setup of GL2 using DVD monitor
 

Started a thread a couple of weeks ago about using a cheap DVD portable player as a mointor. There seems to be many questions about this all over the board! Anyhow I've just purchased a COBY DVD7107 and the sales person semed pretty knowledgeable and assured me it would work and everything I would need was in the box. Now after a second trip to aquire the proper (?) cable, I still cannot get an image to appear on the monitor. I have the DVD player set to AV in and the other end to the GL2 AV. The new monitor will only display AV up in the top left. Is there supposed to be something in the GL2 that has to be set. I've checked the manual and can't find anything special. One poster elsewhere states you just plug it in and its good to go??

It depends if that DVD player can switch AV sources. On my Toshiba DVD Player, I'd press the "Source" button and if I needed to flip the image, I'd press "Monitor". But that's just my particular portable DVD, I don't know what to say about other portable DVD players, I haven't looked at any in years. I suppose the only real advice I can give is to just check it out thoroughly before purchasing, or simply read your instruction booklet. =)

To test the player, try plugging in some other external video source, like a VCR or DVD deck. If you still don't get a picture then there's a problem with your player. You can also try the converse; plug your GL2 into another external video monitor, like the A/V jacks on a TV or the video input of a VCR.

These tests would let you determine whether the problem lies in the camera or the DVD player.

Tried again, the GL2 'plays to' and and the tv can be used as a live monitor. The DVD will play out to the tv. BUT this seems like it can only be done using the RCA jacks. I'm using a male either end cable to go from the GL2 AV to the DVD video in. This is right isn't it? can't see any other way :(

and the answer is...These cable plugs are not all the same diameter! I started wiggeling the plug in and finall got it to display on the monitor. The supplied DV cable plug that comes with the GL2 is actually tapered! I have some pretty good digital calipers (comes in handy when the old eyes start to go) and stared measuring. As stated the genuine canon starts from 3.51mm at the tip to 3.60 at the base. The cable that I bought (twice, returned the first on cause I thought it was deffective) at best buys measures a straight 3.47mm. So the fit is really pretty loose. Now got to figure out how to add another .06mm or so to the thickness of the new plug to tighten it up. Other than build up of solder which probably would't stick or last, or putting it in a vice and flattening to more of an oval shape, and ideas?? (other than trying to find a 3.6mm cable)

Could be that the cable you got with your camera is defective and the wide plug has deformed the jack. Probably worth checking with Canon . . .

You could always make your own cables using the plugs you already have with a little solder and some tightly wound gaff tape.

Aside: Gaffer tape is easily the best thing ever invented. They should issue it to everyone in bulk quantities at birth.

i was going to do the same thing with our portable player.
i just have to make sure it has the right inputs on the player itself

Second try on this reply, sorry if it shows up again. As previously stated, these plugs have different diameters. They also have different 'segments'. The supplied canon DV has 3 such 'segments' which I must assume make contact with something within the female portion. Most all of the aftermarket plugs I've now examined only have 2 segments, so that when I wiggle the plugs, occasionally I will make contact, thus seeming an image on the monitor. So going from two 'segment' to three means something is going to be left out. Does anyone have knowledge of what the functions of the three sements wolud be?