Question:
I finally took the plunge with a Philips 880 DVD recorder, and while I'm very impressed by the performance I'm concerned about a strange phenomenon I've experienced a few times.
Occasionally near the start of a recording I get a strange "pulsing" on the recording.
When I record in PAL from the Sky Digibox this phenonemon appears as a quick succession of three horizontal shadows, at the top, then the middle, then the bottom of the screen. The effect is similar to the one you get when you wiggle a loose scart lead at the back of a TV.
When I record in RGB from the Digibox these pulses appear as blocky, digital horizontal lines, first across the top of the screen, then the middle, then the bottom.
I've checked all the scart leads and they're all connected firmly. However, my recorder input is coming from the scart output marked "TV" on my Digibox, as this is the only one that sends a widescreen switching signal.
The effect looks like some sort of possible signal that the recorder's picking up from the Digibox - it certainly doesn't seem to happen on recordings via an aerial.
If anyone has any ideas what this might be, or how to resolve it, I'd be very grateful, as my ability to return the machine expires in 4 days.
Desk
This sounds like you are recording something with Macrovision to me, which is strange, as I'm not sure Sky Digiboxes or transmissings are encoded with this (surprising if true...)
No, I'm certain it's not macrovision.
It doesn't happen throughout a recording, and on some it doesn't appear at all.
When it does manifest it happens in three quick, regular bursts appearing as dark bands first at the top, then the middle, then the bottom of the screen.
It appears as if the recorder is reacting to a signal of some sort, but I'm damned if I know what.
Desk
I had a similar problem with my panasonic e30
when I first got it, and bought an anti-surge line conditioning
4 gang extension lead and this cured it..
Hope it helps
Regards
Niteman1969
Niteman,
That's brilliant! I've been looking everywhere for an answer to this, and with my return period just about up on the machine was consdering sending it back.
Can I just clarify - in your recordings you were getting these occasional brief bursts of 3 or 4 pulses of dark bands, appearing at the top, to the middle, then the bottom of the screen? Was this when recording via a scart lead from a Sky digibox?
I take it you discovered that it's some sort of surge in the signal that's somehow picked up by the DVD recorder?
If it's not a further hassle, can I ask where you bought the "anti-surge line conditioning 4 gang extension lead"?
Again, many thanks for your help.
Desk
i just bought it from the local computer fair - most computer
shops have these type of extension leads available - PC world etc,but they are not cheap - expect to pay about £30-40
My problem was similar but not a quick burst I was getting a
constant vertical band slightly brighter than the main picture
moving from left to right every 20-30 seconds and it even came out on my recordings - was not really visible on anything other than black and dark colours...
Regards
Niteman1969
PS you might also want to try a simple earthing lead
ie a piece of wire stuck on the back of your machine with tape and
going to a radiator or something which is definatley grounded.
Niteman,
Again, many thanks for all your help.
It doesn't sound like your problem was exactly like mine, but I guess that the leads might be a solution.
Nevertheless, it's a bit of an expense on top of the recorder itself, and I'm amazed that I've yet to find anyone else experiencing the same problem when recording from Sky with their machine.
Again, though, many thanks.
Desk
It all depends on your electricity supply - I got a meter and mine
can spike up 10-12 volts higher than 240 and although it seems
that nothing is damaged by it - better being safe than sorry.
Not all houses have a wildy varying voltage, but also these
ext leads cut out things that can cause noise/interference on your ring main, such as hairdryers , drills, washing machines etc.
Regards
Niteman1969
Occasionally near the start of a recording I get a strange "pulsing" on the recording.
When I record in PAL from the Sky Digibox this phenonemon appears as a quick succession of three horizontal shadows, at the top, then the middle, then the bottom of the screen. The effect is similar to the one you get when you wiggle a loose scart lead at the back of a TV.
When I record in RGB from the Digibox these pulses appear as blocky, digital horizontal lines, first across the top of the screen, then the middle, then the bottom.
I've checked all the scart leads and they're all connected firmly. However, my recorder input is coming from the scart output marked "TV" on my Digibox, as this is the only one that sends a widescreen switching signal.
The effect looks like some sort of possible signal that the recorder's picking up from the Digibox - it certainly doesn't seem to happen on recordings via an aerial.
If anyone has any ideas what this might be, or how to resolve it, I'd be very grateful, as my ability to return the machine expires in 4 days.
Desk
Answers:
This sounds like you are recording something with Macrovision to me, which is strange, as I'm not sure Sky Digiboxes or transmissings are encoded with this (surprising if true...)
Answers:
No, I'm certain it's not macrovision.
It doesn't happen throughout a recording, and on some it doesn't appear at all.
When it does manifest it happens in three quick, regular bursts appearing as dark bands first at the top, then the middle, then the bottom of the screen.
It appears as if the recorder is reacting to a signal of some sort, but I'm damned if I know what.
Desk
Answers:
I had a similar problem with my panasonic e30
when I first got it, and bought an anti-surge line conditioning
4 gang extension lead and this cured it..
Hope it helps
Regards
Niteman1969
Answers:
Niteman,
That's brilliant! I've been looking everywhere for an answer to this, and with my return period just about up on the machine was consdering sending it back.
Can I just clarify - in your recordings you were getting these occasional brief bursts of 3 or 4 pulses of dark bands, appearing at the top, to the middle, then the bottom of the screen? Was this when recording via a scart lead from a Sky digibox?
I take it you discovered that it's some sort of surge in the signal that's somehow picked up by the DVD recorder?
If it's not a further hassle, can I ask where you bought the "anti-surge line conditioning 4 gang extension lead"?
Again, many thanks for your help.
Desk
Answers:
i just bought it from the local computer fair - most computer
shops have these type of extension leads available - PC world etc,but they are not cheap - expect to pay about £30-40
My problem was similar but not a quick burst I was getting a
constant vertical band slightly brighter than the main picture
moving from left to right every 20-30 seconds and it even came out on my recordings - was not really visible on anything other than black and dark colours...
Regards
Niteman1969
PS you might also want to try a simple earthing lead
ie a piece of wire stuck on the back of your machine with tape and
going to a radiator or something which is definatley grounded.
Answers:
Niteman,
Again, many thanks for all your help.
It doesn't sound like your problem was exactly like mine, but I guess that the leads might be a solution.
Nevertheless, it's a bit of an expense on top of the recorder itself, and I'm amazed that I've yet to find anyone else experiencing the same problem when recording from Sky with their machine.
Again, though, many thanks.
Desk
Answers:
It all depends on your electricity supply - I got a meter and mine
can spike up 10-12 volts higher than 240 and although it seems
that nothing is damaged by it - better being safe than sorry.
Not all houses have a wildy varying voltage, but also these
ext leads cut out things that can cause noise/interference on your ring main, such as hairdryers , drills, washing machines etc.
Regards
Niteman1969
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