MJ4H's PS3 Problems Thread

[MJ4H]

Hey,

Rather than clutter up the Video Games thread with my problem, I thought it would be better to start a new one.

So far here is the deal:

Friend bought a PS3 for me for Christmas. Hooked it up, didn't realize at first it wasn't in optimal resolution, but some crappy 480i default. Looked through settings this morning to try to optimize some things and discovered this. Tried to set it to use 1080i when possible, but when testing, the screen is garbled. In fact, the screen is garbled when testing ALL resolutions besides 480i.

I have an older 52 inch projection HDTV with no HDMI inputs. I have it connected via component cables (non-Sony) to a switchbox because I have only 2 component input slots on the TV. I use one for Dish Network (HD works fine there, 1080i no problem), and one for my through the switchbox (also had the PS2 connected there, now PS3).

I have removed the switchbox and connected directly to the second TV input and it has the same problem.

Some have suggested going and buying the official Sony PS3 component cables and trying that. Is there anything else I can try in the meantime (you know, rather than leaving the house and buying something that may not ((for me, most likely won't)) fix the problem)?

[gstelmack]

Try checking the widescreen vs narrow settings on both the TV and the PS3. I have an older CRT HDTV that has had fits with scrambled 480i narrow picture, but if I send it a 480i wide picture from a DVD player it works fine. It could be that the PS3 thinks you have a narrow TV connected while the TV is expecting a widescreen signal, or vice-versa. Did you tell the PS3 you have a widescreen TV? Is the TV set for "wide" mode or "full/normal" mode?

[MJ4H]

Tried all widescreen/panorama/auto settings for my TV, and you can only set 16:9/4:3 mode on the PS3 after setting the resolution (which fails).

[cartman]

Have you tried plugging the PS3 into the component input that the Dish Network box uses? For some reason I seem to remember that only one of your component inputs would work with 1080i back when you first got it.

[MJ4H]

No that was the Dish box only outputting one HD signal that you remember.

(but I will try it, obv)

edit mid-job: my god I think you are right it says on the input area "HD Input"

[cartman]

This is the post I'm remembering:


It looks like that TV will support 1080i, if the component cables are connected to the AV4 input. If they are connected to the AV1 input, then it is 480p.

http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/5/51mp392h_17/51mp392h_17_pss_aen.pdf

[MJ4H]

OK, hooked everything through the switch box and now the main PS3 screen is garbled (tried to hold the power button down to reset it to default display settings, but it's still garbled).

[cartman]

Try without the switchbox again through this input.

[MJ4H]

This is the post I'm remembering:

Yeah it's insane you remembered that. Thanks a million. Now how do I get it to start out with something readable? :)

[cartman]

I'm a storehouse of useless knowledge. :)

If going directly to the TV and bypassing the switchbox doesn't help, I'm not sure how to reset the video settings on a PS3. I think on my cousin's we held down the power button until we got two beeps.

[MJ4H]

No difference, and yes I tried holding the power button down (that's how you do it). Still garbled on startup. Sigh.

[MJ4H]

I'm going to assume I will need the PS3 cables at this point. Hopefully they will work with the switchbox, otherwise yikes at having to pull this out and switch cables every time I want to play.

[MJ4H]

The good news is this is progress, I guess. I know I need a new TV, but they are so damn expensive and I have a 52 incher here to replace. Will be hard going to like a 30 something incher.

[cartman]

I doubt it is the cable. They are just copper wires with no intelligence built into them. What you might try is hooking it back up to the other input, setting it to 480, then try again in the HD input.

[Toddzilla]

Call Sony.

I had a very similar problem this past summer - garbled everything - right when Gran Turismo 5 came out and I was beside myself. I couldn't get anything to work so I just called the Sony PS3 support line. I got my PS3 on release day, so I was WAY out of warranty, but they surprised me at how very helpful they were. So much so I even wrote them a letter praising their PS3 Customer Support.

After troubleshooting for about an hour, the guy said it had to be a bad cable. Which, as anyone who deals with supporting end-users, is the cop-out of all diagnoses, because it is NEVER a bad cable.

