Old school TV (Panasonic Tau, perfect flat CRT) has three sets of RCA jacks (2 composite, 1 component), and a coax connector. Can't recall using the component jacks before. Switched (long overdue, BTW) cable boxes, and tried to use the component jacks. Abject failure. Cables checked out OK, so wonkies must reside in TV or cable box.

Any way to test them to (fairly easily) figure out where the problem is? When hooking up the RGB video cables, each added its coloring on the screen, but the picture would not sync. I remember our old Sony CRT monitors had an extra sync cable for the component in jacks, since the computer had so many different possible resolution and refresh rate choices. Baby Buzz wiggled the various connectors, and a couple of times the picture improved (but still not viewable), which added to the thought of something being wonky. I couldn't find a way to change/select any choices for the cable box.... am I wrong to think the component jacks & cable box oughta be set to some standard?

Ideas wanted.
Thanks.
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cables?

yellow = video (+sync)
red = right audio
white = left audio

can you get the tv set up screen?
You should be able to select screen aspect ratio (4:3 (old standard) or 16:9 (new widescreen))
You should also be able to select resolution and whether the frames are interlaced (alternating half scans) or progressive (full scans) choices would look like 480i, 720i for interlaced or 480p, 720p, 1024p for progressive scan.

It sounds like your output box (whatever it is) is not presenting video signal in a form the tv is expecting or can use.

model numbers of the Panasonic TV and of the cable box you are trying to hook up?

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=TC

He says component, so red, blue, and green RCA cables.

You could test them individually by using each as a single composite video cable. And yes beyond that make sure you have the correct input on the TV, and output settings on cable box.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2021 12:49PM by mikebw.

The composite (yellow, red, white) work fine. It's the 5 connector component (red, green, blue for video + red & white for audio) cables that are acting up (for video-- audio is OK). FWIW, it's the Panny Tau 27" Model CT-27SX11 (or possibly CT-27SX12?; whichever one Best Buy sold in Los Angeles circa 2005..... I'll confirm next time Baby Buzz comes by and can move the 100# beast), and an Arris 3200 cable box.

Here's the jack pack on the back of the TV;



...and there's another composite (S-video, and yellow, red + white, and 1/8" headphone jack) hookup behind a push button door panel on the front of the TV. It works fine, but is not being used-- though still retains the name "GAMECUBE" from Baby Buzz's youthfulness in 2005.

That's what I'm saying, the TV and cable box aren't syncing via the component connection, but there's no controls that I can find that allow user tweaking vis-a-vis the colors cables or refresh rate in either one, at least as they apply to the component jacks. The green component connector can also be used as the yellow composite video source, along w/ the red/white audio jacks, making "Video 1" a composite selection instead of a component one.
Gotta go for a deeper dive to figure out whether it's TV or cable box based; or something else....
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I found the Arris DCX3200 user manual (PDF), which looks like your box.

The component video cable will be either 3-in-1 (red,green,blue hoods) or 5-in-1 (red,green,blue hoods for video and red,white hoods for stereo audio)

Gotta be careful that video red (Pr) goes to video red (Pr) and not to audio red (right channel).

Otherwise, you will have to check the TV's setup screen(s)

Good luck!

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=TC

Actually, it's a DCX3200-M(P3)
Here's the manual, but I'm guessing it's pretty similar.



It's the cable with the 5 hoods that's not playing nice... being very careful not to confuse audio/video; they're very well marked, so it's not a problem. Tested cable separately, so it's not a cable issue; it's gotta be something w/ either the box's component output(s), or the TV's component input(s), or one of their controller's for them that I haven't been able to find/identify/use.
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don't know for sure but component may be disabled. the powers that be hated component because copy right protection was easy to bypass

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bruceko
don't know for sure but component may be disabled. the powers that be hated component because copy right protection was easy to bypass

From what I understand, component video was technically capable of supporting at least 1080P, but the "powers to be", decided that this was not to be allowed.

Component video is also supposed to be much better with long cable lengths compared to HDMI cables.

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bruceko
don't know for sure but component may be disabled. the powers that be hated component because copy right protection was easy to bypass

Yep, they also used component connectors for lots of DVD/other media players, in addition to computers and cable boxes. The Spectrum peeps at the Spectrum store didn't seem to know anything.... will try their tech support department... since nada on their website.
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The cable box may be the item with component outputs disabled, that was a thing people complained about years back as HD started being transmitted over cable. The cable companies provided boxes that were manufactured with component outputs, but disable those one way or another.

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JoeH
The cable box may be the item with component outputs disabled, that was a thing people complained about years back as HD started being transmitted over cable. The cable companies provided boxes that were manufactured with component outputs, but disable those one way or another.

The Spectrum tech support guy said the component ports are supposed to work; though the newer cable box that replaced this Arris model no longer has component jacks. They have tons of 3200's in service, so component connections will be supported for awhile longer.

Of course we're having signal outages in our area, so it may be awhile before I can hook up w/ tech support and try their tricks.
Gotta coordinate their signal w/ kid's availability to muscle the behemoth CRT around.
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If you have an old DVD player lying around, it may have component out jacks you can use to test your TV.

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It is what it is.

Sadly, we gave away our DVD/VHS combo unit (Costco special) several years ago... only DVD players now are in, or hooked up to our computers. Only devices left with component out, are 2 of the 3 cable boxes.... though I think I still have a couple of ancient Sony Trinitron GDM component cables that *may* be able to be connected to one of the cMP’s with some combination of adapters. Moving either of the twin towers, or the even more massive CRT to get them close enough together to test the component theory, is not gonna happen in my lifetime. I’m hopeful that Spectrum’s peeps can suggest something that may work. It’s gotta be a missing setting, or boogered hardware.
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