[mythtv-users] Glitches in 250 and 350 recordings

[William Munson]

Chris Vargas wrote:
> I've recently started getting what I can only refer to as "glitches" in my PVR-250 and PVR-350 analog recordings. It's easier to show a picture than to describe them:
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cvargas12/problem-example.jpg
>
> (yes, that's a Pokemon episode)
>
> It looks even worse during playback... it's like multiple scan lines are getting yanked to the side and a few lines above and below them are getting pulled a shorter distance along with them.
>
> I am also feeding two TVs from the same four-way splitter and neither of them show the problem when viewing the same channel that the PVRs are recording. Also, even more annoyingly, it comes and goes for a given channel... one recording might be really bad, the next one might have a few glitches, and the next one might be fine.
>
> I've upgraded to the latest ivtv (0.10.3 I think) with no elimination of the glitches.
>
> These are recorded glitches as I can transfer the recordings to another machine and see them.
>
> If anyone recognizes these as symptomatic of something, please let me know what I can try. Thanks.
>
>   

Since you have multiple devices connected to your splitter it is 
possible that you are getting "leakage" from one of your other devices. 
This could be caused by a bad power supply in one of the devices or by 
some of them being connected to the other side of your electrical 
system. Try disconnecting all the other devices as a test to see if it 
goes away. If there is a problem with one of your devices there may also 
be a shock hazard as you unhook coaxes. Unplugging everything else from 
power should provide the same test without the shock hazard or removing 
cables.

Do you live near a radio/tv transmitting tower? That could also be the 
source of your problems. If so, you may need to install clamp-on 
interference suppressors to limit the RF signal getting into your system.

You could also simply have a loose connection somewhere on your coax or 
a bad cable. Check the tightness of all your connections.

There are some things that can be easily tested. If that does not point 
to the problem there are more things that can be checked.