The 15750 Hz “Noise” from my TV is driving me NUTS!
January 27, 2007 by Jason · 10 Comments
Can anyone else hear the 15750 Hz tone generated by most TVs? My girlfriend was telling me I was crazy and that the sound didn't exist until my Uncle Chuck explained that the sound does exist while we were back in Illinois for my Grandmother's birthday & Christmas.
I've got two TVs in my apartment (a 15-ish-year-old 20" GE and a 3-year-old 36" Toshiba) and I can hear both if they are on no matter where I am in the apartment (2 BR/2 BA, separate kitchen & dining room; it's not a small place), even if the doors are closed.
I'm almost ready to go out and spend $3000 on a nice 1080p LCD screen so that I can sit in the living room in peace because even turning the volume way up (with 500W of Klipsch power behind it) doesn't drown it out... Heh, the only good news is that all of the big-box retail stores are getting rid of their CRT screens (or at least tossing them in the back corner of the store) so if I do break down and decide to go shopping, at least I won't get a headache at the same time.
You are definate not crazy! I've heard that dang noise for a long time. I never looked up what frequency it was, though.
My older 27" JVC produces a vary loud whine, or at least it is loud for me. I can always tell when someone has left it on. Surprisingly however, my 53" sony HDTV with 6" CRT guns doesn't make a noise that I can hear. Or at least, it has never bothered me. I wonder if the 6" gun doesn't make such a loud noise because it is so small when compared to the CRT in the 27" TV, which I imagine goes from the rear all the way to the glass.
Heh, your HDTV is making noise, you just can't hear it because it's a higher pitch. The 15750Hz is generated because standard NTSC signals are 30fps with 525 lines of resolution. You multiply that out and you get 15750Hz. An HDTV has a higher resolution so the frequency is pushed higher, outside the range of human hearing.
In any case, it's not a problem for me anymore. This past week I bought a 52" Sharp AQUOS LCD. 1080p goodness... 🙂 I've got a quick picture I took yesterday morning (while the "low battery" light on my camera was blinking away). I'll post it up a bit later.
Is that that really high pitched squeak like noise? the tv in my dining room makes that noise and i can hear it and it seems like no one else can! i thoguh i was crazy too but now im i know that its not just me!
I know exactly what you mean. The speaking noise drives me insane too! I find unplugging the tv when i'm not watching it works the best haha. When i'm trying to read or concentrate i certainly can't do with that noise.
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I had a Sony Trinitron TV that made no noise whatsoever, and I'm usually fairly sensitive to the whine. So you needn't run out and spend a fortune on an HDTV. Of course, if you're looking for an excuse, this might be a decent one!
I used to hear it all the time until I hit my 20s when I started going to loud rock concerts and playing in a rock band. Now, the sound doesn't bother me! 😛
Yep, when I was younger my parents wouldn't believe me I could tell a TV was on somewhere nearby until we performed a bunch of "experiments", that convincingly showed that I could indeed tell. I've always said "hey, they all make this high-pitch whine, can't you hear it?", but apparently many people can't...
Man, the number of times I've told people this frequency was "killing me"
are epic. I went and had my hearing tested and discovered I can hear
22khz or so. So my sonic world is filled with things that no one can hear.
Television's have always driven me nuts. So do things like security cameras.
Great if I was a crook but no so good out in public. It does have the advantage
of creating greater spacial dimensions when listening to music live. But things
like switching power supplies or computer equipment that's having fits are
shear agony. When I was young I knew my abusive father was engaged and
I had half a chance of avoiding a beating if I heard that annoying sound,
so I got to the point that I relished the sound as it meant safety for a while.
So there was an up side to go along with downside of the headaches it causes.
Even HDTV's have their artifacts. The only thing I can recomend is go somewhere
out in the country and listen to the subtle sound of grass growing. It makes a hiss
that is very distinct. And the sound insects make is a symphony all it's own. The
sad part is it doesn't extend itself into the lower frequencies. So that butthole
sneaking up on you from behind will only be revealed by the hiss of soil under
their shoes rather than their heartbeat. Damn, that sucks. But music is awesome.
And if you can hear these things, count yourself blessed. Most people are deaf to them.
And in the end they will still think you're nuts. Just live with it and try to keep your
mouth shut when you hear their car about to have a breakdown. They'll blame you.
But you will avoid your own car troubles if you listen.
Dr. Heinrich Atomic
Your local Mad Scientist living in (erg) Ohio