Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Vorkosigan · 04-20-2003, 05:17 AM

My cheap home stereo, an AIWA boom box, "pops" with a sound like somebody plucking a high pitched string to make it squeak whenever I play a DVD. It doesn't happen with ordinary CDs or cassettes, just DVDs and VCDs whose sound comes from the DVD player. I have the DVD player hooked up to the stereo. What do you think the problem might be?

Vorkosigan

mac_philo · 04-20-2003, 07:37 AM

How do you have the player connected to the mini system?
- RCA jacks (same thing used on tape and cd players)
- optical cable (single cable)
- coaxial cable (single cable)?

If you are using either of the latter two your mini system is probably unable to convert the digital signal to analog.

Tell us exactly how you have this wired, and what buttons you are pushing to (attempt to) get sound from the DVD to play through the mini system.

04-20-2003, 07:53 AM

ditto what MP said, and also...

Popping sounds to me like a power differential or some sort of compatibility issue. Which is really not a good thing--I mean, I would not try to keep using it while it's popping, it might blow out one or the other component. Boom boxes are really not designed to handle stuff like this, I think. You've probably just got a teeny tiny little amp in there. pick up a 10-year-old Yamaha receiver and a couple of thrift store speakers, you'll be thanking me for sure (yes I am totally and completely serious).

oooooooooooooooooooooooh, hang on. does your dvd player have the appropriate "translator" device built into it (implemented to supposedly deter copyright infringement & pirating)? Mine, I had to get an external deal. You definately need to be routing your audio thru that if it's an external thing.

Vorkosigan · 04-20-2003, 08:04 AM

I have an AIWA 650 WATT NSX VC-120 system hooked up through a couple of red/white AV cables to the input jacks in the back from the output jacks on the back of the DVD player. The DVD player is one of those universal ones that plays all 6 regions. It has several sets of out jacks in the back. Do you think it might have a digital to analog conversion problem? If I switched output jacks, do you think that might help??

Vorkosigan

04-20-2003, 08:44 AM

How's the video output? Have you tried more than one DVD with it? try switching the outputs around.

see if this helps.

mac_philo · 04-20-2003, 02:03 PM

Jagged identified another possibility. DVD players use Macrovision to prevent duplication. However I doubt this could cause the problem, because many people simply plug their DVD audio cables into their televisions, and televisions aren't built to decrypt Macrovision.

Try connecting it with a different cable. Try another DVD. Switch the audio tracks on the DVDs around (i.e., languages, two channel, dolby digital, dts, whatever).

Is the sound popping but similar to what you should hear, or is it complete chaos?

If you are just connecting the DVD audio outs to a minisystem with free jacks I don't see why this shouldn't work. I don't see why there would be a power differential, because DVD players should send their signal out at line-level. On a decent receiver you could switch the DVD and CD cords with no ill effect, and those receivers treat all RCA jacks the same. (excluding phono stages)

Keep us posted! And, yeah, buy a 10 year old (even better, 25 year old) Yamaha amp and some used speakers.

We can figure this out...

Not Prince Hamlet · 04-20-2003, 02:13 PM

Well, you shouldn't be experiencing any problems with macrovision. As far as I know, it only affects the video of the protected software and not the audio.

It could be a D/A conversion issue, but I doubt it.

Most code-free DVD players are simply after-market modified versions of comericial players. Do you know the make and model of the player?

Which jack on your boombox is the DVD player connected to? It may be that the boombox simply doesn't have the bandwidth to handle the high data rate of a DVD player.

Also, make sure you aren't "cheating the ground" on your power plug. I forget how the plugs are shaped where you're located, but regardless, you should make sure you utilize the ground and polarity correctly.

Is this a recurring pop (i.e, "Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop..."), or does it only happen once per play?

Jeff

ZiprHead · 04-21-2003, 10:38 AM

Do you have another input on the box you can plug the dvd player into, like AUX or something like that? Does it make that popping sound if it's plugged into the tv?

Vorkosigan · 04-22-2003, 04:37 AM

All good ideas, yes it is a recurring pop, but it is completely unpredictable. Sometimes you get three real fast, other times you nmight go two or three minutes without it. LotR:FotR has it worst of all, some VCDs don't have it at all.

I will implement all of these! Thanks!

Vorkosigan

TealVeal · 04-22-2003, 05:58 AM

Do they happen in the same places each time or are they random? For example do you hear three pops each and every time you play the scene where Bilbo goes all vampric.

