holy sh*t help me with my new hdtv!

[Easy Rhino]

ok, so i just got a new lg htdv 42 inch. i plugged the power cord in and it turns on. so i turn it off and start setting up my comcast digital cable box with dvr which i just got. i connected the cable line to the digital box and connected the box to the surge protector. then i plugged the hdmi cable from the hdtv to the cable box but when i plugged it in i got a massive spark and it shorted out the entire room!!!!!!! i freak out and though i just blew up my new shiny tv!!! it turns out tho after i reset eveything that the tv turns on so it isnt blown. phew. so i decide to connect the component cable instead. same thing! sparks!!!!! and it shorts out the whole room again. so i decide to forget the cable box and try the dvd player. this time no problems. so i can connect the hdtv to the dvd player via component without sparking. yet, when i go into menu it isnt reading the component signal from the dvd player!!!! i dont know if it is the cable box or if it is the tv. good god this sucks!

[driver66]

Have you tried hooking everything up unplugged, and then pluggin in?

[d44ve]

Can you hook up the cable box the same way, but on a differant TV?

[DRDNA]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

ok, so i just got a new lg htdv 42 inch. i plugged the power cord in and it turns on. so i turn it off and start setting up my comcast digital cable box with dvr which i just got. i connected the cable line to the digital box and connected the box to the surge protector. then i plugged the hdmi cable from the hdtv to the cable box but when i plugged it in i got a massive spark and it shorted out the entire room!!!!!!! i freak out and though i just blew up my new shiny tv!!! it turns out tho after i reset eveything that the tv turns on so it isnt blown. phew. so i decide to connect the component cable instead. same thing! sparks!!!!! and it shorts out the whole room again. so i decide to forget the cable box and try the dvd player. this time no problems. so i can connect the hdtv to the dvd player via component without sparking. yet, when i go into menu it isnt reading the component signal from the dvd player!!!! i dont know if it is the cable box or if it is the tv. good god this sucks!

I woold take the TV back and pick up another one then I would call your cable company and have them check the cable box...Dude that really suks

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by driver66

Have you tried hooking everything up unplugged, and then pluggin in?

good question. im going to do that as soon as i get home. however, why do you think the tv wont recognize that the dvd is connected via component cable?

[driver66]

That is an all around strange problem
I agree with ^ to get the cable box checked!
You sure as hell don't want to blow up your new toy GL

[sneekypeet]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

good question. im going to do that as soon as i get home. however, why do you think the tv wont recognize that the dvd is connected via component cable?

Hate to be the guy who asks the obvios here.... But is the TV set to the correct input?
Say the TV is on DVI still from trying to recieve cable instead of input 1,2,3, etc. Play a dvd as well just to verify you didnt miss the splash screen!

[Casheti]

Lol you hooked stuff up while it's plugged in?

.......

Almost as bad as someone I know who flipped the voltage switch on their PC to "see what it does".

[Dr. Spankenstein]

You wouldn't be using a "cheater" plug to connect the power strip/surge protector to the wall outlet, would you? You might not have a grounded connection. By "cheater" plug, I mean it takes the 3-prong and turns it to a 2-prong if your wall outlets don't have proper 3-prong recepticles.

I have an issue with my PC wherein if I attach the cable to my ATI Elite wonder WHILE the PC is plugged in, I feel electricity shocking me (like when you lick a 9V). No likey!
You might try making all the connections with every component unplugged, thenplug everything in, power on and let us know how that works.

Obviously something is shorting. Make sure you are not using cheater plugs because you are not getting a properly grounded connection.
I had to run a dedicated line from the service box to my AV set up because our house is old and only has 2 prong-outlets that are set in hard plaster. I didn;t know it the old cloth-coated wiring would handle the draw, plus I wanted a line that didn't have other itmes drawing off it that would put noise in the circuit (like the fridge, microwave, A/C, etc.). Power noise shows up very well on my Sony 34" HDTV, now the problem is gone!

