Video Cable Has to be Shaken To Work

[Novice20]

I have a video cable from the DVR video out to a female-to-female RCA connector to an RCA-mini video cable into the small TV. When I turn on the DVR the DVR splash screen is displayed on the TV screen. But then I get "No Signal" on the TV screen. If I shake and bend the DVR video out cable (not the RCA-Mini cable) I'll get an image back. Often it's poor and I have to shake/bend the cable again to get it "normal". It's as if the video cable "forgets" or somehow loses the signal. What would make it do that?

I replaced the female-to-female adapter and it helped - the connection is tighter now - but I still have this weird phenomenon of getting the signal (splash screen) and then without touching the cable the signal is lost - and when I get it back after the manipulation it is often poor.

What would cause that?

Thank you

[johns0]

Sounds like either a bad cable or cable connector in the dvr or in the tv,try a different cable to a different tv.If neither fixes the problem then it's in your dvr connector plugin.

[Novice20]

Thanks, johns0 for your quick post. I have only the one small TV, which limits how much I can test. But the bad DVR OUT jack is possible. I just took the cable out of the jack and re-inserted it. And the image is better.

But if it was the DVR OUT jack, wouldn't it be bad from the beginning -i.e. it wouldn't give the initial splash screen?

[johns0]

Sometimes a connection has a bit of electrical charge which holds for a second then releases so you get that effect.You gotta check all connections including the cable.

[jagabo]

Electrons sometimes get tired and need to be woken up.

[Novice20]

Electrons sometimes get tired and need to be woken up.

I shall endeavor to do that gently. Tired electrons could be grumpy.

[Novice20]

Sometimes a connection has a bit of electrical charge which holds for a second then releases so you get that effect.You gotta check all connections including the cable.

Yes, I see that is required. But if it is the video out jack then there won't be anything that can be done except to replace the DVD recorder. (I just noticed that I've been writing "DVR" instead of "DVD recorder" in my posts, though I suspect it does not matter).

By the way, if it is holding an electrical charge it's more than for just a second. The last time I re-seated the cable in the jack it lasted about twenty-five minutes until I turned it off.

[jagabo]

if it is the video out jack then there won't be anything that can be done except to replace the DVD recorder.

You could try re-soldering the connections to the board. Just heating the solder and letting it reflow may be enough.

[Novice20]

if it is the video out jack then there won't be anything that can be done except to replace the DVD recorder.

You could try re-soldering the connections to the board. Just heating the solder and letting it reflow may be enough.

Thanks for the suggestion. If I get desperate enough I might try that - assuming I could borrow one. (And maybe also borrow the person whose it is to do it for me

[jagabo]

You could try re-soldering the connections to the board. Just heating the solder and letting it reflow may be enough.

Thanks for the suggestion. If I get desperate enough I might try that - assuming I could borrow one. (And maybe also borrow the person whose it is to do it for me

For something like this you can use an $8 soldering iron from radio shack. Open up the deck first and look at the solder joints where the connector attaches to the board. You may be able to see that the joint is damaged when you wiggle the connector. Here's a video (with an annoying intro!) that shows exactly what to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VYA9ufb4Jc

You'll find lots more if you search.

[Novice20]

The problem may be the video cable from the DVD recorder but more likely it is the the poor connection in the RCA female-to-female connector. When I connect the 3.5mm male-to-RCA male cable directly into the DVD recorder the image is excellent. But that cable is too short (4') to keep the TV connected that way.

What I need is a longer (10') 3.5mm male-to-RCA male cable but I can't find anyone who sells it.

The second choice would be to get an RCA female-to-3.5 mm male video adapter which at least would eliminate the RCA female-to-female connector and let me plug the RCA video cable directly into the small TV's jack. But I can't find anyone who sells that either - all the ones I found are for audio only or for video/audio combined (camera output).

Can anyone suggest where I could get either the longer cable or the adapter?

Thank you

[jagabo]

For this type of adapter if doesn't matter if the description doesn't say "for video".

[Novice20]

Thank you, jagabo. I'll try that.

[Novice20]

It was, after all, the cable from the DVD recorder. I had bought a more expensive "better" cable from an online cable store and it certainly was not better. Putting the RCA-to-mini standard adapter works fine with the new RCA cable.

Thank you jagabo and johns0 for your advice and guidance.