I simply changed out a few cables and... (1 Viewer)

[Mark__T]

Sony KDF-E42A10 HDTV
Pioneer Elite VSX-82TSX Receiver
HD Tivo Series 3
Oppo 970HD-DVD
Velodyne CHT Front Row Speakers (5.1 only)
AV123 X-Series Sub



Last weekend my system worked perfectly.

My set up was Tivo and Oppo- components & RCA plugs to the TV for my wife and TV speakers use and HDMI for Tivo & Oppo through AVR for me and movies. No problems.

I had an x-series sub on order from AV123. I received that yesterday.
In the meantime I ordered a set of 5-RCA Component A/V Cables. I also ordered another new heavy duty HDMI cable (I already had 2 hooked up and working and ordered the 3rd for DVD to AVR).

Anyway after adding the new cables and sub, I lost the ability to use the HDMI from my Tivo.

I have tried everything, including going directly from Tivo to TV. Nothing.
I tried using the old cables, nothing.

The DVD works through HDMI, but these new cables seem too stiff. (This is now not true, I can't even get the DVD to work using HDMI)

Add the fact that the sub is making the speakers Hum like a mo fo, and I want to cry. (I have determined that the cause is the cable from the cable TV, this did not happen with my old sub which was part of a HTIB)

I am ready to pack the whole thing in a sell everything.

My wife brought up the old "remember how happy we were with out old 24" TV and no stereo" thing.

I have been in contact with Tivo-no help

I have done several reboots of the Tivo with no success.


I am aware of the firmware issue with my receiver but I actually had my receiver upgraded with the latest firmware.

The thing that gets me is it worked fine before. Now not even with the original cables.-Scream!

I am going to strip it down tomorrow and start from scratch, but I am not optimistic.

What could I have done to screw it up so bad?

 

[Parker Clack]

Mark:

Odd indeed. I would try out one component at a time and see how that paricular component works. For example plug the Oppo into your setup without the Tivo and see if that works as it should. Then add the Tivo and if you lose picture, etc. then you know it has something to do with the Tivo. The loud humming your are hearing is a ground loop issue. It is probably being caused by your Tivo.

Parker

 

[Mark__T]

As of this minute-The Tivo is working with the AVR through toslink. Still no HDMI access.

The Oppo HDMI directly out to TV is working fine.

I need to check the Oppo HDMI out through AVR.

The ground loop is from the Cable TV cable-If I unhook it from the splitter, the hum completely goes away.

I'm still waiting for Tivo customer service level 2 to call me back.

 

[Mark__T]

Any suggestions-not too expensive if possible for the ground loop issue?

The hum definitely goes away the second I unhook the cable tv cable coming in from the wall?

Is there something I can pick up at Home Depot or Radio Shack?

 

[Keith Mickunas]

You can use one of those plugs designed to adapt three prongs to two on the sub. Now ideally with those you attach them to a ground, but you can leave that loose.

Another thing to try is to route the cable TV through a surge protector. In my setup I ran my FIOS cable through the same surge protector my sub amp is plugged into and that eliminated the hum.

 

[Parker Clack]

Mark:

I agree with Keith. The cheapest solution is to get a three prong to 2 prong adaptor for you sub. That will eliminate the humm.

Since it worked before do you think that maybe something got switched off on either the TV or the AVR so that HDMI is disabled?

 

[Mark__T]

Thanks guys

I thought I read that going the 3-prong to 2-prong was not advisable. It most certainly seems like the least expensive way, but I don't want to cause any damage. Have you guys seen this done in practice?

Parker

I wish I could think of something I may have turned off, but I can't. The TV accepts HDMI with my DVD player so it can't be the TV.

I'm wondering if it could have anything to do with the Cablecards in my Tivo.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

A grounded surge-protector w/ coaxial cable in/out would eliminate the ground loop issue from your cable-TV cable (a friend of mine had this issue and that's how we fixed it). As for HDMI dying it could be that somehow when hooking things up you grounded a plug accidently (touched it to the back of the receiver w/ both units on maybe?) and fried the HDMI circuitry on the TIVO or Receiver... might require being sent in for repair.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

I used the adapters on my HT system for quite some time, and currently I use something similar for a two-channel system where I also get a ground loop hum in my sub. It's probably not ideal, and my amp in the HT did make some strange clicking noises on occasion that might have been related. Though so far as I can tell, and this is after 4+ years of use, it's never been an issue.

The surge suppressor did not do anything for the hum when I was using satellite. This could be attributed to the different inputs on my suppressor. Perhaps the satellite one doesn't life the ground. I don't know, but it's worth a shot. Just check your cable box and make sure it still gets all your data. I believe if you cut the ground in some cable systems, the boxes don't work, or will eventually stop downloading program information because they can't communicate correctly.

 

[Mark__T]

So 3-prong to 2-prong is the way to go.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

The surge suppressor will not eliminate the hum unless you have your coaxial cable running through it as well as power... simply plugging your gear's power into the suppressor won't fix anything, the coaxial cable is where the hum (ground loop) is coming from.

 

[keithVANhorn]

If you have access to where your cable comes into the house, check to see if the incoming cable is grounded? If not, just ground the splitter the incoming cable goes into.

 

[Mark__T]

Silly question

How do I ground a cable?

I live in a condo, and it comes in in the garage.

 

[keithVANhorn]

The incoming coax cable is connected to a splitter. You run a ground wire, usually 14-16 gauge solid wire from the splitter to the electrical panel or a grounding point. The splitter will/should have a screw terminal to attach a wire to. Hard to explain in writing, but I have done this in the past to fix clients issues with hum coming from CATV.

 

[keithVANhorn]

Or if you don't want to deal with it yourself. Call the cable company and tell them you have hum coming from your cable. They can easily get rid of the hum by grounding the wire.

 

[Mark__T]

Darn I wish I knew that Weds. The cable guy was out here to bring a substitute DVR while my Tivo is out for exchange. But I will try it myself tomorrow.