04-20-2003, 05:17 AM	#1
Vorkosigan Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Barrayar Posts: 11,866	My stereo pops when I play DVDs <sigh> My cheap home stereo, an AIWA boom box, "pops" with a sound like somebody plucking a high pitched string to make it squeak whenever I play a DVD. It doesn't happen with ordinary CDs or cassettes, just DVDs and VCDs whose sound comes from the DVD player. I have the DVD player hooked up to the stereo. What do you think the problem might be? Vorkosigan

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04-20-2003, 07:37 AM	#2
mac_philo Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Tax-Exempt Donor, SoP Loyalist Posts: 2,191	How do you have the player connected to the mini system? - RCA jacks (same thing used on tape and cd players) - optical cable (single cable) - coaxial cable (single cable)? If you are using either of the latter two your mini system is probably unable to convert the digital signal to analog. Tell us exactly how you have this wired, and what buttons you are pushing to (attempt to) get sound from the DVD to play through the mini system.

04-20-2003, 07:53 AM	#3
Jagged Guest Posts: n/a	ditto what MP said, and also... Popping sounds to me like a power differential or some sort of compatibility issue. Which is really not a good thing--I mean, I would not try to keep using it while it's popping, it might blow out one or the other component. Boom boxes are really not designed to handle stuff like this, I think. You've probably just got a teeny tiny little amp in there. pick up a 10-year-old Yamaha receiver and a couple of thrift store speakers, you'll be thanking me for sure (yes I am totally and completely serious). oooooooooooooooooooooooh, hang on. does your dvd player have the appropriate "translator" device built into it (implemented to supposedly deter copyright infringement & pirating)? Mine, I had to get an external deal. You definately need to be routing your audio thru that if it's an external thing.

04-20-2003, 08:04 AM	#4
Vorkosigan Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Barrayar Posts: 11,866	I have an AIWA 650 WATT NSX VC-120 system hooked up through a couple of red/white AV cables to the input jacks in the back from the output jacks on the back of the DVD player. The DVD player is one of those universal ones that plays all 6 regions. It has several sets of out jacks in the back. Do you think it might have a digital to analog conversion problem? If I switched output jacks, do you think that might help?? Vorkosigan

04-20-2003, 08:44 AM	#5
Jagged Guest Posts: n/a	How's the video output? Have you tried more than one DVD with it? try switching the outputs around. see if this helps.

04-20-2003, 02:03 PM	#6
mac_philo Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Tax-Exempt Donor, SoP Loyalist Posts: 2,191	Jagged identified another possibility. DVD players use Macrovision to prevent duplication. However I doubt this could cause the problem, because many people simply plug their DVD audio cables into their televisions, and televisions aren't built to decrypt Macrovision. Try connecting it with a different cable. Try another DVD. Switch the audio tracks on the DVDs around (i.e., languages, two channel, dolby digital, dts, whatever). Is the sound popping but similar to what you should hear, or is it complete chaos? If you are just connecting the DVD audio outs to a minisystem with free jacks I don't see why this shouldn't work. I don't see why there would be a power differential, because DVD players should send their signal out at line-level. On a decent receiver you could switch the DVD and CD cords with no ill effect, and those receivers treat all RCA jacks the same. (excluding phono stages) Keep us posted! And, yeah, buy a 10 year old (even better, 25 year old) Yamaha amp and some used speakers. We can figure this out...

04-20-2003, 02:13 PM	#7
Not Prince Hamlet Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 1,309	Well, you shouldn't be experiencing any problems with macrovision. As far as I know, it only affects the video of the protected software and not the audio. It could be a D/A conversion issue, but I doubt it. Most code-free DVD players are simply after-market modified versions of comericial players. Do you know the make and model of the player? Which jack on your boombox is the DVD player connected to? It may be that the boombox simply doesn't have the bandwidth to handle the high data rate of a DVD player. Also, make sure you aren't "cheating the ground" on your power plug. I forget how the plugs are shaped where you're located, but regardless, you should make sure you utilize the ground and polarity correctly. Is this a recurring pop (i.e, "Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop..."), or does it only happen once per play? Jeff

04-21-2003, 10:38 AM	#8
ZiprHead Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: SagNasty. Posts: 3,034	Do you have another input on the box you can plug the dvd player into, like AUX or something like that? Does it make that popping sound if it's plugged into the tv?

04-22-2003, 04:37 AM	#9
Vorkosigan Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Barrayar Posts: 11,866	All good ideas, yes it is a recurring pop, but it is completely unpredictable. Sometimes you get three real fast, other times you nmight go two or three minutes without it. LotR:FotR has it worst of all, some VCDs don't have it at all. I will implement all of these! Thanks! Vorkosigan

04-22-2003, 05:58 AM	#10
TealVeal Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: WM Posts: 208	Do they happen in the same places each time or are they random? For example do you hear three pops each and every time you play the scene where Bilbo goes all vampric.

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