AUX Input problems on 721

[Hippazoid]

Have had my 721 since Jan 2003. Recently tried to view some photos on my digital camera thru the front panel input. Images first appeared as grayscale w/heavy scan lines. After 5 or 10 seconds, the images start rolling. The rolling will stop periodically if I change channels or turn camera on/off but it never totally clears up.

After a few minutes of tinkering, I discovered that my DVD player also does not work, but my VCR DOES! The DVD player did not show the same symptoms as the camera... it was doing things like picture tears and crackly audio. I took the suspect devices to a 13" TV that has a front-panel 'game mode' with Composite-In, and both functioned fine! :scratch:

Anyone else played with the AUX Input? I know the guide states it as 'for future use', but HEY... It's in the EPG!

I surely hope that it's not a defective unit. I've had none of the pixelation or HD probs that others have reported. It'd be like playing 721-roulette if I had to send it back. :hair: I have had the occasional black-screen and the whole pause/slo-mo/no-audio thing from time to time but it isn't to the point of annoying. I'm the proud Papa of a 301, a 501, and a 721. OK, so maybe the 301 gets treated like a step-child but this stems mainly from the fact that PVRs ROCK!!! http://www.dbstalk.com/images/smilies/dance.gif

Hipp

[rmoore3d]

My kids use the front input for GameCube and I have noticed the crackly audio as well. Hopefully it is a software issue that they can correct because like you I seem to have a good 721 and I would not want to exchange it and take my chances.

[dbronstein]

I use it for my DVD player and haven't noticed any problems with it.

Dennis

[Scott Greczkowski]

Its not a software issue, its a hardware issue, if your screen is in black and white change the channel on your 721 to something else then back to the aux input and all should be fixed.

Normally you will see this problem if you go to the aux channel first then turn on your video game / dvd player etc. This is because the 721 AUX tuner already adjusted its input for no signal, when you add a signal it overpowers it causing the problem, if you change the channel on the 721 and back the 721 learns the video level of the item that is on (thus no black and white) :)

[Mike D-CO5]

The audio input does not work well with anything like dolby digital sound. I had my Directv receiver hooked up through the aux input and tried to watch a pay perview movie with dolby digital sound. It was so tinny and it screeched at certain times that I had to hook it back up to the regular s-video connection of my tv and change the audio inputs . It actually blew the dolby digital sound out for Dish also , till I called the tech and he said to unplug the audio connections to the aux input, and then all was restored. I now use it for my vcr with cable and I use if for my locals from Beaumont. I rarely watch anything on the vcr but the news. When I want to watch a vcr tape I have to switch the inputs back to the tv or it suffers from the same tinny sound and crackling pops etc. The same thing happened with a DVD player.

[Hippazoid]

Its not a software issue, its a hardware issue, if your screen is in black and white change the channel on your 721 to something else then back to the aux input and all should be fixed.

Thanx for the replies, folks!:hi: Anyone else have any input on the Input, please post your experiences.

That's what I was thinking, Scott. Like I said in my original post, I tried the straight channel change routine and then with different combos of power on/off of the camera (not with DVD tho). This makes me lean toward my worst fears... there is a true hardware defect in the equipment. I'll play around with it in the next few days with a more thorough diagnosis and try to nail down any patterns. Since I'm only half way thru the warranty period, I'm not exactly pressed for time. :)

For the obvious next question... Is the AUX Input officially in the feature list?

Hipp

[DmitriA]

I've experience crackly audio with the AUX input as well...

[larrydj]

I put my digital camera output into the AUX input of the 721, and experienced the same poor video quality you reported. When I input the camera directly to the TV, everything as fine. I didn't try any changing channel techniques, though, to try to fix it.

[Kagato]

Yeah, poor audio here too. I pretty much wrote it off as usless. There may be a software solution, but most likely there isn't. Although the "Aux input" is in the feature list, "working Aux Input" is not. :)

[DmitriA]

Probably used cheap hardware components there or something :mad:

[Danbo]

Just used this myself, trying it for a video game system to "test" the system out (not the 721). I can't describe just how terrible the picture quality was. You could clearly see lines across the screen. Just as others have found, the aux inputs are useless.

[Mike D-CO5]

I just got XM sat radio for my house and car. I hooked it up into my line 1 channel of my vcr ,which is hooked up to the aux inputs of the 721 , and so far the sound is great for the music sound. My previous comments are still true about anything dolby digital. This is the only way I can get a digital sound out of the sat radio inside the house. It does work well for this one function. :)

[dbronstein]

Just used this myself, trying it for a video game system to "test" the system out (not the 721). I can't describe just how terrible the picture quality was. You could clearly see lines across the screen. Just as others have found, the aux inputs are useless.

I totally disagree. I run my DVD player through it and the picture is perfectly fine. I do have to turn it on before changing to channel 0 or the picture is totally hosed. But changing channels and changing back clears it right up.

Dennis