Sound problems with TV

[Bert Gildart]

When we turn on our Samsung TV in our new Classic Airstream we get intermittent sound, as though someone is pulling the plug for the sound, then quickly reinserting it. The problem began shortly after we purchased the trailer this past September, so we drove from our home in Montana back to the Airstream dealer in Oregon and they seemed to have fixed it. But shortly after leaving Airstream in Oregon the problem began again, so this time we packaged the TV and returned it to Samsung. They returned it about a week ago, and until tonight, everything seemed OK. But tonight the problem started all over again.
This is not something we can tough out as sometimes the sound disappears all together.
Could there be an underlying problem in the Airstream wiring or is the problem a Samsung problem that they haven’t fixed. In other words, where do we go from here? Has anyone had a similar problem?

Thank you!
Bert

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Bert Gildart

When we turn on our Samsung TV in our new Classic Airstream we get intermittent sound, as though someone is pulling the plug for the sound, then quickly reinserting it. The problem began shortly after we purchased the trailer this past September, so we drove from our home in Montana back to the Airstream dealer in Oregon and they seemed to have fixed it. But shortly after leaving Airstream in Oregon the problem began again, so this time we packaged the TV and returned it to Samsung. They returned it about a week ago, and until tonight, everything seemed OK. But tonight the problem started all over again.
This is not something we can tough out as sometimes the sound disappears all together.
Could there be an underlying problem in the Airstream wiring or is the problem a Samsung problem that they haven’t fixed. In other words, where do we go from here? Has anyone had a similar problem?

Thank you!
Bert

Assuming that you have a set-up like ours: The TV plays through the audio system

When it is acting up,

Turn up the audio on the TV itself, so that it is using its own speakers. If it is not breaking up in those speakers, the TV is OK.
Does the Audio ever break up when listen to the radio? If not the problem is in the wiring. first check all the connectors behind the radio. In our trailer, you first remove the wooden hole plugs that conceal the screws in the panels one one side or the other of the radio. remove the panel and check all the connectors. If that does no good, then it is most likely in the wiring in the wall. If you have a regular stereo patch cord you could use it to run directly from the TV to the radio in place of the one inside the wall. If that fixes the problem it is in the cord in the wall. Have a dealer run a new one. If it is still breaking up, the problem could be internal to the radio.

Those are the only ideas I have without being there.

Ken

[Bert Gildart]

Thanks, Ken, and I've learned something about the capabilities of my stereo system which a dealer told me was not possible. In fact, I CAN play a DVD not only through through the TV but through the stereo system as well. I didn't know that until yesterday.
When I play sound just through the TV the sound problems persist, but when I mute the sound in the TV or reduce the sound so far that nothing is coming out -- but then press the correct sequence of buttons so that sound now comes through the stereo system -- we can in fact enjoy sound from the DVD. As I said, an Airstream service manager told me I couldn't do that but yesterday I learned from another Airstreamer in our campground that in fact I can.
Here in this remote campground in Anza Borrego we have no direct TV connection, but all I care about are watching movies in the evening, so for the time being we're happy. But because the radio works, and the DVD player seems to work -- but sound from the TV still goes in and out -- it would now seem the problem is either in the wiring from the player to the TV -- or it's still in the TV. Since Samsung just fixed the TV, I'm included to think it's the wiring.
Thanks for your time!
Bert

[tkasten]

Hey Bert,
Try hooking up a different tv to see if the problem still persists.

[Gene]

Bert,

I'm not entirely understanding what you are doing, but hopefully this may be of some help.

First of all, turn down the sound on the TV to zero. All sound should come through the radio/DVD player system.

Then find the subwoofer. Assuming it is somewhat like ours in our 2008 Safari, maybe this is the problem. In ours it is under one of the dinette seats, but it could be anywhere. There are two controls on it. The subwoofer may be installed so you cannot see the controls and may have to unscrew the subwoofer from the floor to get to the controls (the plastic holddowns on the subwoofer tend to break and can be replaced with small metal angle braces).

Turn both to zero. One is volume (gain) and the other is "frequency" if I recall properly. The latter probably controls how much bass you get. If the problems go away, it is the subwoofer controls that are the problem. Play with them until you find a setting that works for you—maybe about half way. This worked for us. Others have put an anti-noise capacitor in the system; this works on auto radios to eliminate ignition noise and can eliminate noise from the trailer electrical system.

Also, in ours, the subwoofer was on all the time draining the batteries. I put a switch in the power supply wires so I could turn it off. I haven't ever turned it on since because a subwoofer in a trailer seems like overkill and the bass would not be popular in campgrounds.

Hope this helps.

I liked your past two articles in Airstream Life.

Gene

[Bert Gildart]

Ken, the only time the sound breaks up is when we're using the TV speakers. But couldn't the problem still be in wiring from the DVD Player?

Gene, I see what you mean about subwoofers 'cause the bass is almost overwhelming.

Tim, I'm going to try finding a loaner TV and suppose that is the ultimate test.

Thanks much,
Bert

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Bert Gildart

Ken, the only time the sound breaks up is when we're using the TV speakers. But couldn't the problem still be in wiring from the DVD Player?

Gene, I see what you mean about subwoofers 'cause the bass is almost overwhelming.

Tim, I'm going to try finding a loaner TV and suppose that is the ultimate test.

Thanks much,
Bert

Well,
Yes, it could still be the cable. Since as I understand it, you have no actual TV signal, It hard to tell for sure. My advice would be to enjoy your movies for now and when you get to where you can an actually get an TV signal, see what the TV speakers sound like when watching TV. If they are still breaking up then you know it is the TV.

If you and the Airstream dealer can't find the problem, call Airstream customer support, I am guessing that they would agree to pay a auto sound specialty place to look at it.

Enjoy your movies

Ken

[mefly2]

We had a similar problem that plagued us all last fall. I eventually disconnected the sub and switched the HDMI cable to a different output on the TV in an attempt to isolate the source of the difficultly ... and the problem disappeared.

Previously, I had linked the Samsung TV to the Sony Media center via a separate and direct HDMI cable. That seemed to rectify the problem, but ...omg, visions of the dealer needing to pull apart a new AS just to fish a new HDMI cable ... uggh. When I used the separate cable accidentally connected through the different TV output - voila`. An unlikely fix for a problem that seemed to be sourced to the TV, itself. We are hoping that the problem will not resurface when we pull the AS out of the snow. The dealer / service had not heard of this problem before and had no idea what exactly to do... except the offer to fix/pull a new cable.