Sound Crackles/Snaps?

[juliet]

im hoping you guys can help me. lately my sound has been making loud snap and hiss noises every couple minutes when im watching tv. it only occurs when im using the digital cable box however. whenever i watch a dvd or play xbox 360, i dont hear any audio issues, yet when when im using the box, it gives me snaps and cracks in the audio. everytime it happens, i get a black/white bar onscreen as well since it seems to react to the pop the audio makes. i get the same results through my surround sound system and through the tv's speakers so i think its either the wiring connections or something else. any suggestions on fixing this? its made watching tv unbearable.

 

[MDS]

It sounds like a problem with either the cable box itself or the broadcast from the cable company. The first thing to do would be to call the cable company and have them check things out and/or replace the cable box.

I notice something similar at times but for me it only occurs with commercials. The audio is fine for the current program but when a commercial occurs, the audio sounds muffled and has a high pitched buzz. The problem is with that particular broadcast not the equipment.

 

[mtrycrafts]

im hoping you guys can help me. lately my sound has been making loud snap and hiss noises every couple minutes when im watching tv. it only occurs when im using the digital cable box however. whenever i watch a dvd or play xbox 360, i dont hear any audio issues, yet when when im using the box, it gives me snaps and cracks in the audio. everytime it happens, i get a black/white bar onscreen as well since it seems to react to the pop the audio makes. i get the same results through my surround sound system and through the tv's speakers so i think its either the wiring connections or something else. any suggestions on fixing this? its made watching tv unbearable.

One more to check on: does this happen with all cable channels or just one or two, in which case it might also be the station? Still, the cable company needs to check it as MDS indicated as I had one channel's audio over driven and skewed by 10 dB and to the left side as well. Wasn't the TV station but the cable provider.

By the way, don't take no for an answer and keep on them. I had to call Comcast 3 times before it was corrected, finally.

 

[juliet]

all channels do it. some days it wont be too bad and others it will be unbearable

 

[SNAKE]

all channels do it. some days it wont be too bad and others it will be unbearable

Have you got another set of cables to try? a bad cable will cause that kind of symtoms ?

 

[juliet]

i have brand new digital cables connected to it, so i doubt thats the problem. got the same results using them as well as unplugging them and trying it through the normal coxial cable

 

[zumbo]

i have brand new digital cables connected to it, so i doubt thats the problem. got the same results using them as well as unplugging them and trying it through the normal coxial cable

What makes them digital?

 

[mtrycrafts]

What makes them digital?

Are you trying to confuse her or embarrass her? Our only female right now? Looserwife is not very active

 

[juliet]

i ment the ones that go to the "digital out" audio plugs behind the cable box... dunno what the technical term for those are

 

[zumbo]

i ment the ones that go to the "digital out" audio plugs behind the cable box... dunno what the technical term for those are

I don't believe the audio cables are the problem due to the fact your picture is affected. However, both audio connections need to be made. The single digital cable, and the analog r/l connection.

You need to check the video cable.

Are you trying to confuse her or embarrass her? Our only female right now? Looserwife is not very active

As you can see, my question yielded a very good result.

 

[zumbo]

I was wondering.

How are you getting the video signal to the tv from the cable box?

If you are using the screw-in cable from the cable company, that is the problem.

 

[juliet]

i disconnected the digital wires and im still having problems. i had snaps with and without it. as far as my video signal, im using a s-video wire

 

[zumbo]

i disconnected the digital wires and im still having problems. i had snaps with and without it. as far as my video signal, im using a s-video wire

Try another option besides s-video just to rule that out. After that, it's time to call the cable company.

 

[juliet]

ok, im trying to hide my blondeness here... but would have svideo and the standard "Screw in" type cable BOTH hooked up at the same time make a difference?

 

[zumbo]

ok, im trying to hide my blondeness here... but would have svideo and the standard "Screw in" type cable BOTH hooked up at the same time make a difference?

Bingo! Look at post #11.

The screw-in caries audio and video. This should come from the wall to the cable box. Out of the cable box should be the s-video, along with digital audio and analog audio. s-video can go straight to the tv, or to the receiver, and then to the tv. Do not use the screw-in cable any time after the box.

 

[juliet]

ok i removed the screw in line and im using the digital output and the s-video line. ill report back in 24 hours to see if it made a difference and if the crackles are gone

 

[juliet]

seemed to cure the problem, but a new one arose. i dont get sound on the lower channels. not from the surround sounds nor from the tv's speakers... any ideas?

 

[MDS]

The lower channels all use analog audio. If you only connected the digital out from the cable box to the receiver, you will not get sound from channels 1-99. You need to also connect the analog (red/white) cables from the cable box to the receiver.

 

[juliet]

i have a lower end receiver w/ only 2 sets of audio-in jacks on the back... can i buy a external box that will allow me to multiple devices to a single set of jacks? i have one that allows me to connect all my video game systems into one set of RCA jacks, but im wondering if i can do the same for audio devices.

 

[MDS]

juliet,
If your receiver only has 2 sets of analog audio inputs then how are you using the digital connection from the cable box? I've never seen any TV that has a digital input, only digital outputs.

How about we start over and you describe as best you can which cables are connected which devices?

Do you want to use the receiver so you can hear audio from speakers connected to it instead of the TV speakers or are you running everything straight to the TV?