Faint Vertical/Diagnal lines over solid colors

orangeneko

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Sep 26, 2004
18
0
I'm glad I found this forum!

I had Dish installed yesterday, and when the install guy completed everything, I asked him why I was getting faint vertical (and sometimes slight diagnal) lines over solid colors and patterns on screen. It's especially visible in that 1 second pause where you see a black screen while switching channels. However, you also see the faint pattern quite visibly when watching shows with a lot of solid colored backgrounds. The install guy claimed he had no idea what to do and I should call the Dish people up. This problem is only happening on the tv with the 522 receiver attached, btw.

I waited a few hours and it stayed the same, no improvement (desperation and hope!), so I called Dish up. They weren't able to fix anything over the phone, so I made a tech appt for next Saturday.

In the meantime, I played around with a few things this morning just to make sure it wasn't my electronics setup that creates the problem. I have an international (multisystem) tv, and my vcrs/dvd player are all multisystems as well. They are all built for use in the United States, so they are "standard" machines. The only weird part of the setup is that the tv works off of channel 1 and not channel 3 or 4 (it's impossible to change this option). But it works the same as any other tv despite this.

To be sure it wasn't the tv, I brought in a smaller, regular old US tv and hooked it up to the receiver. The lines were still there. The only difference is that because the tv was smaller, sometimes the lines were more "hidden" than they are on my regular larger tv. But when there was a really solid background on screen, the line pattern popped out again. And it was always visible in between channels while surfing.

I also tried taping things on both my receiver-attached tv and the secondary tv (in the living room) to see how tapes play on various machines. I used a non-hooked up to anything tv for the viewing of the tapes. The tapes recorded off of the receiver connected tv have the lines on them. But oddly enough, the tapes taped off of the living room tv have horizontal lines during the time you have the black channel changing screen (that doesn't show up on the tv I taped it on). Also, the video quality was terrible. The vcr in that room is not broken and is in good shape, so I was shocked at the picture quality. I checked all connections, and nothing is wrong.

Dish is really my last hope. I left DirecTV after many years due to their not honoring a service contract I was paying them for after power surges destroyed equipment. Then I tried digital cable, and while the quality wasn't bad at all for most channels, it was so horrible on some channels (and the customer service sooooo horrible), that I decided to just get Dish. I've spent the last 2 months dealing with cable/satellite issues and feel like I'm stuck on some horrible merry go round!

Does anyone know anything about these vertical lines? Any suggestions/help/experiences?

Jennifer
 
Did you try a different output connector for TV1? S-Video is the best option and should be used if possible. The RCA (composite) output is the next best.

Playing back a VHS tape on a VCR is probably not a good test for picture quality, as it will rarely (if ever) look as good as broadcast. That has nothing to do with the 522, though.
 
I tried the RCA output and got the same vertical line problem. I didn't try S video.

The problem with the vcr playback wasn't the vcr -- what I was saying is that both vcrs I tested were taping the problems that I was seeing on screen, and the one vcr that I used to tape from Dish was taping with horrible quality. I taped with that same vcr many other times (including the other week) and the quality was always perfect.

This is some sort of Dish problem, but I'm hoping to find someone who may know about it so I can be prepared when the tech comes by Sat. Hopefully they will send a tech and not an install guy!
 
You're being forced to wait an entire week for service on the day it is installed? Wow. I signed-up with a retailer and I have guaranteed next-business day service or I get some kind of account credit.
 
chaddux said:
You're being forced to wait an entire week for service on the day it is installed? Wow. I signed-up with a retailer and I have guaranteed next-business day service or I get some kind of account credit.

The guy who installed it claimed to know nothing about the vertical lines/quality issues. He told me to call the Dish people. since I can't take off work just for Dish repair people, it has to be next Saturday. I once had a neighbor deal with the Cablevision people on a weekday for me and it was a wreck (the guy didn't speak English, unplugged a necessary cable and didn't understand my written notes that I left for him).

