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[neil222]

I recently upgraded to a new Sony HD TV. So I plugged my component cables into it (not the official MS ones),
and away I went. (After turning on 1080, 720 & 480p modes through Enigmah Video switcher)

However, I am having trouble with interference that moves across the screen in vertical bars...
The strange thing is, it only happens in 720p mode, ie, using Xdescent in 720p mode & Xduke etc...
Also Final  Burn Legends & Xport emus in 720 mode (haven't tried too many others yet).

If I am using 1080 mode in Final Burn Legends or Xport emus, this interference doesn't happen at all...!
I initially put it down to using 3rd party cables that weren't shielded as well as official ones,
but if that was the case, surely it would do it in 1080 mode as well....

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be causing this?
Trying to find official component cables now is like trying to find hens teeth. (Anyone have some?)
I also noticed when I have my network cable attached to the Xbox, that the interference becomes
a lot worse, brighter & throbbing looking as it moves across the screen.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[neil222]

I solved this issue by reading up on some other forums, to find out it was a grounding issue.
All interference has now gone...woo hoo!!

[neil222]

Just sent you a reply to your pm, see if you have any luck with those suggestions mate.

[antispam246]

Would also appreciate knowing how you did this as I'm suffering from the same issue.

[Roden]

Hi guys, the suggestion was to try another power socket, it did nothing, i still have the problem, next week i am going to try another box, another tv, cables ect, i will post back on the results, pretty pissed with this as nobody seems to have an answer.

Kinda makes the box dead for me, maybe time to move on

Will let you know, if anybody finds anything, please share.

[fallenangle]

Actually my problem is with my new XB360 but the reason I posted here is because using esentially the same set up I have no obvious similar problem with any of my original Xboxes.

They're used via an official MS HD pack component cable going into the same (CRT at 480p) TV as my XB360. I've tested my XBoxes and XB360 at both 480p and 1080i
and the XB360 shows the interference at both resolutions. There's a hint of some sort of mild interference at 1080i on the Xbox most noticeable when using the menus in XBMC but it is no way as obvious as with the XB360.

Initially I thought the independent make XB360 component cable I was using might the problem. So I bought an official MS replacement but that resulted in no improvement.

I've had similar trouble on a Philips CRT when using a RGB SCART cable with a PSOne. That was solved by either re-tuning the TV to a blank channel before switching on the console or, as I eventually did, removing the video and audio output SCART pins.

You can't do the latter with component, obviously, but the the former ie,. re-tuning to a blank channel before switching over to whatever AV input you're using, might be worth trying.  

I've also had intereference trouble when connecting my amp via the AV output block provide on many types of games console cables. This was resolved by a), using a better quality, shielded, cable to go to the amp and . using a separate in line AV breakout connector instead of the the AV block,  

In my case though the TV I'm now using isn't connected to anything else ie. no aeriel or cable TV it's just being used as a monitor for gaming/XBMC. I'm not online with it either so no problem for me from that quarter. My UK PAL Dreamcast suffered from some nasty inteference problems when connected online until I re-routed the connecting telephone cable away from the TV, other cables and replaced the telephone wall socket with a proper BT (British Telecom) one.

So where on earth is the interference coming from in this case? If it is a grounding issue as some others have suggested how (details please) do you go about resolving the problem?  

   

[Roden]

Ya its really annoying, i use xbmc on my xbox for most movies unless they are above 720p, but its now unusable, so stuck in 480p res.

Still have to get over my mates to try this stuff out, also gonna have a tidy up in the snakepit at the back of the yv, have noticed a red green moving tint on the ps2, which was not there before also.

[fallenangle]

Snake pit - behind my TV with five consoles, an amp, 4 x SCART controller and numerous TOSLink cables it's more like a can of worms. But having said that I've been very careful in my routing of the XB360 and Xbox Component cables - they're as far away from any power leads as possible.

