S-Video Sat Box hum noise

I'll just excerpts from my other threads... I don't know what's wrong with this website. It won't let me post a link to my thread or post pictures of my problem.



I am only using the S-video with the Red and White and Yellow unplugged. I even tried what someone suggested, to unplug the Coax to the LNB in of the CS5K to see if it is a coax problem, but the interference still occured. My cables are all very clean and gold plated, I've tried repositioning the CS5K to other tables, away from other IRD's etc and same thing so long as I use S-Video.


Using something like an HDMI is impractical because the CS5K doesn't even support it, and even if it did it would be of no benefit being we're receiving Mpeg2 Standard Def signals heavily compressed. I would just discard the S-Video altogether and use the Component outs (which I heard was a remapped version of the S-Video) but unfortunately my TV only has S-Video and Composite Inputs. My other TV does have Component input, but that is being used by a dvd player. It's really a shame because the RCA connections really produce an unbearable picture for me.


The most common problem solution I have read regarding my situation was something called the"ground loop isolator". I'm not too familiar with it but I'm reading about it. I was thinking of going to Radio Shack to pick up a Composite to S-Video converter. I was thinking I'd use the CS5K's Composite out into the C-S converter and plug that into my TV's S-Video. If not, I guess I'll have to try the ground loop isolator (shrugs)

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I have plugged both 5K's into different houses, different tv's and moving the 5K to a table all alone away from other components. I tried unplugging everytihng except the TV and 5K to no avail.


I have tried 3 S-Video cables thus far. All 3 of them work on my subbed IRD's. I have used the gold plated, and alloy or silver plated.


And to the last poster, Composite is the worst. I think you're referring to Component which is the step up from S-Video. I don't have Component inputs on one of my TV's and my DVD Recorder doesn't have them either. S-Video is the best option for me and now I can't record anything because of the bars. Such a shame. I can't even watch TV using these cables because of the bar, I have to use composites which is just truely an ugly picture I cannot bear to look at.


It's apparent that the Coolsat engineers put no effort into making a quality built IRD. Many people are having the same problems as I using Computer video cards and it happens to specific brands so I suppose it's just a bad design or something if it's happening to specific brands and not others.

Boy, I had to read your posts three times to follow.


Is it possible that your S-video output signal is overdriving the input to your TVs?


I have not heard of any S-video attenuator, and the signal levels should be standard, but your prior tests have not found anything else.


I would guess you have tried adjusting video controls on the TV, especially contrast and brightness, moving them out of the "torch" mode (highest settings) to more like mid-way settings, although every model of TV can vary.


Can you provide a picture or more description of what you see on the screen?

They key to solving a problem like this is isolating the source of the problem. Generally speaking it could be the display, the cables, the STB, or interactions between them, or interference caused by nearby devices, or ground loop type of problems caused by other devices in the mix. Sounds like you've pretty well eliminated all but the STB itself. Although even with just the STB and a display, ground loop type of problems are possible, for that you may want to try isolating the power going to the STB via a fully online UPS or DC inverter. Naturally those cost money and you wouldn't want to just run out and buy one for the purposes of this problem alone. It may be that the problem is also present on Composite Video, but is not as apparent due to the lower bandwidth of Composite Video compared to S-Video. Try unplugging any nearby electronic devices. Did you try Component Video output? I know you said one of your displays doesn't have that kind of input, but another does, just run cables to the other display temporarily, long enough to see if the same distortion is present via Component Video. Basically, just try as many different things as you can to see if any of them affect the problem. Keep the experimental setups dirt-simple, and change one thing at a time and see if anything changes problem-wise. If you can find an S-Video Isolater, that may be worth a try. Trying things like that is really all you can do, short of bringing expensive test equipment to bear. Try a new STB also, or another new STB if you've already done that. It may be a defect on the design of the STB's themselves, although you'd think more people would have complained if that were true.

Budget_HT has been helpful to me in the PM's. I have discovered a partial solution to my problem. Maybe other people can chime in with their thoughts.


This is a PM I just sent to Budget_HT.


"Interesting thing happpened. I re-tested all the steps all over again just to make sure because during the course of this I may have missed something or I may have thought I did something when I didn't....


So, I tested both of the receivers today on 1 tv hooked up to the surge protector with other components connected as well. Using one of my newer S-Video cables that came free with the receiver, I would get the hum bars. I then tried my Gold plated AR S-Video cables and the hum bars were reduced significantly but still visible. I then started to unplug everything one by one and it turned out the noise was coming from my other satellite receiver. So the problem apparently was that receiver sending interference, plus the S-Video cables.


But now I tried the same procedure at the other house which has the ground block set up outside the house for the dish. In that house, I tested both the Sat receivers. This house only has the TV, VCR, DVD Player, and 2 sat recievers (including the one I'm having problems with). I didn't bother with the inferior S-Video cable, so I used my gold plated AR and another cable just as thick but silver plated. I would still get the interference. So I started to unplug everything from the surge protector like the other house and still the hum bar exists. I even did what you asked, to remove the surge protector and connect the TV and sat box directly to the wall socket. I even disconnected the coax from the dish going into the box and still the hum bars. Now we know the sat box is not the problem. Well it sorta is since these particular boxes are the only ones causing the problem (poor workmanship i would assume).


So I removed everything including the surge protector and still no luck in this particular house with the ground block installed. The interesting thing is, if I connect the S-Video from the problem sat box to my DVD recorder, then DVD Recorder out to the TV input, then the bars disappear. It's as if the DVD recorder functions as a filter of some sort.


Where could this noise be coming from?"