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Tarheel72
join:2005-12-18
Plano, TX

Tarheel72

Member

Loss of audio on select HD channels

I am restarting an old thread of mine because of a change in my hardware. Previously I had a Moto 7232 DVR that functioned as a MRDVR with three 7200-2 STB’s and an additional stand alone 7232 DVR. I was able to receive CNN HD and my local PBS HD feed flawlessly on all of the boxes except for the MRDVR. On that box I had no audio on the PBS HD feed an could only receive audio on the local commercials on CNN HD. All of the network feed was silent. The SD audio worked fine on every box, including the 7232 MRDVR. I assumed the problem was with the 7232 box.

I just upgraded to Quantum and installed the VMS1100 box in place of the 7232, along with four media clients. Same result. No audio on PBS HD and no network audio on CNN HD at the 1100. So the only thing I can think of is that something is amiss with the router. The M1424WR Actiontec router is next to the 1100 in the main entertainment center, and if memory serves me correct the box is connected directly to the router, isn’t it? So does this sound like a router issue? Otherwise I am at a loss.

I am going to contact Verizon but I thought I would pose the question here to see if anyone had any thoughts on the subject. Should I just ask Verizon for a new router?

More Fiber
MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

The router has absolutely no bearing related to sound on linear channels. Sound for linear channels is delivered over the same QAM as the picture.
tnsprin
join:2003-07-23
Bradenton, FL

1 recommendation

tnsprin to Tarheel72

Member

to Tarheel72
You should already have or received at least a REV I router. But it should not have an effect on the sound.

More likely your TV's Don't Support Dolby Digital sound and yet the boxes are set to send it out WHEN the programs are in that format. If so you need to switch the AUDIO output settings to l-pcm in the quantum boxes.

Hold the D button for five seconds to get to the BUI menu. Select 02 user settings
Select Additional HDMI settings
on AUDIO SETTINGS change from AUTO to L-pcm

Tarheel72
join:2005-12-18
Plano, TX

Tarheel72

Member

I have the Rev 1 router, no issue there. As for the TV supporting DD, that is not the issue. I do not use the audio on the TV, I route audio directly to my pre amp via digital coax SPDIF and video directly to my display via HDMI. I do not use HDMI switching at all. And trust me, the preamp is more than capable of supporting DD 5.1, along with all other formats. This is the same exact set up I was using prior to getting the 7232 DVR. Before that I had a 7216 connected and it worked fine. I did not get the router and the 7232 at the same time, I think I got the box first and later the router, but not sure at this point. I just know that I suddenly noticed that I had lost network audio feed on CNN HD but I still had audio on PBS. Then later I noticed that I had lost all audio on PBS as well. I doubt Verizon will be any more helpful. Changing out the box will make no difference apparently and if the router has no bearing on it, then I am not sure what the answer is.

guppy_fish
Premium Member
join:2003-12-09
Palm Harbor, FL

guppy_fish

Premium Member

Start by seeing if the TV plays sound when your fancy preamp/amp doesn't. 99.99% its your preamp if the TV works but the preamp doesn't

Tarheel72
join:2005-12-18
Plano, TX

Tarheel72

Member

If it was a fancy preamp issue why only two specific channels and not any others? Besides it is a major undertaking to access the tv inputs. It is built into an entertainment center.

guppy_fish
Premium Member
join:2003-12-09
Palm Harbor, FL

guppy_fish

Premium Member

Probably some specific type of encoding for the audio the preamp doesn't handle, the only way to find out whats wrong is by proving where the issue is, and it starts by the most likely source, the receiver as if it was wide spread, you would see other posts about the issue. Note that all your other TVs work, its only the one with your preamp that doesn't.
Myzteziz
join:2014-06-26
Port Richey, FL

Myzteziz

Member

I'm pointing to the pre amp being the issue here. Whatever audio those 2 channels are using it sure sounds like the encoding they are using is not coming across the pre amp. Thats just my 2 cents.

