My lovely neat little TVonics PVR seems to have developed a problem.

It will playback perfectly for about 20 minutes then interference starts on the screen (a few lines at the top as if a hairdryer has been plugged in nearby for example). Within another 20 minutes or so the whole screen is covered with interference.

The problem is not only on the playback. Having turned off the recording, live TV watched through the box is exactly the same. I have connected it to another TV and the problem is the same so I don't think it is a problem with my TV.

Is there any hope for it or is it a one way trip to the tip?

Is it the one that uses a separate mains PSU?, if so they are VERY prone to failure - do you have another suitable supply you could try?.

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by PSU?

Power Supply Unit.

Some TVonics models have a separate mains PSU that plugs into the mains socket rather than it being internal with a simple mains lead. Looks like this

https://www.pulse-eight.com/store/pr...er-supply.aspx

If you have a suitable replacement to hand you could try swapping it out and see if that cures the problem. But do not plug any old device into the TVonics. Look for a label on the TVonics PSU which should tell you the output voltage and current or wattage capacity of the PSU. For example it might say something like 12V 2A or 12V 24W which is an identical rating (W = V x A)

The Voltage (V) must match exactly between original and replacement. However the Amp (A) or Wattage (W) figure can be higher on the replacement than the original but not lower. If you have any doubt just post the figures here and we can tell you if it is suitable.

The other thing to look for is a little diagram showing how the plug is wired. Bit difficult to represent using text characters but looks a bit like this

+ --.)-- -
or
- --.)-- +

You need to ensure the + and - marks match (ie both like the first example, or both like the second but not one like the first and one like the second).

The built-in power supplies on TVonics boxes are also temperamental -- my mother has one which suffered a failed FET after about 14 months, and of course the company is dead now so I had to repair it myself.

It also seems to be a bit wobbly when pushing out a 1080p signal -- I reduced the box down to 1080i and all is well.

Sadly I don't have another one to hand. I can get one via Amazon for just under £12 (inc delivery) which I suppose is a lot cheaper than buying another PVR.

I'll have a look at this and see whether it cures the problem, if not I guess I will buy the PSU.