Thanks, i'll post the scene when i can, i'm pretty sure that the lighting is at default and everything else is as it should be..? - if i import the image in to perspective then it will be black but if i hit spacebar to see all four views it will be correct in the others, but still black in perspective.

I did try another tutorial where i pasted an image to a poly plane and it works until i manipulate the plane and it will go to black again?

Everything else i do in maya seems spot on at the moment.

I'll have a look, thanks.

Stu