TexasBill Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I have LED lighting outside - Wallwashers they are called - they throw light 80 feet and can do 1.3 million colors. I also have rope light around the eaves of my house and turret so that I can have any colors that I like any time of the year. I recently upgraded to the "GENIE" by Direct TV, and now when my outside LED lights are on (It is limited to these lights and none of my other outside lights) I have a very annoying flicker on the televisions. If I turn off the LED lights it goes away. I am pretty sure that everything is still plugged in to the same plugs as the old receiver, but there has to be some "filter" I can get, some method of plugging something into a different wall socket that will make this stop. When I had X10 there was a plug you could get for "noisy" televisions and other appliances that created so much noise on the line that X10 would be disrupted. I suspect that something like this is occurring. Any thoughts would be appreciated. The last thing to know is that my video is distributed - everything is in a closet and we run the video using baluns to the televisions. Thanks,Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstafford388 Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 what kind of video signal is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 what kind of video signal is it? I have HDMI going into a baluns which then travels over a CAT5 cable to another baluns on the other end - and then HDMI out of the baluns. The important thing to remember probably is that I had DIRECT TV Satellite plugged into this same system with no issue - switched to a "genie" from Direct TV and now I have this flicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgbrown Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Are these hdbaset baluns or hdmi extenders ? If the later, they are susceptible to interference (don't ask me how I know). It might be a grounding issue. What balun are you using ? Are they powered on both ends ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Those genie boxes powered by external adapters? Is the flickering limited to those or also other sources?You may need to get a voltage regulator on those genie boxes, the "interference" is possibly due to the adapters getting a drop in voltage and the Genie boxes not getting proper power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 2nd, I assume those wall washers are DMX and controlled via Control4? And the Genie boxes are on the network? If so, you could try turning them on, disconnect the DMX module from the network and see if the interference disappears - if it does the DMX is dropping something on the network the Genie doesn't like and a simple network filter (included n some powerbars) may take care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Are these hdbaset baluns or hdmi extenders ? If the later, they are susceptible to interference (don't ask me how I know). It might be a grounding issue. What balun are you using ? Are they powered on both ends ?They are HDMI extenders:http://www.snapav.com/p-268-b-200-1cat-hdir.aspxPowered on both ends - yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 Those genie boxes powered by external adapters? Is the flickering limited to those or also other sources?You may need to get a voltage regulator on those genie boxes, the "interference" is possibly due to the adapters getting a drop in voltage and the Genie boxes not getting proper power.Yes - they are powered by external adapters.I put it on a battery backup that THEORETICALLY is purifying the line.Still an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 2nd, I assume those wall washers are DMX and controlled via Control4? And the Genie boxes are on the network? If so, you could try turning them on, disconnect the DMX module from the network and see if the interference disappears - if it does the DMX is dropping something on the network the Genie doesn't like and a simple network filter (included n some powerbars) may take care of it.You guessed correctly - the wall washers AND the rope lights are controlled by DMX. NOT controlled by CONTROL 4. Totally separate controller.Genie boxes ARE on the network - yes.There is NO connection - other than proximity - to my knowledge of the lights and the network/control4.Does that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormwatch Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Try grounding the transmitter and receiver. As per Snap AVs FAQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Yes - they are powered by external adapters.I put it on a battery backup that THEORETICALLY is purifying the line.Still an issue.Battery back-up units do not by default stabilize voltage though (not in the sense that they'll make a shifting voltage from 115 to 125 into a nice stable 119-121). It may, but I'd check the spec to be sure.I understand you're not one to be cheap on what you get, but something is causing the interference somewhere, and if it IS only happening on the Genie units, it's more likely to be something other than feedback (your blu-rays and 1080p media players etc would be more likely to show issues if it's the balun). