The Digital TV Converter Box In My Motorhome Is Causing A Hum In My TV's Sound

by brian grawburg
(Detroit , Mi)

I installed a converter box in my motor home. the picture is great but there is a constant hum that makes it impossible to listen to the T.V.. Any ideas on how to fix this or if this is a common problem If this is a problem that may not be fixed are there any satellite systems you recommend?

ANSWER Greetings Brian thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

First let me tell you that you are not alone in experiencing the humming on your TV set's speakers when using a Digital TV Converter box. A lot of people are having the same problem. Certain DTV Converter Boxes are having more problems than others.

Let me take a moment to throw in my personal recommendation for a Digital TV Converter Box. My favorite is the Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box. It is very highly rated by its owners and it seems to pull in more channels than other DTV boxes I have tried. It also has analog passthrough which is a must have option for any DTV Converter Box you buy.

I am going to give you a few suggestions on what to do to resolve this problem, but I am at a disadvantage, because I do not know the brand of DTV Converter Box you have and how you have it hooked up to the TV in your motohome. Follow the steps below and see if they help.

1. Double check all connections on the DTV Converter box and TV. Make sure that they are tight. Also if you are using a Coax cable to hook the box to the TV, try using a different cable just in the off chance there is a problem with the cable.

2. If you do not have a stereo TV, make sure that the sound settings for the DTV Converter Box are set to Mono (some boxes may not have this

setting). I cannot tell you where to look for this on screen menu, check your DTV Converter Box Owner's Manual to locate the menu you need.

3. Make sure that the volume on your TV is set to low to mid range and use the volume control on the DTV Converter Box to control the volume for your programs.

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4. Depending on the year of your TV you may have a way of fine tuning channels. So if you are using channel 3 on your TV to receive the signal from the converter box, see if there is a way to fine tune the channel. You may even try switching the channels.

5. If your TV is equipped with automatic sound leveling or sound enhancements such as virtual surround sound, etc. turn those options off on your TV, These enhancements may be causing problems with the sound being sent to your TV by the DTV Converter Box.

6. Even though the DTV Converter boxes are supposed to be shielded from outside electronic interference, you still want to make sure that you do not have it next to a computer, fluorescent lights, etc. Try relocating the DTV Converter Box and see if that helps.

Hopefully one of the above steps have helped you resolve the humming sound.

As far as which satellite service to use, I have no recommendations for you on that. Just like when you are trying to figure out which type of RV is right for you, it comes down to personal needs and personal preferences. The two top satellite providers are DirecTV and DISH Network and either one can be used in a motorhome.

If any of our visitors have additional suggestions or tips for you they can leave them by clicking on the add a comment link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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by: Debbie

So what are we who have a older rv's suppose to do to get good tv again. We don't won't to invest in cable. I tried all of the suggessted. But nothing worked. most campgrounds do have cable but we do alot of mission work and are parked in church parking lots.

Comment From RVing Al Greetings Debbie I feel your pain. I an not sure what articles you have read. You might want to look at the answer I gave to the question below.

How Can We Improve The Digital TV Reception In Our RV?

If you have already followed the suggestions outlined in that answer and you are still not receiving TV, then the only other alternative is to get a satellite dish for your RV and subscribe to a satellite service.

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