Good luck.

Bryan

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by Dr. Spankenstein

You wouldn't be using a "cheater" plug to connect the power strip/surge protector to the wall outlet, would you? You might not have a grounded connection. By "cheater" plug, I mean it takes the 3-prong and turns it to a 2-prong if your wall outlets don't have proper 3-prong recepticles.

I have an issue with my PC wherein if I attach the cable to my ATI Elite wonder WHILE the PC is plugged in, I feel electricity shocking me (like when you lick a 9V). No likey!
You might try making all the connections with every component unplugged, thenplug everything in, power on and let us know how that works.

Obviously something is shorting. Make sure you are not using cheater plugs because you are not getting a properly grounded connection.
I had to run a dedicated line from the service box to my AV set up because our house is old and only has 2 prong-outlets that are set in hard plaster. I didn;t know it the old cloth-coated wiring would handle the draw, plus I wanted a line that didn't have other itmes drawing off it that would put noise in the circuit (like the fridge, microwave, A/C, etc.). Power noise shows up very well on my Sony 34" HDTV, now the problem is gone!

Good luck.

Bryan

thanks. this is how it was setup. i had a surge protector that took 3 prong plugs and connected to the wall with only 2 prongs. (no cheater plug) this is an old house so perhaps there was a problem with the wall unit. this is most definately i grounding issue because i used to have an air conditioning unit attached to that surge protector and i felt that tingle you talked about! so clearly that surge protector sucked balls. regardless it is blown now and in the trash. i bought a new 3 prong surge protector and have connected it to a different wall unit that has 3 prongs. i have not connected the cable box yet. i am at work and am very anxious to get home and get this working. im worried though because now that the dvd player is connected (and there were no issues in the connecting process) the tv wont recognize the signal from the dvd player. so perhaps when i got those sparks it fried the connectors. again, the tv still turns on but i have yet to really try and get the dvd player connected but i am not hopeful. i guess if i cant get anything working then i did infact blow the back connectors out and will have to call bestbuy for a replacement! what is strange though is that nothing was turned on when i was connecting things. however i read that comcasts digital boxes carry a signal with their coax cable line and THAt was connected.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by Casheti

Lol you hooked stuff up while it's plugged in?

.......

Almost as bad as someone I know who flipped the voltage switch on their PC to "see what it does".

i plugged the power cord in and it turns on. so i turn it off and start setting up my comcast digital cable box with dvr which i just got.

....

[Dr. Spankenstein]

[QUOTE=Easy Rhino;470738]thanks. this is how it was setup. i had a surge protector that took 3 prong plugs and connected to the wall with only 2 prongs. (no cheater plug)QUOTE]


Are you saying that you had a power strip/surge protector that accepts 3-prong plugs but actually connects to the outlet w/ a 2-prong???? Methinks there was a cheater between the wall and the strip. Glad you moved to a proper outlet.

Let us know how things go.

Cheers,

Bryan

[Easy Rhino]

yea this was an old surge protector that accepted 3 prongs and went to the wall with 2. it is dead now lol. anyway i simply ran a long powercord around to another room and it isnt very intrusive and its a decent quality surge protector so that is good. i talked with bestbuy and they gave me an even exchange! so i pay nothing for this nonsense. however, they said they wont be able to deliver it for 7 days because they are busy. horseshit! so i spoke directly with a supervisor and they said they will speed it up. on another note, i switched out my cable box with an hd dvr one that has hdmi. comcast screwed that up too. so now in a couple days i should be up and running full 1080p! i just had to go through all this haha...

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Wow, talk about obscure tech!!! Glad you got things sorted out. Enjoy your new toys (when you get them!)

[Easy Rhino]

bah bestbuy must have lied to me cause i never got a call about expedited delivery of the tv. so i guess im waiting until wednesday. the broken tv is sitting in front of my couch mocking me