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 You guessed correctly - the wall washers AND the rope lights are controlled by DMX. NOT controlled by CONTROL 4. Totally separate controller.Genie boxes ARE on the network - yes.There is NO connection - other than proximity - to my knowledge of the lights and the network/control4.Does that help? So how are you controlling the DMX? Serial connected to computer, just a wall box with pre-programming? Just making sure there is no network connection to the unit - if there is it's a 2 minute check is all I'm saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 So how are you controlling the DMX? Serial connected to computer, just a wall box with pre-programming? Just making sure there is no network connection to the unit - if there is it's a 2 minute check is all I'm saying.DMX Streamer currently - although I just purchased a Windows 8 computer to control it because I want more interesting light shows. <grin>It APPEARS that it is only this ONE TV - this morning I tried the exercise room and running the DMX lights does NOT cause the flicker in that room - I have some more testing to do - but it LOOK like only one TV? At least at the moment. hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbassinger Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I had a similar issue and replaced the balun with and HDbaseT one. No more issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I had a similar issue and replaced the balun with and HDbaseT one. No more issues.But he only has the issue on one source...that's what makes it a head scratcher for me. If he had the same problem on all sources that would make sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 But he only has the issue on one source...that's what makes it a head scratcher for me. If he had the same problem on all sources that would make sense...Let me validate that again - I only have three sources I can try on this TV - 1. Sat 12. Sat 23. Blue Ray Let me give it another go this evening and I will try to pin this down further. Thank you for all your help. One brain just is not enough for this one.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgbrown Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Does the TV in question by any chance have a 3 prong plug ? If it does, you can try TEMPORARILY lifting the ground on the TV and see if the problem goes away. If it does you may have a ground loop which can be difficult to diagnose. I made the switch to hdbaset because of continuing problems with extenders - the same problem you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 One TV tends to mean balun, one source tends to mean something else - guess we'll have to see what Bill comes back with first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 One TV tends to mean balun, one source tends to mean something else - guess we'll have to see what Bill comes back with first.OK - Satellite 1 - two different TVs - the one in the living room flickers - the one in the bedroom does NOT - so this has to be a balun - now - is it too close to something? plugged into something shared, going bad? Suggestions to try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 OK - Satellite 1 - two different TVs - the one in the living room flickers - the one in the bedroom does NOT - so this has to be a balun - now - is it too close to something? plugged into something shared, going bad? Suggestions to try? But does the living room TV flicker when you select a source OTHER THAN Satellite 1? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 OK - Satellite 1 - two different TVs - the one in the living room flickers - the one in the bedroom does NOT - so this has to be a balun - now - is it too close to something? plugged into something shared, going bad? Suggestions to try?Yeah see Dan's reply. If it IS the balun....it could be any of the above really, or some combination of the three.But the question remains - if it ONLY does it on the Genies, not on say a Blu-Ray player (be sure to pop in a BluRay disc) doing full 1080p ... the issue is more likely somewhere close to the Genie, even if it IS just on one TV. Of course, depending on how much you value your time used on trying to find the root cause, it MAY be easiest to get a good pair of HDBaseT baluns and change them, it MAY fix the issue, or prove quite definitively if it's at the Genie, not along the line. HDBaseT (or IP distribution) isn't immune to interference, but it is far (sometimes FAR) less sensitive than the older style single/dual cat options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgbrown Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Swap the baluns with the baluns use for the tv that's working, or if the flickering tv has a 3 prong plug, lift the ground on the tv that's flickering (using a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter). Post back the results. Like I said earlier - I've encounter this same issue and it turned out to be a ground potential issue. Easiest way to fix it it is to go to hdbaset. Since your using snap baluns you could use their hdbaset adapters. They work well. Run the previously stated test(s) first before dropping some coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam333 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Texans bill. What led lights are you using? Can you switch them so that they alternate colors for different holidays. Thanks Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBill Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 But does the living room TV flicker when you select a source OTHER THAN Satellite 1?Thanks Dan - OK - here is the answer - It appears that this only occurs on the Living Room Television.It only occurs when these LED lights are on.It occurs on all three inputs that I have to this TV (Sat 1 and Sat 2 and Blu Ray Player) Does that tell me that this is definitely in the BALUN? If so - is it "bad"? That does not seem to make sense in that it worked fine with the other Satellite dishes.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstafford388 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 If it's not too terribly difficult grab one of the other baluns from another TV and swap it with that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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