black boxes on my screen display?

**mike_mccue** · 08-03-2009, 05:18 AM

Hi,
I have a DTV converter box and a very large antenna. For the most part everything is ok.

I have one specific circumstance that makes me curious to learn about.

One, and only one, of the channels I receive repeatedly displays a black rectangle on my display. The rectangle is of varying dimensions and is placed in various quadrants of the display screen. On rare occasions I will see a few alpha numeric characters in white or yellow. e.g. 87* or something like that.

This channel has very good signal strength and the circumstance does not seem related to weak reception. The underlaying TV is clear and smooth and the sound is also stable and strong.

The box usually is just black with no lettering. And it will appear, display for about 30 seconds and then disappear. It usually reappears a few minutes later and it is often times changed in dimension and placement. It can obscure anything from 1/8 to 3/4 of the screens display area.

I live near an Airport and a regional Meteorological station and wonder if something transmitted from those operations is simply stepping on my that particular TV channel.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be.

Thanks and best regards,
mike

**Eureka** · 08-03-2009, 06:39 AM

Turn off all captioning and text options in your converter box menu. If the black boxes are still there, check the captioning options in your TV (if any).

**O-O** · 08-03-2009, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by Eureka

Turn off all captioning and text options in your converter box menu. If the black boxes are still there, check the captioning options in your TV (if any).

Yeah, it almost sounds like captioning from the TV is on. If you're looking for it on your remote, it's the CC button.

**mike_mccue** · 08-04-2009, 03:04 AM

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I have already checked and exhausted my options with regards to turning off captioning features.

I'm using a simple converter box which goes to a DVD player and then to my TV on a AV input.

As I mentioned, this happens on a single channel. I have reception of that station's second channel as well as 13 other channels without a single observed instance of this black rectangle.

Is it at all possible that some weather or air transport navigation transmission is in the same frequency and is being decoded?

thanks again,
mike

**Eureka** · 08-04-2009, 04:20 AM

Originally Posted by mike_mccue

...I'm using a simple converter box which goes to a DVD player and then to my TV on a AV input.
------------
Is it at all possible that some weather or air transport navigation transmission is in the same frequency and is being decoded

Anything's possible, but I would say that in all likelihood, that is not what is happening.

I would borrow a converter box from someone else and see if the problem persists. If you can't borrow one, go buy one. If the problem is still there with the 2nd box, return it because it's probably something wrong with the station or your TV.