Motorola digital box problem

Mar 06, 2007 3 Replies
W

My Motorola DCT 2000 digital box developed a problem at the S-Video output in that the picture has a slow, noisy band going from the top to the bottom. The composite video picture on the other hand looks perfect. With the box being just out of warranty, my service provider (Cogeco) tells me to buy a new one since they don't fix them (I originally paid $344 for it), or to rent one, which will be replaced for free if it develops any problems.



I am generally handy with working on electronic gear, but have no experience with those particular units, so I would appreciate any ideas (leaky cap...?) from anyone familiar with these digital boxes. Thanks, Walter.


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I

Sounds like 60 Hz hum. Ground loop?

Isaac

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A

A noise band that's moving slowly is usually a sign of 60Hz interference. The power supply is the only place inside the box that this is likely to come from. These boxes run very hot, so check the power supply board for bad caps (measure their ESR, or look for bulging caps). The filter cap on the primary side is most likely source of 60Hz ripple.

Have you eliminated the possibility of a ground loop? Try lifting the ground pins on any A/V equipment that's connected to the system. Try a different S-video cable in case there's an open shield. Andy Cuffe

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

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W

I used several different S-Video cables but had the same thing happen. With the composite video being perfectly clean, I thought the problem might be closer to the output end, where the signal is split between the S-Video and Composite terminals, but I will check for any ground loop, or power supply problems. Thanks all!

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