Audio Popping

[advil0]

Ever since I switched to s-video, my audio has been really poppy. I'm using RCA audio, any ideas?

[advil0]

Sorry for bumping, but it's gotten really annoying.

[Conejo]

Not sure why switching from composite to s-video would ever cause audio issues.
Could you give us more information?
1. What source device (Cable STB)?
1a. If an STB, does it have Fixed or Variable volume level output? If variable (affected by Vol up/dn) can you set at 86%?
2. What output device (TV Speakers, A/V Receiver, etc).
3. If you play a recorded show on a PC, does it still have popping/distortion?
4. Does the popping go away when you unplug the s-video cable?


Bad/Loose L/R Cables
Bad/Bent s-video pin short

[advil0]

1. What source device (Cable STB)?
1a. If an STB, does it have Fixed or Variable volume level output? If variable (affected by Vol up/dn) can you set at 86%?
It is a DirecTV box going into my Conexant Blackbird 2388x
I have the RCA Audio going into a 3.5mm jack adapter into my Line In, so yes, I can control it.

2. What output device (TV Speakers, A/V Receiver, etc).
Computer Speakers, 2.1 Altec Lansing VS2221

3. If you play a recorded show on a PC, does it still have popping/distortion?
Yes, it does.

4. Does the popping go away when you unplug the s-video cable?
No, it still pops.

Hope all this helps!

[Conejo]

There are two things to test here...

1. Check the L/R Audio Out from your DirecTV box:
(can you connect this to another input to see if it hears/records pops, maybe your computer line-in and use Sound Recorder; or connect some amplified speakers directly to the DirectTV box)

2. The input of your Conexant Blackbird 2388x:
(can you connect another source to see if it still records pops)

You said you started getting the pops when you switched to s-video. But when you disconnect the s-video the pops remain. Did you try switching back to the composite video cable (I assume this won't fix it). Did you make any other changes/adjustments around the same time this started?

When I asked about the DirecTV box being FIXED or VARIABLE I didn't understand your answer... If you can adjust the sound volume being recorded with the remote control VOL up/dn then the audio level could be set too high or too low for your 2388x card input. If the audio level is FIXED output (the remote has no effect) then this doesn't matter.

[advil0]

1. Check the L/R Audio Out from your DirecTV box:
(can you connect this to another input to see if it hears/records pops, maybe your computer line-in and use Sound Recorder; or connect some amplified speakers directly to the DirectTV box)

When I recorded it, there was a small amount of popping, but still definately noticeable. Both of my Line-Ins do it, switching does not help. Also, when I connect my 360 into my Line In, it doesn't pop at all.

2. The input of your Conexant Blackbird 2388x:
(can you connect another source to see if it still records pops)

You said you started getting the pops when you switched to s-video. But when you disconnect the s-video the pops remain. Did you try switching back to the composite video cable (I assume this won't fix it). Did you make any other changes/adjustments around the same time this started?

When I asked about the DirecTV box being FIXED or VARIABLE I didn't understand your answer... If you can adjust the sound volume being recorded with the remote control VOL up/dn then the audio level could be set too high or too low for your 2388x card input. If the audio level is FIXED output (the remote has no effect) then this doesn't matter.

When I was using Coax, there wasn't audio problems at all, audio was clear as a bell. And sorry if I told you my answer wrong, I meant, the remote does nothing with audio, I have to go into the Windows Audio Mixer to change the volume.

Hope that all makes sense.

[Conejo]

Originally Posted by Conejo

1. Check the L/R Audio Out from your DirecTV box:
(can you connect this to another input to see if it hears/records pops, maybe your computer line-in and use Sound Recorder; or connect some amplified speakers directly to the DirectTV box)

Originally Posted by advil0

When I recorded it, there was a small amount of popping, but still definately noticeable. Both of my Line-Ins do it, switching does not help. Also, when I connect my 360 into my Line In, it doesn't pop at all.

This just about narrows it down to an issue with your DirecTV Box. Do you have any kind of device (other than your computer) that you can connect to the L/R Audio Output of your DirecTV STB to listen to its audio? Amplified speakers, or a TV with L/R Audio In?

When I was using Coax, there wasn't audio problems at all, audio was clear as a bell.

Your DirectTV has an RF OUT Converter that takes the decoded Baseband Video and L/R Audio and rebroadcasts it as Channel 3 or 4. It doesn't produce the best picture or audio in the world, possible the worst, but that's what some people are stuck with. It's a close but completely different signal pathway both inside your DirecTV box and inside your Capture Card.

One of the reasons I've asked you to do these tests is to identify WHICH device is causing the pops. Unfortunately, it looks like your DirecTV STB box has a bad Audio Out. You'd need to verify that the pops are present through the above test (Amplified Speakers or TV using Audio In) but it sounds like this may be the cause.

IF your DirecTV box has another pair of L/R Audio out you might try them as they could be on a different internal circuit.