No one's said a word about credit to me, but I'm not surprised over that. These cable/satellite companies are treating customers worse and worse.
 
The credit is offered by the retailer so if you signed up directly through DISH, you wont get one.

FYI: "Diagonal"
 
chaddux said:
The credit is offered by the retailer so if you signed up directly through DISH, you wont get one.

FYI: "Diagonal"

Yeah, but apparently if you sign up via local installer, they stick you with some crappy contract that will not let you cut the strings with Dish without a huge charge. Although I do not understand the difference, sounds like highway robbery to me...

By the way, do you get off gloating and correcting people?
 
Well, Ive been a customer for a few months. Maybe two.

This is DEFINITLY happening with mine as well. It seems to come and go, right now on monday morning it's not here. It was all day yesterday. It doesnt matter what kind of video connection you have. It happens on all of them. Also it doesn't seem to be "noise" created by other components. Seeing how I havent change a thing and one min the lines will be there, and the next they wont.

This is definitly a new FEATURE sent by the most recent software... and to think all these people here talk about the great quallity!
 
J3ff said:
This is definitly a new FEATURE sent by the most recent software... and to think all these people here talk about the great quallity!

If you're implying that the rest of us have this problem and are just keeeping quiet about it for some reason, you're incorrect. I have the latest software, and I don't see it on my 57" RPTV.
 
Could it be that we have bad boxes, then? I'm relieved that someone else has the same problem as I do so I know I'm not really stuck in some bad satellite dream :)
 
rhasselbaum said:
If you're implying that the rest of us have this problem and are just keeeping quiet about it for some reason, you're incorrect. I have the latest software, and I don't see it on my 57" RPTV.

just give it time young grasshopper ;)
 
I had the lines using the RF (channel 3/4) connection. It seemed to be due to local signal interference. I switched to using the S-video output and I don't get the lines at all. I doubt any kind of software update will cause or correct the problem.
 
Kinda sounds like a ground loop problem or a RF interferance problem is everything using grounded plugs into a grounded receptical? And is there any stong RF sources near by?
 
Sounds a lot like my problem. My TV1 RF output has a faint vertical herringbone pattern; TV2 and RCA don't. Had an installer come by and look at it; he says it's probably interference from cellular antennas atop the tall building just south of me. (The same one my dish's line of sight barely clears.) But while I understand why it might affect only TV1 and not TV2, why does it not affect other equipment with channel-3 RF modulators (like my VCR and stand-alone modulator)?
 
I decided to wait to post again until the tech was here. But now things are worse than ever and I spent most of my day on this, and quite a bit of it crying out of extreme frustration.

Two techs showed up (one seemed to just stand around and not speak). For half the appt they told me I was imagining the lines on screen, etc. That is, until they played with some stuff. They added the RCA cable going from the receiver to the tv and also set the tv to the "video" channel. Then we got a crystal clear picture. They then went on about how the picture was soooo bad before and acted as if they discovered this problem on their own. It was around here that I decided they were not getting a tip.

Anyway, I thought things were solved. Then we turned on the vcr. It was half of what should have been playing on the vcr, half of what was on tv, and both were mixed into a "split screen" that jumped up and down and in and out repeatedly. Changing settings on the vcr didn't help anything.

This went on for a while longer and finally the techs put things back as they originally were (with the lines going up and down the screen), and left.

I played with things for about an hour but no luck. I called tech support and the woman told me to change the RCA cables going to/from the vcr to the tv. I thought she had to be nuts, but I was so upset that I did so. She told me that she was writing a note on my account saying that I was to change the cables, and if that didn't help, that she'd have another tech come out.

I then spent a few HOURS playing with things. I brought another tv in here and ironically couldn't get a clear picture on it no matter what I did. Then I switched the inputs to the other vcr I have in this room, but no luck. Things stayed the same: I couldn't get crystal clear reception and use a vcr at the same time.

