Help with TV to Computer Feed

[codeseven]

Sorry, this is a bit long, but please read on!

Ok, let me explain my problem. I am recording from my TV to my computer, but the video/audio quality of what is being fed to my computer is awful. I'm getting thick, horizontal lines slowly going up and down the screen, with also a weird static-y mess at the top of the screen. I am also getting a constant humming noise within the audio feed.

Now let me tell you how I have everything hooked up. I am using Dazzle's Digital Video Creator 150 (DVC150) to record from TV to computer. The way I'm feeding my TV to my computer is via standard red, yellow, and white cords coming from the output jack of my Explorer Cable DVR box to the input of my DVC150, which then feeds to my computer through USB, and finally the actual video is captured using Pinnacle's Studio Version 9.

Now, before you say something completely worthless and stupid like "DVC is gay, noob, use something else", I have used this exact same hook up many, many times before and the quality has been excellent. No problems whatsoever.

I am experiencing problems now since I got a new TV. However, the flaws I see on the video that is being fed to my computer do not show up on my actual TV screen. Nor the audio problem. That's why I'm completely stumped. And just to see if it was my DVC being gay, I did it the complex, long way and hooked it up to my computer without using DVC, and was still getting the same problem.

I was thinking maybe that it is my DVR box, but just recently I switched to HDTV and the cable guy brought a new HDTV DVR box, and I'm still getting the same problem. So now, all I can think of the problem being is my TV - but that doesn't make since because it's a brand new TV and it's a nice one. I don't know the exact model, but its a 32" widescreen LG TV with HDTV tuner already in it. So I really don't think it's my TV...So I am just completely stumped!

Any help would be very very much appreciated. If you have any suggestions or reasoning on why it's doing this, please let me know!



And just to show you guys exactly what I'm seeing, I uploaded a quick movie clip that will show you what I'm dealing with
http://rapidshare.de/files/11004044/Video_21.rar.html

[jagabo]

Sounds like ground loop issues. Try plugging the computer, DVC, and source (TV's monitor out? cable box?) into the same power outlet. Sometimes a cable that's not plugged in all the way (or just bad) can cause this. If any of the devices has a non-keyed power plug, try reversing it.

[codeseven]

Hey, first off, thanks alot for your help. Much appreciated. However, I tried what you said, and I am still having the same problem. I plugged everything into one outlet and fired it up. Still those bars and humming noise. And to see if any of the cords were bad, I switched em out with other ones and still the same thing

[mikiem]

RE: ground loop prob... There is a lot of info on this on-line, and several devices designed specifically for this, if that is your problem, & it does sound like jagabo is correct. Might check out stuff written by Jay Rose (think that's correct -- audio guru at DV).

Otherwise troubleshooting your prob you might find unobvious stuff, like installing the TV someone yanked on the co-ax and the problems at the wall outlet or in the wall -- IOW keep an open mind. Try unplugging everything -- running co-ax if possible straight to your PC. By eliminating suspects you can usually narrow it down -- trying to figure it out first in my experience just doesn't work as well.

And maybe try an amp too... Can find these retail & return if no help, but buy a better one (not the cheapest thing you can find -- but not the best either).

[jagabo]

Try changing the spread spectrum settings in your BIOS setup utility.

Try changing the resolution and refresh rate of your graphics card.

[wingnut2003]

you may want to try a ground loop isolator here is a link for what it looks like http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=ground%20loop%20isolator . it should get rid of the humming sound, i had the same problem and it cured it. as far as the lines in the picture, it could be a bad video cable. it definately looks like some sort of interference.