It was a bad cable. :)

[Toddzilla]

I doubt it is the cable. They are just copper wires with no intelligence built into them. What you might try is hooking it back up to the other input, setting it to 480, then try again in the HD input.HA!

[cartman]

Well, that is a good point, TZ. You might try the cable that you know works with the Dish box on the PS3 just to eliminate it.

[MJ4H]

OK a few things. I have some off-brand cable that is PS3/Wii/Xbox 360 component cables. On one end it has a branch for each of those three devices, and on the other, it has the Normal component cables. I bought it so I could use component cables for my PS2, so DVDs would look better (it helped a ton). I don't know what else it could be, honestly. Holding the power button resets it to 480i, and that's what the PS3 was set to in the first place, so it should be working.

The cables that the Dish uses are just component to component, they won't interface with the PS3 (have to have the PS3 style male end to do that), so that idea won't work. I think it is probably just a cheap cable and the proper sony cables should do the trick.

The good news is the dish signal stays in 1080i through the switchbox, so if I can get the signal to the switchbox at 1080i, I should be good to go without having to swap cables every time I want to play.

[Toddzilla]

Well, that is a good point, TZ. You might try the cable that you know works with the Dish box on the PS3 just to eliminate it.:+1:

[cartman]

That is strange that the cable will transmit 480p to the one connection on the back of the TV but not the other.

[MJ4H]

That is strange that the cable will transmit 480p to the one connection on the back of the TV but not the other.

Definitely weird, but what else could it be but the cables?

[SackAttack]

Definitely weird, but what else could it be but the cables?

I'd send you my old PS3 component cables since I use HDMI now, but, uh, I think you want to actually be playing sooner than that.

[MJ4H]

Probably cheaper to buy than to ship anyway?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Probably cheaper to buy than to ship anyway?

Look at it this way. Your friend did the expensive part. Consider it paying $30 to purchase a PS3. Makes it more palatable. :)

[MJ4H]

Buying a cable doesn't bother me. Buy a cable that is basically just a shot in the dark at fixing the problem bugs me.

[SackAttack]

Probably cheaper to buy than to ship anyway?

To ship, no. To ship in such a way that you're playing before Christmas, yes. :p

[MJ4H]

To ship, no. To ship in such a way that you're playing before Christmas, yes. :p

No big deal, can always play in SD.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I have a 52 incher here to replace. Will be hard going to like a 30 something incher.

That's what she said.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Buying a cable doesn't bother me. Buy a cable that is basically just a shot in the dark at fixing the problem bugs me.
then dont try anything and hope the magic of the internet ps3 fairy fixes it ok thx

[MJ4H]

For the record, I appear to have fooled it into working by going to the test screen for 1080i in 480i via the composite cables that ship with it and then switching it out to the component cables. So far so good anyway.

[digamma]

#firstworldproblems

[SackAttack]

For the record, I appear to have fooled it into working by going to the test screen for 1080i in 480i via the composite cables that ship with it and then switching it out to the component cables. So far so good anyway.

The PS3 was a pain in the butt to switch from composite to component the first time I tried to move it from an SD set to HD. Doing what you just did would've been too easy. I had to attempt a hard reset to get it to go back into setup and detect the new cables automatically.

I'd hoped the newer models didn't have that issue.

[MJ4H]

Thanks everyone for the help. At some point, I'll figure out all of this stuff with my stupid TV. It will probably take one more of these incidents and cartman reminding me my TV actually sucks for me to remember my TV sucks.

[stevew]

Not trying to snark-
Have you googled your TV Model # with PS3 HD issues? Surely you can't be the first person with a problem like this. The PS3 came out when HDMI was really new...actually would not surprise me if your problem was semi common. We already established there was no DVI on your set, correct?

[MJ4H]

You saw I solved it, right? :)

And yes I googled the hell out of everything I could think of.

[SackAttack]

You saw I solved it, right? :)

And yes I googled the hell out of everything I could think of.

That sounds dirty.

Why do I suspect Miranda Cosgrove was unwittingly involved?

[MJ4H]

You are thinking of Izulde :)