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View Full Version : Ground loop giving me fits


segfault
29th January 2003, 03:55
Wow... first post after lurking forever. ;)

I'm getting a pulsating hum in my captures that I'm about 90% sure is caused by a ground loop, and I've tried absolutely everything I can think of to get rid of it. I'm ready to pull my hair out.

I'm capturing from a VCR to the composite input on my ATI Radeon 7500 on WinXP Pro. I have the latest drivers for video, sound, and motherboard and I have the most recent BIOS (Abit KT7). I have put the computer and VCR on the same outlet. I have tried 2 different sound cards (SB Live and SB 16 PCI.... rebranded Ensoniq), and I have moved the sound card to different PCI slots. I have put the video card in a different computer. I have carried the computer and VCR into different rooms and hooked them up. You get the picture. ;)

Finally, tonight I thought I had found my answer on Google with this link (http://groups.google.com/groups?q=video+capture+ground+loop+isolation+transformer&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=33976D3B.5E46%40ix.netcom.com&rnum=2). I went to Radio Shack and bought a ground loop isolator for $14.95, but no joy. :( I still get the same hum in my captures.

I'm just about ready to give up on video capturing if I can't get this sorted out. I can minimize the sound after the fact with Cool Edit, but that introduces its own set of quality issues.....

Anybody here been through this that can offer some advice? TIA.