horizontal bar with artifacts that scrolls up

[Jettin2T]

Need some opinions on this one please.

I recently started to notice that there is this horizontal bar that scrolls from the bottom up to the top of the screen on dark areas. It will take about 6 seconds to traverse from the bottom to the top and start again on the bottom, keeps repeating. However, on most non dark backgrounds you really dont notice anything. If you pause the screen such the attached screen shot it will pause in the frame as well, meaning it doesnt scroll while sage is paused.

I thought this was something that just started recently. But I went back to some of my original records when I first got the unit and they are there as well. Guess I just never noticed it or something changed.


I am currently using SageTV Media Center (V6.6.1 for Windows) This was occurring even with 6.5.9 and all newer betas but just getting around to posting this.

PC:
Core2 E6850(3ghz), Vista 32bit, 4GB RAM, EVGA 9800GT 1GB

Tuner:
Hauppauge HD-PVR Rev E1 connected to high speed USB directly from motherboard.
Comcast Motorola DCT6200 with IR Balaster from the HD-PVR.

Also have another different PC running the Sage Client and it does it there as well. You notice it mostly on the 42" LCD TV and not on the computer LCD since its smaller and tends to be darker, if you look closely... it's there as well.

I hope I posted this in the right forum thinking that its a hardware issue.

Any ideas? I puzzled.

Thanks!

[zoundz]

The source of your little bar is what's known as a hum bar and it's usually caused by a grounding problem in the analog video end of things. By the time you see it, your bar is obviously a digital anomaly. I would expect that the problem exists in the analog video connection to your HDPVR. Since the bar is stationary when you pause SageTV, it's recorded into the file, and since there is no possibility of a purely digital hum bar, the problem has to be back at the analog end. You might try reseating the connectors on both ends between the STB and the HDPVR and you might also try reseating the F connector on the input to the Comcast STB. If that doesn't work, you may need to investigate the grounding of the cable coming into the STB and also make sure that the STB, the computer, and the HDPVR are all connected to the same power source. Ground problems can be tricky to fix. Other causes for hum bars can be lighting dimmers, microwave ovens, diathermy machines (<g> I'm not sure that anyone actually knows what a diathermy machine is or if they exist any more, but they have been blamed for electrical noise problems for at least 75 years), any electrical motors with worn brushes, neon lights, on and on and on. All you can do is experiment until the problem is gone. It might be easier to find if you can hook an analog TV to the STB directly. You should be able to see the hum bar there as well and doing that will eliminate at least two variables from the mix.

Congratulations. You have encountered one of the all-time most popular and recalcitrant demons of video. Have fun.....