[chatie]

I got the ReplayTV 3060 yesterday. There's this annoying thin vertical static-looking line that sweeps right to left accross my screen and then happens again after a couple seconds. This is happening only on my channel 2 (DSC) and 5 (NBC). It happens when I'm watching live TV through ReplayTv, and when I record even at the highest quality on those channels. The ReplayTV is connected directly to the cable jack on the wall. Any thoughts on the problem and how to solve it? Thanks in advance.

 

[RandyL712]

It may just be the signal. If you can, bypass the replay and the next time it happens on Replay, check if it's happening when you bypass it.

 

[chatie]

Thanks for the reply. After you pointed out that it may be a signal problem, I rechecked my wiring. The signal turned out to be the problem due to my wiring. I thought I was connecting the ReplayTV directly to the cable outlet, but instead it was going to a splitter to my TV and VCR. If I connect the ReplayTV directly to the cable outlet (which I thought I was doing), the mysterious vertical line goes away. I am right now trying to simplify my wiring... I have too many wires, and they all look alike after a whiles jumbled back behind the TV. <vbg>

 

[Michael Gwynn]

Quote:

Originally posted by chatie: but instead it was going to a splitter to my TV and VCR. If I connect the ReplayTV directly to the cable outlet (which I thought I was doing), the mysterious vertical line goes away.

Is that right? I've always thought that a splitter was so simple, nothing could possibly go wrong.


Are there different quality levels of plain old splitters? I'm seeing some slow upward-moving interference on some higher numbered channels, like 8 and 13.

 

[DJEvans240]

In my case, the difference was replacing an older, Radio Shack splitter that was rated at 900 MHz with a free one from my cable provider that was rated at 1000 MHz.



------------------

Dave Evans

Austin, Texas

 

[JANVideo]

Just for your info on this. Vertical lines of interference usually indicate HIGH frequency noise of some kind. Horizontal bands that creep up or down on the screen usually indicate LOW frequency noise such as 60 or 120 cycle hum due to ground loops or poor power supply filtering in some component along the cable system or a VCR or TV. In the case of high frequency noise, this can be a poor ground picking up digital noise from almost any component these days as they almost all have microprocessors in them. By replacing the splitters, the connectors on the RF cables, or using newer, better quality RF cables, you can help eliminate the interference you are seeing. Also, it only shows up on certain channels because the noise is "beating" with the channel frequency much the same as whistles can be heard on AM radio when another frequency that is a harmonic of the station is being picked up at the same time.


Bottom line: make sure all the connectors are really clean, use good quality RF cables, splitters, and amplifiers and try to keep all of the RF stuff away from power lines and the power supplies of things like VCRs and computers. Periodically clean those connectors with a good quality contact cleaner.

Joel N.

 

[chatie]

Update to my problem with the mysterious vertical line: I am pretty sure the culprit is my splitter. It seems to be picking up stray signals somehow. What I found out is that if I move my splitter (that connects from the cable outlet and then to my ReplayTV amd TV separately) around in different places (back, side, front of TV, etc), I can vary the intensity of the vertical line and can make it go away. I've placed the splitter where the picture is now good. I probably will replace the splitter in the future, but for now, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy my new ReplayTV. Oh, yeah!

 

[chatie]

Final update to my previous posting: I replaced the splitter and then put all my cables to the back of the TV to hide the stuff. When I did that, the mysterious sweeping verical line re-appeared, though fainter than before when this problem was first noticed. If I sat further, the line was not noticeable. (Maybe it never completely went away and I didn't noticed it when I posted before). In frustration, I was going to go buy some new cables (I heard Monster cables to be the best so was gonna check them out), but I decided try out some spare cables laying about. It turned out that the cable that came from my cable outlet to my splitter was causing the problem as well. Picture is now good and throughly inspected, my cables/splitter are hidden in the back of my TV, and I have the setup the way I wanted it... From cable outlet to splitter to TV and ReplayTV.