Help with Video Interference Pattern

[Don_T]

I have a problem that is driving me insane.

I am finishing my HT and have had an interference pattern show on the screen any time video is played through component video. There are diagonal lines across the screen. The lines are sometimes 45 deg. other times they are at about 60 deg. I had always thought the problem was due to the fact that I was using one out of the box cable and crappy Monster cables in the chain from source to projector. Well I have bought all new cables from Blue Jeans Cables and the problem is still there. I have tried and re-tried to seat the connections with no luck. Any idea what is going on?

My system is as follows: a DirecTV HD receiver (worst culprit), an older Sony DVD player (still has pattern but usually not as pronounced), a Sony STR-DA7ES receiver and an Optoma HD72 projector with a Carada Criterion 100" screen. All video cabling is now Beldon 1694A from Blue Jeans. The cable between the equipment room and the projector is the Impact Acoustics Rapid Run system (25'). All of these cables have been reviewed favorably on this site.

The rapid Run cable does not run by any power wires in the attic (I have elevated the cable 1 meter above the lower attic rafters where all of the electricity runs. The space in the wall where all of the cabling runs from attic to equipment room does not have electricity. The equipment is installed on a Metro style shelf. All power cables are bound and run to one side of the rack and all audio and video cables are bound and run to the opposite side of the rack.

Please Help.

 

[Johnd]

It sounds like you have limited the problem to either cable management (interference) or a grounding issue.

The former is relatively easy to ascertain: reconnect your video directly (with your spare component cables). Just run the cables free and clear of all other cables. If the distortion disappears, you know where the problem is.

The latter can be fixed by using an isolator (if need be). Usually not necessary if all components are plugged into the same outlet (they have the same resistance when plugged in this manner), or all into separate outlets with separate grounds.

There is also such a thing as a cheap video filter (for cable lines).

 

[Don_T]

Thanks. I will try to isolate the video signal. I almost did that last night but after installing the new cables and finding that the problem was still there I was spent.

As far as the grounding problem. All of the components are currently plugged into a single outlet. It is a dedicated 20A circuit. This is a new house completed in June of this year that does have an earth ground. Even though this is a dedicated circuit I believe the earth ground is common for everything in the house. Could this be a problem? Also, all of the components are connected to an old power strip, not a new surge protector. Could this matter? Of course other than the fact that the equipment is unprotected. Any more thoughts?

I will try the video first.

 

[Johnd]

Yes, yes and, well, yes.

Are the lines rolling or still?
You mentioned that the lines appear only via component cables. Can you try an hdmi, or even s video cable?

Bottom line, I would determine the cable issue first by isolating them (components), and then trying hdmi (or s video if you have one laying around). In this way you have eliminated cabling and connections.

Once you've determined that it is neither a cabing nor a connection issue, I would suspect it is then most likely be an interference issue (unless the lines are still, in which case it could be the projector itself). Let us know what remains after the process of elimination. Cheers.

 

[Don_T]

I do not have an HDMI cable yet. When I switch to S-Video there are no lines, just with component.

The lines are not still but they are not rolling either. They kind of move a little and fade in and out and change a little with the changing sceens.

 

[Johnd]

If the lines exist only with the component cables and not s-video, it seems to be clearly a cabling or connection (or connector) issue.

 

[Don_T]

That is what I thought as well. I will bypass the receiver tonight and try to isolate the problem. I will let you know what I find.

After spending crap loads of money and time this stuff should just work properly. Oh wait that would be easy...nothing worth having is easy.

 

[Don_T]

OK...
I bypassed the receiver (Sony STR-DA7ES) and hooked the component video cable from the DVD player (Sony DVP-NC785P) into the wall plate in the equipment room that runs directly to the projector (Optoma HD-72) via the Rapid Run cable system. Viola, no interference. The DVD player initially showed much less interference than the DirecTV HD box.

Next I hooked the DirecTV HD box direct to the projector by the same method as described before and the interference is still there. However it is at a level significantly below before. It is still there, about as strong as the DVD player was running through the receiver.

What now?

There is obviously some problem with the receiver (should have got the Denon) but by the same token there is obviously something else going on because the interference is still there, even if it is reduced.

 

[Johnd]

Is the interference on the Direct tv present on hd, sd, or both? And what cable are you using (from Direct tv to display)? I wouldn't expect any interference on hd (using hdmi or dvi).

Another simple elimination (of the Direct tv) would be to connect the Direct tv to another display and see if the distortion exists at all.

 

[Don_T]

The distortion is more pronounced in HD. I am currently running all HD and SD signals on component video. I do not have another display to test with. The only other TV I have only accepts S-Video.

I am think about getting an HDMI cable but have not done so yet. I am planning on waiting until Christmas to get the upcoming HDMI only Oppo DVD player (provided it has good video quality scores). I will then run the DirecTV and the DVD player through an external HDMI switch and a good quality HDMI cable to the projector.

After posting last night I did some more testing with the power supply. The distortion decreased when I plugged the HD tuner directly into the outlet bypassing the cheap power strip. I think the distortion is multi-causal. I am going to order the Tripp Lite surge protector and possibly a component video switch as well to bypass the receiver.

It is disturbing that the receiver should pass video so poorly. That model was the flagship receiver for Sony at the time, and not that long ago. Granted HD was not at all mainstream then but one would think it could pass component video flawlessly. Perhaps it is also due to the power supply issue.

 

[handsomejack]

im having a very similar problem and have had a headache over it for the last 2 weeks. i also have direct tv and a hd set top. getting the described noise from component and not hdmi. however i need to use component cables to go to my projector. was this problem ever solved?

 

[jostenmeat]

im having a very similar problem and have had a headache over it for the last 2 weeks. i also have direct tv and a hd set top. getting the described noise from component and not hdmi. however i need to use component cables to go to my projector. was this problem ever solved?

My educated guess is that it's the fault of the STB's component output. Try it on another display, at your home, and I bet it will be the same. Sorry I can't help more, but I've seen this happen with older crappier cable boxes (that eventually were replaced by user).