video distortion when video audio is plugged into tv

[tms]

Got a bit of a problem here, nothing major, but still, something i'd like to fix.

I have a TView PCI card which supports only s-video (no sound, no RCA, just s-video). I run s-video out to my tv in the other room. The display works flawless everythings great.

Now for the sound. I am literally running a 1/8th audio plug extension all the way to the tv. (the one every computer has) just like the one below

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F002%5F003%5F010&product%5Fid=42%2D2493

From there I have an adapter which splits into two RCA plugs (so i can plug it into the tv).

Sound works great, video works great. Only problem is, I am getting visual audio distortion. The distortion only occurs when there is audio coming from the movie. Now the problem isn't at the computer end. I can plug the audio into my surround sound (which is totally seperate from the tv), and it plays fine. However, when i run sound through the tv, the screen kinda gets distorted lines whenever there is noise in the movie.

Anyone experienced this? I'm just trying to figure out a way where i can run audio into the tv, and play a movie without seeing lines everytime someone talks in the movie or when a car burns out, instead of having to use external speakers that arent part of the tv.

Any help is appreciated

[avih]

pls change the subject of your post. a more appropriate subject would be: "video distortions from audio on computer to tv playback"

read the forums rules again.
avih

[Kedirekin]

Is it a quality TV? Do you see the distortion at low volumes, or only when it's loud?

This sounds to me like magnetic effects from your speaker voice coils interferring with the electron beams in your CRT. Either that, or the sound vibrations are physically shaking loosely connected electronics.

[tms]

Originally posted by Kedirekin
Is it a quality TV? Do you see the distortion at low volumes, or only when it's loud?

This sounds to me like magnetic effects from your speaker voice coils interferring with the electron beams in your CRT. Either that, or the sound vibrations are physically shaking loosely connected electronics.

Yeah its definitely a quality TV. The distortion is always there, whether the volume all the way down, or on mute. As long as the audio cables are plugged in, you can see it.

Now something odd, is its not as bad in some videos/movies, as it is in others. That part, I can really not figure out.

Also, something else interesting is.....

When I plug in the audio cable to the VCR input or output (which runs a UHF/VHF cable to the TV), with the s-video still going into the TV, the distortion is there. Almost like some frequency is interfering with the display.

[tms]

infact, just rule out the "movie/video" part.

The problem is definitely audio. Whether im looking at winamp on the tv or watching a video..........if somethings creating sound on the computer, there is distortion on the TV.

I've ruled s-video as being a problem because i've used a s-video to RCA converter, and the distortion is still there.

[Kedirekin]

Okay, you've got a rather odd problem there. If the distortions are there even when the sound is muted, then it's almost certianly not the audio that is causing it.

The most likely thing is the connection is somehow injecting RF noise into you TV circiutry. And the most likely source of RF in this case is the PC itself, but you can do a little diagnosis.

Try disconnecting the audio cable at the PC end, but leave it connected to your TV. Is the distortion still there? If yes, then the cable is acting as an antenna. Better shielded cable might help, or might not.

If not, plug the cable back into the PC, but turn the PC off. If the distortion is now present, you may have a ground loop. Oddly enough, ground loops often amplify RF noise problems (I don't really understand why). Some kind of line conditioner (isolation transformer, high pass filter, opto coupler) might solve the problem. Experiment or contact a professional.

If the distortion isn't present with the PC off, but appears instantly when you turn the PC on, then it's almost certainly the PC injecting RF. Basically, your sound card is picking up RF from inside the case (the inside of a PC is a bath of RF). Again a line conditioner (low pass this time) might help, or a shielded sound card might help.

[tms]

Originally posted by Kedirekin
Okay, you've got a rather odd problem there. If the distortions are there even when the sound is muted, then it's almost certianly not the audio that is causing it.

The most likely thing is the connection is somehow injecting RF noise into you TV circiutry. And the most likely source of RF in this case is the PC itself, but you can do a little diagnosis.

Try disconnecting the audio cable at the PC end, but leave it connected to your TV. Is the distortion still there? If yes, then the cable is acting as an antenna. Better shielded cable might help, or might not.

If not, plug the cable back into the PC, but turn the PC off. If the distortion is now present, you may have a ground loop. Oddly enough, ground loops often amplify RF noise problems (I don't really understand why). Some kind of line conditioner (isolation transformer, high pass filter, opto coupler) might solve the problem. Experiment or contact a professional.

If the distortion isn't present with the PC off, but appears instantly when you turn the PC on, then it's almost certainly the PC injecting RF. Basically, your sound card is picking up RF from inside the case (the inside of a PC is a bath of RF). Again a line conditioner (low pass this time) might help, or a shielded sound card might help.


Well, the distortion is only there when there is noise in the movie. Say someone starts talking/yelling in the movie, or a car burns out, the noise will make visual distortion. If I turn down the volume on the tv, or just plain mute it, you can still tell when someone talks because of the distortion. If I turn down the volume on the PC, the distortion stops, but ofcourse I can't hear the movie/video.

Ofcourse, if I unplug it from the PC end, the distortion stops.

Keep in mind i'm literally running this setup.


I am running one of these, from the "output" of my PC.http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/42/42-2492.jpg Its about 20 ft long.

I run that all the way into the other room.

I get it into the TV with this. http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/42/42-2540.jpg Which splits it into two RCA jacks, for the left/right audio RCA jacks of my TV.


I'm starting to believe I need some sort of audio filter or something, to get it to RCA, to remove distortion or whatever. But that wasn't a concern at first, cuz it works great when I hook the movie/video audio to my surround receiver. (which is totally seperate from my TV).

[Kedirekin]

Well, you've got me pretty well baffled. It's not in the TV, because it's there even when you mute the sound. It's not in the PC (i.e. crosstalk between your audio and video cards) because it goes away when you connect the audio to an external audio amplifier. That doesn't leave many places for it to be.

[tms]

yeah no luck

all I can say its its better in some movies/videos than others, distortion in some is almost unnoticable.......i cant figure it out.......

but no idea what could cause it, maybe the type of audio/encoding i dont know