american dvd's on playstation 2

[macca8419]

hi, wondered if someone could help me, i have a disc that enables me to play dvd's from any region on my playstation 2, the dvd's play but in black and white. is this the playstation or the tv? i know our dvd's are 50 hz and they use 60 Hz, could this cause the black and white playback? i might just buy an american dvd player when i go over in the summer (but don't want to if my tv wont play it in colour).

any help to this long winded problem would be much appreciated.

[chris.mapey]

IIRC, it's down to the way the colour is encoded.

USA uses NTSC encoding,

UK uses PAL.

These systems are not compatible, and it's this that is causing the PS2 to playback in B&W.

There is (as far as I know) no cure other than to purchase a "proper" multiregion DVD player - this should be OK if your TV supports SCART connection & will deffo be OK if labelled "NTSC playback"

Hope that helps

Chris

[bigandclever]

Check that you do not have the AV cable plugged into your VCR. If you do have your video signal going through your VCR, try instead plugging directly into the TV. There is an encryption code called Macrovision both in your VCR and on DVDs. This is created so you cannot copy a DVD film on to a video tape.

The Macrovision protection system may also be experienced when using a PlayStation 2 with a TV/ Video Combi system. As some TV/ Video combi units automatically route inputs through the internal VCR, this may activate the encryption process and cause a light and dark or black and white effect.

Is your TV on the correct AV channel? Selecting the wrong AV channel can result in a black and white picture (on both games and DVD movies). Ensure that your console is connected directly into your TV as detailed in the instruction manual. Try cycling through every AV channel by pressing the AV button on your TV remote control to scroll through.

If the problem only affects certain DVDs it may be a PAL/ NTSC issue. European PAL PlayStation 2 consoles will play Region 2 DVD movies as sold throughout Europe. They will also play NTSC Region 2 discs (eg Japanese) and 'All Region' discs, but your TV will need to be a multi-standard model that can accept an NTSC signal. If your TV is not multi-standard, and an NTSC disc is played, a black & white picture will result.