HDTV Forum

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Recently DirecTV upgraded me for MPEG4 to a 5 LNB dish and two H20 Mfg.100
HD Receivers. The first H20 HD receiver connected (HDMI to HDMI) to my
Toshiba 34HF84 (34" direct view 1080i native resolution) worked great. The
H20 was an improvement over the Hughes Model HTL-HD DirecTV HD receiver it
replaced.

The other H20 Mfg.100 HD receiver is to upgrade my RCA F38310JX4 (38" direct
view 1080i native resolution). The F38310JX4 is integrated with the RCA
DTC100 DirecTV HD receiver built within the HDTV.To connect the H20 I used
the component video input on my F38310JX4 that RCA calls Syncroscan HD which
accepts signals from standard and progressive-scan DVD players as well as
set-top HDTV decoders. The H20 is connected through my Onkyo TX-SR600 AV
receiver (used to switch from DVD player to H20 receiver) to the component
video input on my F38310JX4 using quality component cables. MY PROBLEM is
using the H20 in the 1080i resolution I get faint 6" horizontal lines
rolling on each side of the picture. These lines can only be seen on very
light backgrounds. I have trouble shoot by connecting the other H20 and the
Hughes HTL-HD receivers directly into the F38310JX4 component input with the
same result, faint lines.

Anyone out there have any idea why I get these faint lines on each side of
the picture when I use the H20 1080i resolution format on my F38310JX4 HDTV.
I have had the F38310JX4 since March 2001 and it has provided me a very
clean picture over the years using the internal DTC100 HD receiver for
DirecTV and antenna A & B inputs. I have tried to get help from RCA Thompson
and DirecTV with no results. Robert Wade Brown you at one time had the
F38310. Do you still have it and if so did you get the DirecTV upgrade to
MPEG4?

Thanks For Any Help -- Roger

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Hello Roger,

In seeing your post regarding the F39310 I thought to pass it on to our own
Ed Milbourn, who was formerly head of TV design for RCA. Ed has responded
below and we all hope it sheds a little light on the problem. _Dale Cripps


Dale, Please pass this on to Roger.

roger,

The problem is probably not with the H20 (but I would sure like to blame it
on IndirecTV). The F38310 horizontal scanning rate was designed with a
slight offset (I forget the amount, but it was a few microseconds) in order
to avoid an interference problem ("beat pattern") with the tuner. If the
set's free-running horizontal frequency is slightly misadjusted, even though
the locked horizontal frequency is clearly in-sync, the horizontal blanking
interval may be offset enough to not completely blank the horizontal retrace
lines, thus the pattern you are seeing. So, how to fix it.

Unfortunately, I have long since discarded my schematic diagrams of the 38"
HDTV chassis group, but there is a horizontal frequency adjustment
someplace. (Such adjustment had long since been relegated to factory
controls or software settings since the advent of digital scan control.)

I assume you have attempted a "cold start" of the 38" (i.e. unplug the set
from the power line for 15 seconds or so, and re-power it). Then reset the
H20, using either the menu reset or the red reset button. (That's a pain, I
know, but many times that fixes a scan timing incompatibility problem with
the monitor.) Other than that, you may get lucky and find a local service
technician who has had experience with that model and could give you
guidance. By the way, the F38310 service notes may be available via
rca.com. I wish I could be of better assistance, but good luck, the F38310
is the best HDTV monitor in captivity. Ed

Roger-
This afternoon I started to install a new Directv DH receiver to my RCA 38310. But unlike you I could not get it to recognize this new receiver. I do have a DVD already conected. Must I disconnect this and use that connection for my new HD receiver?

JTP3

Yes connect the H20 to the componet input on the F38310. Use a componet switcher to use both the DVD player and H20. I no longer have the F38310. I replaced it in early October 07 with the Panasonic TH-50PZ77U and gave my daughter the F38310. I never did get rid of the fant lines that I commeted on in the previous post.

Last week Directv upgraded me to their new HD service. The picture does not come in on 720 stations. Digital and 1080 no problem. Anyone else have this problem, any solution?