Buzzing an lines on screen

[Michio]

I just purchased a ps3 :D Well the story goes is that I tried connecting the composite cables first because I had yet to purchase component since my tv does not support hdmi. Video was fine but when I plugged in audio it gave a annoying zzzZZZ buzzing sound, my guess it's interference or static but nothing else is connected to the television except for my cable box?? Today I went and bought a set of component cables and not only does the buzzing sound still can be heard I can see a distinctive line going up the screen. Kind how if you record your tv or computer monitor with a digital camera. That kind of line. Any suggestions? I'm waiting for my hdmi-dvi cable to come in ( ordered that b4 I got ps3) hopefully that fixes the line problem but as for audio need to think of something till I get a optical cable.

[Zodia]

I just purchased a ps3 :D Well the story goes is that I tried connecting the composite cables first because I had yet to purchase component since my tv does not support hdmi. Video was fine but when I plugged in audio it gave a annoying zzzZZZ buzzing sound, my guess it's interference or static but nothing else is connected to the television except for my cable box?? Today I went and bought a set of component cables and not only does the buzzing sound still can be heard I can see a distinctive line going up the screen. Kind how if you record your tv or computer monitor with a digital camera. That kind of line. Any suggestions? I'm waiting for my hdmi-dvi cable to come in ( ordered that b4 I got ps3) hopefully that fixes the line problem but as for audio need to think of something till I get a optical cable.
What you are experiencing is called a ground loop, caused by the cable line one quick fix is to unplug the cable wire and the buzzing (humming sound) will go away, as well as the scan lines on the screen, a permanent fix is to get something similar to this http://catalog.belkin.com/images/product/F9A923fc08/FUL1_F9A923fc08.jpg
This will put the cable and PS3 on the same ground, eliminating the humming and lines on the screen, there are more expensive ones that do a better job, but not necessary. A cheap alternative is to buy a Ground Breaker for the cable line, which can be found at any electronics supply stores (or online http://www.hometech.com/video/atten.html#XA-63400 ).
Now, whatever you do, DO NOT break the ground plug on the PS3 power cord or buy this
http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-2266744w345.jpg
, the ground plug was put on the PS3 for a purpose (added protection) and might damage the PS3 if a power surge occurs.
Happy gaming.

[tuaamin13]

I just wanted to add that those plugs adapters are safe, just not for this purpose. That metal loop is to run your own ground cable so the device is still grounded. However, your issue is that you have 2 separate paths to ground (your cable tv being one of them, PS3 as the other), and your goal is to put the two devices on the same ground (what that surge protector does). The first two solutions are much better. Before you buy anything, you can prove that it's a ground loop. Unscrew the coaxial cable from the back of your TV, and play your PS3. The buzzing sound should go away.

[Michio]

Wow thanks I tried the surge protector thing but apparently that did little effect. I then just removed out all of the sound cables from my tv cable box again nothing but then when I unplugged the svideo cable from the tv the lines came off and no more buzzing sound! wow one cable gave me such a big headache. Now I am going to use component cables for my tv cable box instead hopefully that stops the buzzing sound and lines for good thanks!

[Michio]

Ok what I am a little bit confused. I know the problem has something to do with my cable box cables. If you mean the coaxile cable (the television cable with pointy middle) it's not actually connected to my tv its connected to a splitter sort of device so both upstairs and downstairs can get cable tv. So supposedly if I just get a surge protector and plug in my ps3, cable box and tv the buzzing and sound will go away? I have to unplug my audio and video cable from my cable box to my tv everytime I want to play ps3 so It doesnt mess up the screen as a temporary fix. Here are some pics of what It looks like as what I'm looking at since i'm not so electronics savvy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/ninjai89/PS3/DSC01866-1.jpg Black coaxial cable are RF and RF In, Top red and white are audio out to tv and s-video is video out to tv. Other two cables are connected to receiver, they dont cause intereference. The two white coaxle cables conect to splitter and not directly to tv. The first white cable closest to corner says To tv/vcr and the other says Cable In.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/ninjai89/PS3/DSC01869.jpg 1st row (Video 1) is where my Cable box Audio and S-Vido cable should go but it's not displayed since I had my ps3 on. The component cables closest to the lone yellow video cable is the ps3 cables (Video 6)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/ninjai89/PS3/DSC01867-1.jpg This is the splitter thing, My dad uses it so downstairs has cable as well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/ninjai89/PS3/DSC01863-1.jpg Top is the tv plug and bottom is the power to the cable box
Sorry if they are kinda small.

[Zodia]

The fact that the coax cable is not directly conected to the TV really doesn't matter, since the A/V cables share the same common ground witht the COAX, so unless you unplug the coax cable from the cable box, you are still going to get the humming, buzzing and lines, what you have to do is plug the cable to a surge protector like the one in the picture i posted above, and then from the SP to the box, you also need to plug the PS3 to the same SP so the both SHARE the same GROUND connection.
here, i'll give you these links:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/basics.html
http://blueguitar.org/new/articles/other/ground_loop.pdf PDF file long read but very informative.