static lines on TV when I'm downloading things from the Internet

I have an old ATI AIW 8500 in a Pentium 4 system running Windows
XP. Cable TV is attached to this card. When I start to download
something from the Internet, horizontal static lines show up on
ATI TV, the TV viewer program. Once I stop the downloading from
the Internet, the statics go away. What could be wrong?

If you have a tv tuner card, do you experience the same thing?
I'm thinking getting a new TV card, but wonder if I'll have the
same problem.

"Jone" <John@doe.com> wrote in message
news:462d48e6$0$8812$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
> I have an old ATI AIW 8500 in a Pentium 4 system running Windows
> XP. Cable TV is attached to this card. When I start to download
> something from the Internet, horizontal static lines show up on
> ATI TV, the TV viewer program. Once I stop the downloading from
> the Internet, the statics go away. What could be wrong?
>
> If you have a tv tuner card, do you experience the same thing?
> I'm thinking getting a new TV card, but wonder if I'll have the
> same problem.
>

I have several tuner cards and don't have this problem. My guess would be
you have a "ground loop" problem. For safety reasons the cable should be
grounded where it attaches to the building. The AC outlets your equipment is
plugged into should all be grounded too, so they're all at the same level.
It's a common problem. Google is your friend.

"Jone" <John@doe.com> wrote in message
news:462d48e6$0$8812$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
>I have an old ATI AIW 8500 in a Pentium 4 system running Windows
> XP. Cable TV is attached to this card. When I start to download
> something from the Internet, horizontal static lines show up on
> ATI TV, the TV viewer program. Once I stop the downloading from
> the Internet, the statics go away. What could be wrong?
>
> If you have a tv tuner card, do you experience the same thing?
> I'm thinking getting a new TV card, but wonder if I'll have the
> same problem.
>

Cheap motherboard; you have a ground loop isolation fault. The slot that
you have the card plugged into (you do not specify if it is PCI or AGP) is
sharing a ground with another circuit on the motherboard.

Honu