPr source). You need a component video cable (3 RCA plugs on each end - red, green and blue) and an audio cable (2 RCA plugs - red and white) for the Wii. It wasn't included with the Wii but it does have the component video ports. Otherwise you would need a SCART to composite connector to work with the input. Alternatively, you could get an HDMI cable and connect that between the Wii and the TV (depnding on the age of the Wii).

If I've read this correctly, you have the media box and dvd player sharing the SCART input (EXT1).

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Are you connecting it to a new SD tv after having been connected to an HD set? You can force the system to reset the video resolution settings by pressing and holding the On/Off button after the system has already turned on. I believe it is ~5-10sec. You will hear another beep after the initial startup beep. This will reset video setting to default and go through the resolution setup wizard again.

However, it is also possible that you are trying to connect a component cable to a composite tv. They are VERY different signals even though the cables fit interchangeably. If you use the Green component cable for video on a composite tv you will only see a grayscale image of the picture. This is most likely your issue. If this is the case you will need to buy a composite cable for the PS3 (the PS2 one is the exact same as the PS3 one.)

FYI Component cable has Red, Green, & Blue cables. Composite has Yellow (Video), White (Left Audio), Red (Right Audio). Both are normal RCA type plugs and will fit in each others plugs, but the signals are VERY different.

a switch box is needed the s video shares the red/white audio with the yellow rca that is being used already

I _assume_ you're feeding PAL video into the MV500i... one of the simplest ways to lose color information is to feed an NTSC (or PAL60) source to a standard PAL display.

Another possibility is that you're losing the chroma signal. I believe this camcorder has a composite (CVBS) analog input. If you're tapping off a SCART connector, make sure you use a SCART to composite cable, not SCART to Y/C (luminance/chroma). Are you using the same cabling with the camcorder as with the TV?

With the first problem i would check the Scart lead to make sure both ends are pushed all the way in, if the lead is in at an angle that can cause loss of colour or picture, and that none of the pins are bent. Failing that try another Scart lead.
Most DVD players need to have progressive scan enabled in the settings menu, are you using a HDMI lead or Video Composite, (5 phono plugs)? HDMI is the better of the two!

I had the same problem. I was going from PC -> Dvd recorder -> TV.
I had the S-Video output from the averkey going via an adaptor into the DVD scart input. I discovered a setting within the DVD menu which could select between 's-video' and 'composite video' on the scart socket. (it appears that scart can carry either/or, I guess).

I changed from composite to s-video, and I got colour.

I think seeing a greyscale image indicates that the signal being sent is S-Video, but the equipment that is recieving it is expecting composite video.

If it's just one video plug, then perhaps you have to set av5 as being in colour somwhere in the menus.  If you require three wires for the pictures, as blue, green, and red, then make sure they aren't in the wrong ports.
Good luck.