Since I NEED to have vcr playback/record access for this tv, unhooking everything and just using the DVR recorder and my tv is not an option.

I called Dish again and by this time I was so frustrated that this is when I first started crying. When I got at tech on the phone he listened to what's gone on and then put me on hold. When he came back all he said was that Dish can't guarantee that their stuff will work with other electronics and I was going to have to live with the setup as it is. I told him (for the third time) that I'd never had a problem like this with DirecTV or Cablevision, so I don't understand why it's happening with Dish. He had no answer. I asked him if I were to cancel, since this problem has existed since the moment they installed the stuff, would I still have to pay those fees for getting the
equipment uninstalled. He said he didn't know, but he'd switch me to the disconnect dept if I wanted. I was a bit shocked that this guy would throw me over to the disconnect people so easily, but I said okay.

I was on hold for a while and I was so upset and frustrated that I was in tears again. I hung up and then went back to the tv and tried more stuff. Nothing works. And I'm out of ideas. So I turned the computer on to see if anyone here might have some last ditch suggestions for getting rid of the lines but keeping a vcr connected to this television.

I may have to go back to crappy Cablevision. Not great, but at least you can use a vcr with it. The big problem here is going to be if I do have to cancel Dish and they try to force me to pay return fees even though this problem has been documented on my account since day one.
 
Suggestion #1: Have a glass of wine and relax. It's just TV, dude. :)

Suggestion #2: If Dish can't do the installation to your satisfaction, take your business elsewhere. It's as simple as that.
 
rhasselbaum said:
Suggestion #1: Have a glass of wine and relax. It's just TV, dude. :)

I know it's just tv (and I rarely even watch it!)...but this is neverending. I fought with DirecTV for weeks over a service issue before cancelling with them. I was a customer for 5 years and they had no problem screwing me over despite the service contract I had with them (which covered the problem I had). Then I fought with them for 2 months to get a refund they promised me in writing.

Then I dealt with Cablevision and their useless techs (about reception problems on local channels...the techs tried to tell me that it's normal to have fuzzy locals, when that's not true, obviously!).

Then two weeks ago no one showed up to install Dish. So they remade the appt for the next day. No one showed up then either. They finally showed up a week ago to install it, and that's when the lines problem started. After wasting most of today on this, I'm worn out. I've spent most of the summer dealing with tv issues.

rhasselbaum said:
Suggestion #2: If Dish can't do the installation to your satisfaction, take your business elsewhere. It's as simple as that.

Dish Network is my last option. It's either Dish or back to Cablevision Digital (not the greatest...and the customer service people sound like they barely got out of 6th grade). I will never go back to DirecTV after all they put me through (I could write a book on that nightmare).

It's just a mess, basically.
 
I'm still playing with this thing....

I brought in the other tv again just to play around some more, and still had no luck. The reception is clear only when an RCA cable is connected from the satellite receiver straight into the tv set and the tv is set to video and not another channel. The moment a vcr is added to the mix, it won't work. Well, the vcr won't work, that is. Something about the inputs conflict.

The only thing I can think of (and this is seriously grasping at straws on my part) is to try something like a video modulator -- again, I'm literally grasiping at straws with this idea and throwing out any ideas out that I think of. The tech guys showed up around 3:30 this afternoon and it's now 11:30. I've been dealing with this almost straight since that time. I've tried every single video connection imaginable, and the damn thing just won't work properly the minute a vcr is added to the mix.

I wrote to Dish earlier, but I'm not holding my breath for a reply.

What a great Saturday this has been. :(
 
I really don't understand what could be wrong. I've got a 921 and a 501 hooked via RCA cables to a El-cheapo Philips HiFi VCR ($60 @ Wal-Mart). The RCA output goes to a 60" Philips HDTV, and it's coax output goes to the other end of the house to vidcap card in my office PC. Everything works great. Well, at least reasonably well.

About all I can say is apply some deductive logic to isolate the problem, and make notes.
 

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