Getting rid of horizontal scrolling lines - Ground Loop

[corysmith01]

I'm looking to get rid of these annoying horizontal, scrolling lines on my tv when the cable is on. Through lots of reading, I'm guessing it's due to a ground loop as the lines are not present with either xbox or my dvd player...only with the cable.

I've found 2 that most point to, but they're vastly different in price:
Dayton VIT-1
Jensen VRD-1FF

Was wondering if anyone's had experience with one or the other. Is the Dayton a "stay away from" product? It seems like a no-brainer at $9, but if the Jensen is worth it, I don't mind spending the $55.

Secondarily, I read on the Dayton where it says "not recommended for use on digital cable or cable modem installations." Has anyone tried this with digital cable? I thought most cable was digital now anyway, but this is saying it's not recommended. Just don't want to go through the trouble of ordering this if it's not going to work. I just want these things gone...they totally degrade the picture and drive me nuts. Sort of defeats the purpose of having HD television altogether.

 

[optivity]

I'm guessing it's due to a ground loop as the lines are not present with either xbox or my dvd player...only with the cable.

One thing to take a look at is your coax cable run from the street to your TV.

Make sure all coax is RG-6 or RG-11. If the segment from the street to the ground-block is ~200' or longer, you should go with RG-11.

Inside your home all coax cable should be at least RG-6. Try to minimize the number of times you split the signal before it reaches your TV.

Sometimes, rather than use a traditional 2-way, 3-way, etc., splitter a passive directional coupler will provide a better signal to your TV.

Make sure all F-Connectors are properly terminated and each connection is tight/secure. Any unused connection on a splitter should be closed with an F-Connector cap.

 

[corysmith01]

Wow, I almost forgot I posted this until I got my isolator in the mail the other day. Not sure this is of any use to anyone, but figured I'd post a follow up with my results.

I ended up reading about a Viewsonics Ground Loop Isolator on another forum. Others had commented that it worked like a charm and did not interfere with digital cable capabilities. So, I figured I'd give it a shot since they were only $25 on ebay. Got it over the weekend and, viola, no scrolling horizontal bars! Worked like a charm. I don't have the bars any more, the low-level hum is gone from my audio, and my cable tv now looks like the video from my dvd player; spotless, and noise/line free.

Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone is experiencing the same problem. If so, this little thing is a gem.

 

[jamie2112]

Wow, I almost forgot I posted this until I got my isolator in the mail the other day. Not sure this is of any use to anyone, but figured I'd post a follow up with my results.

I ended up reading about a Viewsonics Ground Loop Isolator on another forum. Others had commented that it worked like a charm and did not interfere with digital cable capabilities. So, I figured I'd give it a shot since they were only $25 on ebay. Got it over the weekend and, viola, no scrolling horizontal bars! Worked like a charm. I don't have the bars any more, the low-level hum is gone from my audio, and my cable tv now looks like the video from my dvd player; spotless, and noise/line free.

Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone is experiencing the same problem. If so, this little thing is a gem.

Thanks for mentioning it. That is a useful piece of info...