[strider209]

I've been using my Silicondust HDHR for a little over a year with no problems (1 tuner for clear QAM and 1 tuner for ATSC). I forgot about my ATI 650 tuner I had sitting so I added it back in to my PC so I can record analog cable channels. Now with the ATI card in I get a high pitched whine on analog channels both live and recorded content. Any digital channels (HD and SD) are fine with no high pitch whine. Desktop sounds, listening to MP3s, games, etc. are all fine. Audio is onboard audio connected to receiver via coax cable. No toslink out on the computer to test. I also tried the standard 1/8 connector on the PC with a stereo RCA adapter into my receiver and I still only get the whine on analog cable. I've tried re-seating the ATI card into different slots and nothing changed. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[blue_z]

Is the tuner the problem?

1. disconnect the cable from the ATI tuner. Connect a VCR's (or CECB or STB) RF output to the ATI. Test for "whine".

Is the signal the problem?

2. connect the cable to a TV. How's the audio?

 

[strider209]

I'm not at home to try but I do know analog cable directly on the TV has no whine, only when through the PC TV tuner. What would having the RF out on the VCR into the tuner do? The 650 card I have is a hybrid tuner, I do know that there is no whine when using the digital side of the 650 tuner.

 

[blue_z]



Quote:
Originally Posted by strider209 /forum/post/18186427


What would having the RF out on the VCR into the tuner do? The 650 card I have is a hybrid tuner, I do know that there is no whine when using the digital side of the 650 tuner.

I meant play a tape, and not use the VCR tuner.

The intent is to use an alternate analog TV source for the tuner RF input.

The analog tuner is separate hardware from the digital tuner on the ATI card.


The other way to test if the tuner is the problem is to swap this ATI with another analog tuner card. Apparently you do not have another tuner, so testing with a second source is necessary.

 

[strider209]

Ok I'll try that when I get home. What would it mean if I do or don't get a whine from a different source?

 

[blue_z]



Quote:
Originally Posted by strider209 /forum/post/18186477


What would it mean if I do or don't get a whine from a different source?

A whine with other inputs indicate the tuner's analog section is likely to be faulty.


I don't want to think about the other case! No whine could be the worst case scenario: there's an interaction between the cableTV and the tuner.


A ground loop could cause a hum (e.g. 60 Hertz), but you describe the noise as a whine (> 1 KHz ?).



> I do know analog cable directly on the TV has no whine


Ideally, to absolve the cable signal, the TV should use the exact same coax as this ATI tuner (i.e. place the TV in the same location, use the same coax and power source). Assuming that the signal (at the PC) is okay (because the TV in another room has good audio) could be an incorrect assumption and a time waster.

 

[strider209]

I've heard a ground loop before and that's not the case here. It is not a low hum, instead it's a high pitch whine which isn't bothersome at lower volumes. Also, if I remember correctly, when I tried the ATI card in another computer a few weeks ago I did not notice the whine.

 

[strider209]

Ok first off here's a recap and my config.

PC using HDHomerun (digital channels) and ATI 650 tuner

(hybrid digital/analog tuner but only using it for analog)

PC connected to TV via DVI/HDMI adapter.

Audio via coax out on PC to coax in on receiver.


I can hear a high pitched whine only on analog TV channels when viewing analog TV through the ATI 650. Using the same cable connected direct to my TV's tuner results in no whine.


Tried a mini plug (1/8 connector) on the PC to RCA stereo cable to receiver and I still get a high pitch whine only on analog channels.


Connected my DVD/VCR to the ATI 650 RF input. I have no VCR tapes to test but DVD video played back with no whine. Also checked tv channels on the DVD/VCR and again no whine.


Not sure why I am getting this whine. I am using the vista drivers for the ATI card since there are no windows 7 drivers available - AMD website says Q1 2010 for win 7 drivers.


UPDATE:

I guess I just don't watch much analog cable!

Ok after scanning through most of the analog channels I found that I only get the high pitched whine on channels 48 and up.

Those channels still have no whine when cable is connected direct TV as well as no whine when cable is connected to VCR and then VCR connected to ATI tuner.

Any suggestions?

 

[blue_z]



Quote:
Originally Posted by strider209 /forum/post/18189111


Connected my DVD/VCR to the ATI 650 RF input. I have no VCR tapes to test but DVD video played back with no whine. Also checked tv channels on the DVD/VCR and again no whine.

Did this all all happen while the ATI tuner is set to channel 3 or 4?

Or was the DVD/VCR ever set to the RF bypass mode?

I.E. you changed the channels only on the VCR while the ATI was always tuned to channel 3/4?

Quote:
Not sure why I am getting this whine.

Isn't that stating the obvious?

Quote:
Ok after scanning through most of the analog channels I found that I only get the high pitched whine on channels 48 and up.

That is weird: so maybe this is an frequency-dependent problem in the RF-section?

Does this ATI have tin-can or silicon tuner? The can would be about 4" by 1.5", and is often covered with a logo label. The antenna F-connector(s) would go straight into the tuner can. I'd guess that a can tuner is less reliable than a silicon tuner. unless the chip was damaged by static electricity.

 

[strider209]



Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_z /forum/post/18193697


Did this all all happen while the ATI tuner is set to channel 3 or 4?

Or was the DVD/VCR ever set to the RF bypass mode?

I.E. you changed the channels only on the VCR while the ATI was always tuned to channel 3/4?

ATI was set to channel 3, channels were changed on the VCR

Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_z /forum/post/18193697


That is weird: so maybe this is an frequency-dependent problem in the RF-section?

Does this ATI have tin-can or silicon tuner? The can would be about 4" by 1.5", and is often covered with a logo label. The antenna F-connector(s) would go straight into the tuner can. I'd guess that a can tuner is less reliable than a silicon tuner. unless the chip was damaged by static electricity.

I'll have to check the tuner card when I get home. Not sure if it matters but it is one of the original ATI 650 cards (PCI w/hybrid tuner) I believe the newer ones are PCI-E and are dual tuner.