Tarheel72
join:2005-12-18
Plano, TX

Tarheel72

Member

OK I ran a test tonight. When I tune to a normal channel the preamp shows the audio stream and it scrolls across as either DD 3+2+1 or DD 2.0, depending on the channel. When I tune to PBS HD, it scrolls across No Audio. When I tune to CNN HD, it scrolls across No Audio unless a local commercial comes on and then I get sound and it immediately scrolls across DD 2.0. I can change the audio stream to DD, Direct or Stereo. I can flip back and forth on the normal channels and get sound in each mode. On CNN HD and on PBS HD, it makes no difference if I select DD, Direct or Stereo mode. I get no audio on any of those and indeed the Preamp scrolls No Audio in each selection.

So the Preamp is indicating it gets no audio feed except on the local commercials on CNN, when it detects and decodes a DD 2.0 audio feed. I have no issues on any other channels, HD or SD. I have no issues with any other external source, including BluRay, xBox, CD, or phono. And I swear that at one time CNN was an issue but PBS was working fine. Then PBS tanked. So even if it is a Preamp issue, what could cause it to have a problem with just those two particular channels? I will try to grab a small TV this weekend and run a line direct from the box to that TV to see if I can get an audio stream then.
hubrisnxs
join:2009-12-30
Fountain Valley, CA

hubrisnxs

Member

try going into the advanced menu, and switch the hdmi audio output to be either l-pcm, or pass through.

if you have quantum, then you just hold down the D Button, navigate to additional hdmi options, select hdmi audio and change it from auto to l-pcm, and also try pass through if that doesn't work.

If you have the older traditional boxes, then use the remote and hit STB power (stb turns OFF) menu and ok (1/2 second between button presses) same navigation.
hubrisnxs

hubrisnxs to Tarheel72

Member

to Tarheel72
also WIERD problem, but sometimes if the set top box is programmed for the secondary audio channel instead of the primary, then you get no sound on a tiny amount of stations.

go to pbs hd, hit options on your fios remote and check the audio and see if it's English (primary) or not.

if it's not then that is probably the issue.
PJL
join:2008-07-24
Long Beach, CA

1 edit

PJL to Tarheel72

Member

to Tarheel72
FYI CNN is using "more" than DD 5.1. They use the 5.1 channels plus a rear center channel that the newer STBs pass. I was surprised by the but my AVR shows this is happening. Maybe the OP's AVR does not respond well to it. (The OP's local PBS may do the same but I am not in their area to confirm.)

Tarheel72
join:2005-12-18
Plano, TX

Tarheel72

Member

PJL, that is strange but even if that is the issue, then I would think there would be multple devices that would exhibit this problem and you would see more postings. I have sound running direct into three other tv's, all via HDMI with no problem. And in another set up I run the sound through a Harmon Kardon receiver that is about four years old and not really a top of the line model. It is set up exactly up like the main entertainment system with audio via a digital coax SPDIF cable direct to the receiver and video via HDMI direct to the display. And all of these are getting the DD 5.1 stream with CNN and PBS working fine.

As for the other suggestions, it looks to me like resetting the audio output in the advanced menu only applies to the audio output over HDMI, which I do not use in this arrangement. However, I did toggle between the three settings and it makes no difference. I also made sure that the channel was not set to alternate language.

At this point my next idea is to take a small TV out of a guest room and take it down to the PVR and pull the audio cable and connect it directly to the small tv via RCA and HDMI and see if I get any sound from the TV. I don't have a spare optical cable and the TV has no SPDIF input but at least I will know if the STB is even putting out any audio on those CNN or PBS HD feeds via those two methods.

aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
Asus RT-AX89

aaronwt to guppy_fish

Premium Member

to guppy_fish
said by guppy_fish:

Probably some specific type of encoding for the audio the preamp doesn't handle, the only way to find out whats wrong is by proving where the issue is, and it starts by the most likely source, the receiver as if it was wide spread, you would see other posts about the issue. Note that all your other TVs work, its only the one with your preamp that doesn't.

All FiOS channels, SD and HD, use Dolby Digital for audio.

There is nothing special about the matrixed back surround channel. It is not discrete and is encoded in the 5.1 audio which has been around for a very long time.
My receivers I used in the early 2000's handled the matrixed rear surround channel in dolby digital.