[advil0]

I tried switching RCA out on the DirecTV box, it reduced the amount of pops, but there are still some, I'm going to see if plugging it into a TV input will do anything. I'll edit this in a min...

Ok, it still popped on both outputs.

[Conejo]

OK. If your DirecTV STB, connected only to a TV using L/R Audio, still pops then it's the STB.

Unless you have a setup menu misconfiguration in the STB then using L/R Audio Out won't work for you. What model name/number is it?

[dadof4]

Originally Posted by advil0

Ever since I switched to s-video, my audio has been really poppy. I'm using RCA audio, any ideas?

I have an annoying "popping" on my set up also. It is evident on all tuners and all extenders. It's just one of those things that once you notice it your attention is always focused on it. Any ideas?

2-MVP's
1-HD100
No client PC's.
Sage 6.4.5
1-PVR-150
1-HVR-1600
1-HDHR
2.93ghz P4 Celeron
160gb PATA system HD
500gb SATA recording HD
500gb USB media HD

[Conejo]

Originally Posted by dadof4

I have an annoying "popping" on my set up also. It is evident on all tuners and all extenders. It's just one of those things that once you notice it your attention is always focused on it. Any ideas?

'Noise' is unwanted signal/level change, created by ADDING (induced) or SUBTRACTING (lowering, shorting) the signal level.

Noise can be created by any of your components, or even some electrical device on your AC line or device close enough to induce 'noise' into your system. There are even cases where the 'system', as a whole, is the problem (ex: IRQ or memory use conflicts) and no individual component is to blame.

Usually, one component is the cause of the noise. You just need to isolating it (either by pulling components out of a system, or testing the component in a new system)

The easiest way to diagnose may be to create a test process

1. Identify issue, patterns: is it repeatable (steps to repeat it); how often does it occurs; conditions when it occurs
2. Visualize the top-down pathways process (flow chart) [Receiver, firmware, setting options, sockets/plugs, cabling, capture cards, device drivers... all the replaceable parts)
3. List commonalities, disparity or uniqueness (that help eliminate a group of components or isolate it to a group of components)
4. Begin dual-test process:

A1. Remove suspect component from system, retest system (component removal may cause system failure and be inconclusive)
A2. Swap suspect component with identical part, retest system (may be impractical)
B. Introduce individual component into 2nd known noise-free system, test under similar conditions

By 'process of elimination' in combination with testing each part with a known noise-free system you may find your culprit. That's the process I walked the OP through above.

So far, you know "It is evident on all tuners and all extenders." The next question: when you REPLAY the same section of a recording, does it repeat in the exact same spot (is it isolated to the RECORDING). Second, does the noise occur in analog and digital recordings (analog NTSC files are encoded on the board, ATSC/QAM digital are pre-encoded and sent as streams and any 'noise' would be seen as data damage).

[dadof4]

Thanks Conejo,

It's also on the recordings. I suspect you are correct in that it is one of the system components. I'm going to shotgun until I run out of bullets. I'll keep this thread updated.

[Conejo]

Originally Posted by Conejo

The next question: when you REPLAY/REPEAT the same section of a recording, does it repeat in the exact same spot

I asked this question to see the 'noise' appear RANDOMLY (but not always in the same spot), or FIXED (always in the same spot on every replay).So, is it fixed or random?
Do you get the 'noise' if you play a DVD? MP3? AVI?
Played on your SageTV PC? on your HD100?

Originally Posted by Conejo

Second, does the noise occur in analog and digital recordings

I asked this question to see how many subsystems were affected:
You have MANY isolated input systems (Hauppauge 1600, 150; the HDHR) and many isolated output systems (SageTV PC, 2-MVPs, an HD100).
The 'noise' should NOT be present on ALL of the input AND output subsystems (unless it's AC interference based, or an issue with a common data-transfer subsystem).

[dadof4]

Conejo,

The popping is on the recording at the same spot as it is when watching live tv.

Right now I've only noticed it on analog. Given it is intermittent I am not 100% sure.

It seems (I think) to have started when I installed the HVR-1600 but I know it is present, although less noticeable, on the PVR-150. I'm starting out by replacing the HVR-1600 given it is still covered for replacement.

Thanks

[Conejo]

In that case, you could try a couple of things:

1. Swap the card positions with each other
2. Run the Hauppauge HWCLEAR application and reinstall the drivers.
3. Since you were mucking about inside the case, reseat all boards, check all connectors, cables...

It could be a hardware issue, an IRQ issue or a driver/registry setting issue.
As you suspect, since it turned up at the same time you installed the HVR-1600, it is probably related to that.

Good Luck.

[milnej]

Not sure if this will help, but I was having the popping on Starchoice and it was the Audio Compression being turned on in the Sat receivers audio settings which was making the Hauppauge carp make a popping noise on the RCA audio.