Low audio signal + white noise on DTA50 box

[Waclaw]

Hi, I'm using Rogers cable TV via CISCO DTA50. For years everything was fine.

For last two days, audio signal is low and there is a constant white noise. Audio is distorted. While listening to the TV channel, looking at the news, I've noticed that there was a moment for a few seconds that sound suddenly returned to normal lever and then switch back to that white noise/distortion. TV set is fine, when i connect other sources DVD player, blue-ray player, sound is correct.  Any hints / ideas?  It really happened just two days ago.

Vacek.

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[Waclaw · Accepted solution]

Hi,

CiscoDTA50 box that i was using for last few years, was not a rental. It was given by Rogers, during transition period from analog to digital signal. When CiscoDTA50 box was used, TV tuner still was involved in final signal processing. Now, I've settled with Roger rental of the new box "CAV10242HD". This unit does the whole signal processing so that the tv is used only as an monitor., tv tuner is not used at all. To this moment i don't know why CiscoDTA50 box suddenly stopped processing audio correctly. Video was always ok. Now, with the new signal processing box, everything is fine, audio level is back to the 10-15 level and video is much better.

[57]

@Waclaw : Perhaps you have a loose connection of some kind.  Undo any connections on the DTA and redo them. Also do the same with the connection from the DTA to the TV (at the TV).  Also try changing channels on the TV and then back to the DTA's channel (channel 3?).  Try raising and lowering the volume on the TV and the DTA a few times.

[Waclaw]

Hello, thanks for the response. I've done cables connecting / disconnecting several times. Also, i've used dvd player that has its own tv tuner and then switch video input to that device. When tv was selected, sound level is alsoe very, very low. Video signal is normal, good quality. Normally in the past i've used volume level 15-20 for good audio reception. Now i have tp use volume 60, just to barely hear the speech voice. When music is played, sound is distorted. So, it might be either something with the cable signal or with that conversion box DTA50. As i said when I'm listening to the program for a longer period, so some few seconds, sound returns to normal and then goes back to that distortion mode. This is very strange.

[Waclaw]

I've connected TV cable to another TV set via DTA50 box and sound low level is exactly the same, When connecting TV to the rogers cable without DTA50, It was possible to get a few channels ~ 130 and some radio related channels with audio only, and sound quality was normal. This suggests that DTA50 box is faulty.

[57]

Have you tried tapping the side/top of the DTA to see if there is a loose connection inside?

Get yourself a different DTA, or better yet get a proper HD set top box if you're connected to an HDTV.  With people switching to IgniteTV, many people are selling their boxes very inexpensively on places like Kijiji, or even giving them away.  Note the caveats in the following thread.

https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/guidelines-for-selling-and-buying-a-used-rogers-terminal-in-ontar...

[Waclaw]

Hi,

Thanks for further information. Yes, I've tried mechanically to tap side/top of the box, no improvement.

Until two days ago, DTA50 was working correctly and was a proper equipment for my needs. Clearly, either DTA50 got faulty or Rogers has changed the TV cable signal parameters, so that this signal is no longer compatible with the DTA50. I will have to switch to another DTA box for which i will have to incur additional cost.

[OLDYELLR]

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@Waclaw wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for further information. Yes, I've tried mechanically to tap side/top of the box, no improvement.

Until two days ago, DTA50 was working correctly and was a proper equipment for my needs. Clearly, either DTA50 got faulty or Rogers has changed the TV cable signal parameters, so that this signal is no longer compatible with the DTA50. I will have to switch to another DTA box for which i will have to incur additional cost.

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Rogers stopped handing out free DTA50 terminals quite some time ago. I have 4 of them and no longer have Rogers Cable, so they wouldn't work for me. Since Rogers "owns" them, I expected to be asked to return them after I cancelled, but received no such notification.  If you think your terminal might be faulty, your first step should be to contact a Rogers store to get it replaced. If Rogers can't supply, you may find one on Kijiji

[57]

As discussed in my link in a previous post, DTAs are "rentals" and therefore illegal to keep or sell (although Rogers may not care much about their return).  If you were to get a DTA from anyone other than Rogers, Rogers may not activate it.  As I stated earlier, it's possible to get a STB for next to nothing or nothing.  You just need to check the serial number with Rogers to make sure it's not a rental and make sure they'll activate it on your account.

If you have an HDTV, an HD box would be a definite step up from the DTA, for little or no money.

[Waclaw · Accepted solution]

Hi,

CiscoDTA50 box that i was using for last few years, was not a rental. It was given by Rogers, during transition period from analog to digital signal. When CiscoDTA50 box was used, TV tuner still was involved in final signal processing. Now, I've settled with Roger rental of the new box "CAV10242HD". This unit does the whole signal processing so that the tv is used only as an monitor., tv tuner is not used at all. To this moment i don't know why CiscoDTA50 box suddenly stopped processing audio correctly. Video was always ok. Now, with the new signal processing box, everything is fine, audio level is back to the 10-15 level and video is much better.

[57]

Glad you got your audio signal sorted and better picture quality.  

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@Waclaw wrote: Hi, CiscoDTA50 box that i was using for last few years, was not a rental. It was given by Rogers...

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I put "rental" in quotes in my previous post because they are not purchased, but the "rental" cost may be "free".  I'm not sure if it didn't show on your Rogers statements, or if it showed as a charge and an equivalent credit or what....

Thanks for the feedback.