[SunRescue] A/V question

[Bill Bradford]

Okay, as long as we're totally off-topic.. 8-)

I've got a TiVo digital personal recorder/VCR-type box.  Its only
the 20-hour model, so I cant keep stuff on it forever.  What I've
got is a VisionTech MVCast MPEG-2 broadcast-quality encoder card
(currently installed in the Windows box, until I get the problems
debugged and I get them to send me the Solaris drivers - then it
will go in the U60).  I'm "dumping" stuff to the MPEG card by
hooking the A/V inputs of the card to the A/V (audio L/R, video,
RCA plugs) outputs of the TiVo.  Then, I hit PLAY on the TiVo, and
hit RECORD on the MPEG capture card software, etc.  I end up with
a MPEG-2 file on my HD of the program I recorded on the TiVo.

One problem I'm running into - the TiVo is in the bedroom with the
TV, etc, and the computer is in the next room, in the "computer room".
I'm using a 50' 3-plug A/V dubbing cable to connect the TiVo to the
card on the computer.  What I'm ending up with is perfect video, and
good audio - but there's an underlying "hum" on all of the audio that
isnt present on the TiVo recording.  

I've checked the direct-output from the TiVo, and its not there - so
the hum is coming in somewhere from either the cable, the computer I've
got the card hooked up to, etc.

One thought - could this be due to a grounding problem?  The computer
and its setup are on a completely different electrical circuit than
the TiVo and the TV, etc - I know sometimes not having a common ground
for stuff can cause problems, and I was wondering if this could be the
cause (because I dont want to have to go and move the computer into
the bedroom...)

Thanks for any ideas or input.

Bill

-- 
Bill Bradford       |    "Do you expect me to talk?"
mrbill at mrbill.net   |    "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
Austin, TX          |        -- "Goldfinger", 1964