Help me help me. I have digital cable with a cable box I've had for some time. Being a cheapskate I split the output and run a cable down to the basement so I can watch while I'm working in the shop without renting a second box. We're still on low def, since the basement TV is a big '93 Mitsubishi, so I didn't ask them to reset my box for hi def or anything when we got a new flatscreen upstairs last winter. All of a sudden the downstairs TV developed a high pitched whine - I would say in the 3000-5000 Hz range, hard to say for sure - it does change with volume, so maybe it's the TV itself. Just wondering if anyone has ever had this happen as a result of running a cable like that.

Not from running a cable but it might be the HV anode lead on the CRT. Being in the basement, it's possible for the moisture in the air to affect the connection. Discharge the HV with a probe or high watt resistor to ground, be careful as it can be a nasty shock. Then clean the anode with rubbing alcohol, put some di-electric silicone on the cup and reconnect. I bet that's the noise. Since you say it changes with volume, that part is a head scratcher. Are you sure it's coming from the speaker?

I'll check on that Zenithfan, where it's actually coming from. I thought it was in the audio to the speakers but it's the kind of pitch you have a hard time locating the source of.

That description sounds like what I was talking about with the anode lead. If you turn your head just right the sound goes away.

How long has your set been in the basement and is it moist down there? Like zenithfan1 stated, moisture sizzles on high voltage in televisions quite nicely. There is like 25,000 volts in there.

On the other hand, a yoke can produce a whine like pitch too. Somethimes this seems to happen and comes and goes in sets.