Sunday, January 6, 2008
How to Troubleshoot Video Problems
Few things can be as frustrating as picture problems. You get your system all ready to go, flip the switch, and WHAM! One or more channels look terrible. The good news is that the majority of video problems can be traced to just a few causes. Most problems are comprised of the following:
Snow
Horizontal bars rolling though the picture
Vertical bars rolling through the picture
Ghosting
Herringbone pattern (diagonal lines through picture)
Lower channels look fine, upper channels are not
These six are the main symptoms youll find when seeing video problems. Thankfully, most are fairly easy to fix.
Snow -
Snow is caused by inadequate signal strength at the tuner. Its usually caused by:
1Splitting the signal too many times.
2A weak signal from the antenna or cable company
3A very long cable run
If the signal is snowy at all your tvs, especially if you have more than 4 tvs, you probably need an RF amplifier. Check the strength at the demark (service entrance). If it is fine there, add an amplifier before the splitter. Make sure to use a quality unit with good bandwidth (out to at least 1000MHz). If you have digital cable or a cable modem, get an amplifier with a bidirectional return path to allow for communication back to the cable company. If the picture looks bad at the demark, contact the cable company.
If it is bad at only one TV, you may have a bad cable between the splitter and the TV or a very long run of cable. You can amplify just that run.
Horizontal Rolling Bars
Horizontal rolling bars are caused by DC power getting into the cable system. To fix it, disconnect the TV from all other components in the system. If the bars disappear, add the other components back in until the bars return. When you find the offending component, use a DC blocker to eliminate the DC power path to the system.
Vertical Rolling Bars
Vertical rolling bars are caused by AC power getting on the cable line. The best fix for this is to use a ground breaker. A ground breaker eliminates the electrical connection between the TV and the cable system. A ground breaker is also the main fix for a hum on your audio systems speakers.
Ghosting
Ghosting is caused by the tuner receiving identical signals at slightly different times. It can be caused by your TV receiving a local station broadcasting over the air and via the cable system at the same time. Make sure you are using good quality RG-6 coax cable and good compression fittings. Replace any low quality cable splitters or combiners with high quality units. Make sure they are tight also. This will also cure another cause of ghosting, signal reflection inside a poor cable.
Ghosting can also be caused by multi-path interference on an antenna system. This is especially true in an urban environment with lots of hills and tall buildings. To combat this, use a very directional antenna aimed directly at the desired station.
Herringbone Pattern
A herringbone pattern is caused by radio frequency interference from other stations transmitting on the same channel or adjacent channels, powerful radio signals, computers, etc. Another common cause is being equidistant from two transmitters operating on the same channel.
In short, this can be caused by just about any sort of RF radiation at the correct frequency. Really great shielding found on high quality cables helps to combat this. If you are getting this interference while modulating an A/V source on a certain channel, try switching to a different channel.
Poor Upper Channel Reception
Poor Upper Channel Reception is caused by poor signal strength on the upper channels. Use an amplifier with a tilt compensator that allows adjustment of the upper channels relative to the lower channels. This will prevent overdriving the lower channels while providing the upper channels with enough gain. Also, check to see if all components in the RF system are rated to at least 1GHz and RG-6 or RG-6Quad shield cable is being used throughout.
Bio: Steve Faber has almost 15 years in the custom installation industry. He is a CEDIA certified designer and Installer 2 with certifications from both the ISF and THX. His experience spans many facets of the industry, from the trenches as an installer and control systems programmer, and system designer, to a business unit director for a specialty importer of high end audio video equipment, a sales rep for a large, regional consumer electronics distributor, and principal of a $1.5M+ custom installation firm. He currently is senior sales engineer for digital Cinema Design in Redmond, WA. For more on how to get the best video in your home or theater see Home Theater Video
Yoga SuppliesStop Golf Grip Slippage In Hot Weather By Doing This
Is there anything worse than swinging a golf club and feeling the golf grip slipping in your hands? Because the normal outcome when your golf grip slips is a terrible shot. And unless you're Tiger Woods it's very hard to stop your swing when you're half way down to the ball.
I have no idea how Tiger does that!
Anyway, if the weather is very hot and humid the chances of your grip slipping as you're swinging goes way up. Also, if you're playing in the rain then naturally the chances of your grip slipping as you make your golf swing go up as well.
But there are simple solutions to this problem which don't have to cost you anything. And the first solution is a dry towel.
When you play golf you should carry at least 1 extra golf towel. Ideally you should carry two extra golf towels however. And if you're getting hot and sweaty or it's raining then before and after every golf shot you should be wiping your golf grips and hands with one of your dry towels.
Also, if it's raining you'll obviously have your umbrella up so I suggest that you keep your towel under the umbrella to try and keep it dry for as long as you can. Then when your towel is not doing a good enough job then simply put it back in your golf bag and get another dry towel out.
Now here's a neat trick.
Every two or three holes simply get some sand from the bunkers (or from the little buckets they give you to put in divots) and rub some of the sand on your hands and on your golf grips. This will help to absorb the sweat and it will help you to keep a firm golf grip as you're swinging.
Important Note: If you're a women reading this you may prefer to take talcum powder with you and put this on your hands instead of sand.
So the next time you play a game of golf where it is possibly going to rain or be hot and humidor heaven forbid.both at the same time! Then make sure you take at least two towels and try your best to keep them dry. Then every golf hole or two put some sand on your hands and on your grips. Doing these little things will help you to keep your golf grip secure as you're swinging the golf club. Because again, there's nothing worse than going to play a golf shot and having your hands feel as though they are going to slip on the golf grip, is there?
Professional golfer nick Bayley has found just one golf swing fault that could be stopping you from ball striking consistency and success. But now you can take a simple 2 minute golf swing test to see if you have this swing fault or not. Go here to take The Golf Swing Test now.
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