SKY+ sound interference

[annemarigold]

Ok try to be brief re set up. Live in Spain. Had lightening strike which knocked out LNB, Sky+ box and extensive damage to Pioneer 50" TV (650€ to repair!!!). Waiting for TV repair. New Pace box (can't see a model number) and LNB. Before we connected from scart to scart switch and then to TV. Worked great. Also aerial output to switch allowing Sky throughout house also good. Finally optical output to Sony surround amp also good. Now awaiting TV we are trying to connect an older 32 wide Sony Tv in place of the Pioneer. Picture is good and distributed system works great too as before.

However sound is poor in that there is an interference(?) hum. We can just about ignore it when watching some programmes but not others and very bad when on Sky menus. Same thing when listening through the surround amp via optical cable. Have tried altering a couple of the installer settings e.g. stereo/mono but nothing changes this. Haven't tried retuning as problem exists via both TV and surround speakers.

I did try searching and found no answers that exactly fit the bill so I apologise if this has been covered elewhere. Any advice gratefully received. Hopefully not too long before we get the Pioneer back.

[woborny]

sounds like an issue with the box - especially if the hum is audiable via the TV and external amp, via two different cables.

[annemarigold]

That's what I felt too but does that mean faulty and needs replacement? Sound and picture are both OK using purely the co-ax connection.

[woborny]

maybe try disconnecting anything else that is connected to the system or even the electric plug socket - you may have an issue with some other equipment (if you have any connected) and that is caused "electical feedback" to the skybox.

or go through your system bit by bit - start with just tv and Sky box connected to power and each other and see if that caused the problem.

you could also try a different scart cable and optical cable just to make sure.

or try the Sky box at someone elses house on their TV?

if all the tests fail then it is the box

the more tests you can do yourself will save time and money oif yu have to call someone else out to do it for you!

[Topper]

Indeed any electrical item which uses mains transformed down to low voltage DC. If the problem was not there originally has something new been placed near the stb recently?
Cannot understand why the coax connection does not exhibit same noise unless the modulator has a built in bandpass filter.

[annemarigold]

The old TV is pretty much in the same position physically and nothing else has been added. All other boxes are in same positions.

I would have wondered whether to retune the tv except that the optical cable via sony amp gives the same feedbanck noise. Also I was wondering if we were using the wrong scart output but again why would the optical be affected. Have tried the other scart and get no sound and a distorted picture but I guess a retune would do that. it's the optical output sounding the same that throws me.

it isn't a huge boether except that we want to be sure system is OK once they bring the repaired tv back. They will be used to setting them up for Spanish TV rather than via Sky but I don't want them to go away until I know the TV is OK. Especially at the repair price.

Thanks for replies so far guys.

[woborny]

Have tried the other scart and get no sound and a distorted picture but I guess a retune would do that..

not really as a scart goes direcly in to the TV system and does not need a retune - maybe RGB and PAL setting may need changing

They will be used to setting them up for Spanish TV rather than via Sky but I don't want them to go away until I know the TV is OK. Especially at the repair price.

unless they are totally inept, the connection of a Sky box should be the same or similar as if they were connecting a Spanish D+ or TDT box (ie via scart), so should present no problems for them!

[annemarigold]

Hope they aren't inept!! Well they certainly are not inept at quoting a lot for a repair! They are the nearest dealer for Pioneer which we thought best. We brought the TV from Richer Sounds as they are much more expensive here.

I suppose we could ask the Sky box provider since the box is new.

I'm pretty sure the set up is what we had before we got the Pionerr. So many cables etc so so many variables!!