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Question

HDMI to RCA converter box problem

Mar 8, 2015 6:29PM PDT

I recently purchased an HDMI to RCA converter box to be able to connect my PC computer or my 'Acer Iconia Tablet' to my OLD TV and play movie videos on it. It requires a 5 volt power adapter which I have. NOW when I connect to the TV I can see my desktop and the movie I'm playing BUT the vertical hold continually skips and there is NO colour. I talked to the vendor but they are at a loss as to why this would happen. Does anyone know or has anyone seen this happen before? I can't adjust vertical hold on the TV and it works fine otherwise.

Might the power source not be powerful enough? Do I need a special kind of RCA cable? (I have the standard red/white/yellow sound/video RCA cable). What else might cause this?


Here is a link to snapshots of my connections and a short video showing what the TV looks like when connected:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikenowo/converter-box

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re : converter box
Mar 8, 2015 7:16PM PDT

I'd try it with a laptop and a few other TV's. Then you know if it's an issue of your TV, the converter box, your PC or the cable.

Kees

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Answer
Return and research.
Mar 9, 2015 12:38AM PDT
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Answer
IMHO...use
Mar 9, 2015 2:02AM PDT

I suggest you return that RCA type box if it was real cheap. Too cheap as this cheap stuff offers its own issues as well. If you can get a Radio Shaft(sp) Wink box instead, they're good. The cabling I wouldn't worry too much about. However, as others stated, you may want to test your current setup elsewhere like another laptop. Typical power warts use 6VDC, so 5VC seems rather unique and having a 6V replace a 5V but check the amps provided. Oh yeah, you get lucky and find some converter box as the GWill shop or similar, they tend to have some depending on your area.

Your symptoms suggest you can't lock-down or "sync" the signal very well which is either poor quality or lo-power setup. As for loss of color, well that's weird, IMHO. Old TV, well that too can come into play, sometimes you learn the hard way to leave things in the past. But, you can play all you want. Happy

tada ------Willy Happy

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HDMI to RCA converter box problem
Mar 10, 2015 12:58PM PDT

Well, I've only got the one TV (don't really have another to test it on) but I DID try the unit on my PC and also on my tablet (I don't have a laptop) and they both do the same thing. I've used my HDMI cable on my sister's TV before (she has a newer HD TV with an HDMI connection) and it worked fine. I'm starting to wonder it the power source may not be enough but am not crazy about buying a new one if that doesn't work <sigh> As I stated before the TV works fine otherwise so it must either be the power source or the HDMI to RCA converter box. So close yet so far.

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Old TV
Mar 10, 2015 1:40PM PDT

Have you tried lowering the resolution that is being sent to the old TV? Even with older computer setup of "S" ca ble, I have to make sure the resolution is low enough the older CRT type TV can handle it. Typically 640x480 needs to be the setting for "old TV".

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This and that
Mar 10, 2015 11:49PM PDT

One reason I posted once you play with adapters and cabling of all sorts and then throw-in "old anything" you can have issues. Once i got a view of your 5V power setup that suggests a too unique device. In my previous post, I did offer that "old stuff" can cause issues and/or will generally need better power if for anything it has a threshold of older power demands at the TV itself. You may have what generally I call, a ******* setup even with the adapter build for that. Change the TV itself and the problem could go away or use a similar model# TV and maybe better at handling all this.You have limited resources and for now, what you have doesn't work well, and it appears NO minor tweaking is going to settle it until you actually change part(s) and play with it. Which points to use of a friend or others availability of testing all this. I would have already returned the HDMI adapter box for another one, just in case regardless, because it should have worked, right??? If you're stuck with it and don't swap it, you repeat the problem or stuck with similar results.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Once i got a view of your 5V power setup..."
Mar 11, 2015 8:27PM PDT
"Once i got a view of your 5V power setup that suggests a too unique device."

These AC to USB DC single device use of 5V converters are becoming more popular, negating need of a powered USB hub. I have one for my Magic Jack too. Also good for not pulling more power across a motherboard.
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Answer
Your description sounds like...
Mar 10, 2015 4:51PM PDT

like a copy protection issue. are these copy protected video? It maybe looking at the converter as a recorder (just thinking out loud.

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HDMI to RCA converter box problem
Mar 10, 2015 10:21PM PDT

Well, it's not even a movie that's the problem. I can see the desktop on the TV but the vertical hold keeps skipping and there's no colour. Has nothing to do with the movie at that point. So has to be the converter or the power. There's nothing else between the computer and the TV because I know the cables are fine I've used them before on other TVs. :-/

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Ok, maybe it's a refresh rate issue.
Mar 10, 2015 11:45PM PDT

Check the laptop display, what is it's refresh rate? Is it around 60Hz?

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HDMI to RCA converter box problem
Mar 10, 2015 10:32PM PDT

Well, I tried 640x480 but same issue.

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640x480?
Mar 10, 2015 11:08PM PDT

Boy was I confused! I thought we were dealing with audio only...and I didn't know audacity can do video (my mistake).

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Ignore this post.
Mar 10, 2015 11:17PM PDT

I am still half asleep. hehe.

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does it have
Mar 11, 2015 5:54AM PDT

a PAL and NTSC switch on it? If so, and you are USA, set to NTSC.

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HDMI to RCA converter box problem
Mar 11, 2015 1:07PM PDT

No there is no switch on this box. But again, the problem happens just trying to view the Desktop itself. Has nothing to do with the movies even. It's something in the connection itself, somewhere.

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set your computer video
Mar 11, 2015 1:35PM PDT

to the lowest refresh rate and a low resolution rate. You have no VGA output on it? Just HDMI?

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HDMI box issues
Mar 11, 2015 3:56PM PDT

I tried lowest res and refresh (mentioned it earlier here). Still had the same problem.

Well I only have an hdmi to hdmi cable so why would I be looking at a vga port? That's why I bought the box, to connect from hdmi to and RCA input on the tv. The box has an hdmi port, then RCAs to the tv. SO hdmi from pc to box, then box with RCA cables to tv

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"so why would I be looking at a vga port?"
Mar 11, 2015 8:21PM PDT

Because I've never had a problem using VGA to an old CRT type TV, although my preference is S video to the old TV and use computer speakers for the sound.

Have you met anyone who got that particular device to work? There's a lot of posts I've seen where the complaint is from people wanting to convert HDMI to VGA and are sold devices which promise to do that and don't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_VzAzRk2WI

This one's working for this person.

Although there are scams, obviously some of these are working. Maybe you got a defective one?

Here's a wild thought. After watching a few of those videos, I kept hearing the phrase "although the HDMI resolution is high......", so maybe doing the opposite of what was done for S video and VGA conversions, you should try raising the HDMI resolution for the input.

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Answer
seems to be luck of the draw
Mar 11, 2015 8:39PM PDT