I found another thread here which listed possible causes of such interference and apart from the grounding matter (please, somebody, explain the problem/cure) it also mentions using a multi-input surge protector.

I do indeed use a 8 way type but only the TV, specific console I'm using and amp are powered on at any one time. Nothing else is on at all not even in standby. So if this is a possible source of the interference problem can somebody, again, explain the whys and wherefores?

[xman954]

to find the problem you will need to unplug everything (mains only) but the tv and xb360

if the problem is still there disconect the cable into the tuner/cablebox/tv

 

then plug everything back in one at a time looking for the problem to return..

[neil222]

xman954 is right, this has to be done with a process of elimination.
ie, get back to the very basics of tv and xbox only, then work up from there till problem
surfaces... (remove Xbox & tv from area/cabinet to test if possible too)

In my case, it was the wall plug that was giving me interference, so I plugged my Xbox
into another wall socket, but also found that running my aerial cable through my
belkin surge protector created interefence too.
So I disconnected the aerial from that and plugged straight back into the tv.

Also, as mentioned, a snake pit behind your tv can cause this interference, with wires & cables
crisscrossing each other, creating "cross contamination". I had this too with the component cables
touching other cables (especially Xbox power cord).

Best bet is to tidy them up as best you can & keep them all seperate (not easy lol).
Also worth trying is checking/cleaning your connectors on your plugs & sockets,
is it loaded up with dust grime etc?

Hope some of this helps...

[fallenangle]

I was hoping to avoid having to unplug everything and eliminate the possible causes one by one. It's what I've done many times in the past particularly with SCART cables and it isn't always certain you'll find the precise cause because it can be a combination of more than one thing. You might find a solution that eliminates the interference but have no real idea of why that solution works.

I have eliminated two possibles causes though in this case - I plugged the console into a completely different power socket from the TV (direct ie. no surge protector) and the interference was still there. I also disconnected the red/white stereo leads from the TV too (I use TOSlink for audio) - no improvement either.  

Thing is what happens if I find I get the interference with just the TV and console connected alone.? As said I've used both an official and independent Component cable so far and unless I've been unlucky and both are faulty what might be the cause then? I definitely have no similar problem on the same TV with my PS2 or GC via Component.

It's why I'm so interested in hearing more about the possible grounding issue mentioned earlier in both this thread and others as being a likely source of the interference but, as yet, nobody has explained.  

[Roden]

Yes the grounding issue could be it, if only we knew, google shows nothing either, i am convinced i have a noisy PSU in my box.

Like i said my mate has a modded box, so im gonna do a mine over his his over mine test, i will let you know what happens, promise i will tell the secret lol.

Here are some shots of my problem, although it does not look that bad in the pics, trust me it is, just look for the white horizontal specs.








Weird HUH

This is 1080p

[neil222]

did you guys try another wall plug from elsewhere in the house?
ie, use an extension lead from your console to a wall plug on the other side of your house.
Your component lead doesn't touch other wires does it?
Is the component lead straight or curled up?
btw, I always thought running XBMC in 1080 caused slowdown?

[xman954]

QUOTE

Yes the grounding issue could be it, if only we knew, google shows nothing either, i am convinced i have a noisy PSU in my box.

if you look at the EMI filter in the power supply of a xbox1

it has a cap from each leg of the power cord to the xbox GND that will put a small current in the audio/video shield wires to a real earth GND

it could very well be a bad PSU

or the other xbox could be the same way

one way to test is to use battery powered inverter to plug the xbox into or a isolation transformer

 

also there is a screw on the psu about 1.5 inch back from the power connector that will float the caps from gnd (remove the screw and slide a plastic insulator under the pcb at screw hole) if you find it is only your xbox

 

 

[Roden]

Soldered 2 wires from the psu ground points to the main pcb ground points, same as original pictures, so i dont get it, gotta be the psu surely?.

But why does it get better when u plug in the Ethernet cable??