Somewhat technical question about DTV

[bbdub333]

Figured this would be more appropriate to ask here instead of highly technical as it has more to do with TV.

I haven't had cable for a while, so I have been watching TV using a little powered antenna. I started noticing a correlation between the times when the digital TV signals get completely distorted and fragmented, and the times my roommate is talking on his iPhone. Upon further un-scientific tests, I found that the signal gets destroyed anytime somebody with a cell phone on AT&T is making a call.

I haven't had the time or motivation to research frequency ranges, etc., so I was just wondering if anybody knows what the deal is with this. There is never a problem when the cell phone is on a different carrier (i.e., Sprint... my carrier)... just AT&T.

Anyway... thought it would be a fun topic. Discuss.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Might be because ATT is GSM and Sprint is CDMA.

Does it kind of work like when you hear a weird noise in your speakers when you are about to get a call or a text message?

 

[jiggahertz]

I get severe feedback on a lot of speakers and my voip phone at work from my at&t pearl.

 

[bbdub333]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
Might be because ATT is GSM and Sprint is CDMA.

Does it kind of work like when you hear a weird noise in your speakers when you are about to get a call or a text message?

Well I have noticed that too... whenever he gets a call I get the little "blip blip blip" noises in my speakers... and the TV interference usually starts about a second prior to his phone rining when he is receiving a call.

 

[Crono]

Yes, it's well known fact. It has to do with the signal the phone makes to the tower (letting it know you are still connected) every x minutes (forget how much) or when you are about to receive a call. It causes vibrations in wires, making that unusual sound for speakers, or, in your case, messing up the video signal. I had the same thing when I had ATT/CIngular, but no longer now that I have T-Mobile.

 

[sswingle]

If I put my phone next to a CRT monitor, the monitor flickers kinda like a degauss a second before the phone actually rings.