Flashback 2 not broken, but shows up in Black and White on one TV setup

[+Random Terrain]

I have a DVD player hooked up and it is in color. If I unhook that and plug the Flashback 2 into the same place, it's in Black and White. Flipping the color switch back and forth does nothing. I hooked it up to another TV and it seems there is nothing wrong with the Flashback 2. But why would it show up in Black and White on the other TV setup when a DVD player shows up in color?

Edited December 2, 2007 by Random Terrain

[+Random Terrain]

I hope someone can figure this out because I don't know why the same video input would show color for my DVD player, but Black and White for the Flashback 2.

Edited December 2, 2007 by Random Terrain

[+Random Terrain]

Here's more info in case it will help. I have an older TV with only a cable thingy sticking out of it. I have an old VCR hooked up to the TV so I can have a DVD player and video game systems hooked up to it.

 

I tried changing the cable that goes from the VCR to the TV a few times to see if the type of cable mattered. I tried cables from various decades and I still get Black & White.

 

Can anyone think of other things I could try that might work?

[+Random Terrain]

Here's another strange thing. I haven't tried every game, but I have tried many and Missile Command and Hangman are in color. So far everything else is B & W, including the menu.

[Albert]

Do you have another television or monitor you can try this with? I have a 27" Sony television (probably at least 15 years old) that will only display black & white with the 2600 systems I have modified with s-video output. It's the strangest thing--those systems work fine with newer televisions as well as the older Commodore 1702 monitors (which were built in the early 80s).

 

..Al

[+Random Terrain]

Do you have another television or monitor you can try this with? I have a 27" Sony television (probably at least 15 years old) that will only display black & white with the 2600 systems I have modified with s-video output. It's the strangest thing--those systems work fine with newer televisions as well as the older Commodore 1702 monitors (which were built in the early 80s).

Someone is getting me a 16 dollar adapter tonight to see if that will make it work in case it's the VCR, but if it's the TV, that will suck. I do have an old Amiga monitor I could drag out if I have to now that you reminded me. Thanks.

[mstulir]

I hope someone can figure this out because I don't know why the same video input would show color for my DVD player, but Black and White for the Flashback 2.

 

Your problem is not the Flashback 2. I'd bet that your old TV just can't handle the composite to RF conversion going through your VCR. Perhaps the VCR isn't spitting out the the signal properly. Either way, you have demonstrated that the FB2 works fine on another TV. A monitor or TV with a dedicated composite input would be best for you.

 

This is a problem with many older TV's when you use a VCR/DVD for composite to RF. Odds are that you would have the same issue with a dedicated composite to RF converter like the ones from Best Buy or Radio Shack.

[+Random Terrain]

Yep, the converter didn't do a thing. With or without the converter, the color is coming and going, even for the menu. Without the converter once, we had color for about 30 minutes for everything, then back to B & W.

 

We have another room that has a slightly newer and larger TV that is mostly used for TV viewing, but I went ahead and put the Flashback 2 on that TV using the converter and it works great. I hoped to have all of the guest game systems on one TV, but no big deal. When people want to watch TV, the kid playing Atari can go in the other room and play PS2 games. The 9 year old kid we have to babysit once in a while would rather play Atari than PS2. One more convert.

[ninermaniac]

It just goes to show that what you thought you did right was in all general good intention purposes, WRONG! I do this a lot!

[Curt Vendel]

The console-TV is not sync'ing properly. I have a Magnavox 27" LCD - works fine, a Samsung 46" DLP - works fine, and an Olevia 37" and it scrolls and is in B&W...

 

Some modern TV's do not have as wide a tolerance as others.

 

 

 

Curt

[+Random Terrain]

The console-TV is not sync'ing properly. I have a Magnavox 27" LCD - works fine, a Samsung 46" DLP - works fine, and an Olevia 37" and it scrolls and is in B&W...

 

Some modern TV's do not have as wide a tolerance as others.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Guruman]

I have a modded FB2 that I'm using on a fairly new 27" RCA TV, and have the same issue. Color is there sometimes, not there other times. Glad to hear that there's a reason for it (other than impending hardware failure...)

[ComputerSpaceFan]

I had similar issues with my Flashback 2 also. On my TV it was black and white, I took it to my neighbor's TV and it was in color but the image shimmied up and down. Then I took it to my girlfriend's place and it was perfectly fine. I suspect newer TV's have image correcting software in them, and other features like 16x9, and all that new stuff doesn't know how to handle old-school video output like an Atari (or a Flashback 2) sends and they mess up the picture.

Just my two cent's worth, but keep trying different TV's till you find one that works.