Continuing audio problems on 627-1 Sabres HD games

[Indiana627]

As of 4 minutes left in the 1st period of tonights (2/10) Sabres game on 627-1 there is no audio. Audio is coming in fine on 627 SD and all the other SD/HD channels I spot checked, so there's nothing wrong with my system or services.

This is at least the 3rd time the audio has been missing from the beginning of a game on this channel. The other 2 times this happened the audio came on within the first 5 minutes of the game, but not so far tonight. (Plus there was audio on 627-1 right before the game came on when the D* slide was up, so this channel can have audio.) The video is always fine.

Come on D*! Get this fixed already!

[Indiana627]

Update: as of 8 minutes left in the 2nd period and still no audio!

I do have some info that may help find the problem and fix it. My audio receiver's 5.1 audio light is on even though there is no audio. All games I've watched on 627-1 have always been in 2.0. So maybe channel 627-1 is pulling the audio from another sports channel that does have 5.1 audio but does not have a game on, hence no audio. Just a thought.

Another thought I just had too: early this afternoon, an HD PPV was listed as upcoming on 627-1. Then later in the day the guide was updated to list the Sabres game. Since the HD PPVs are in 5.1, maybe something is getting screwed up when the guide sometimes shows an upcoming HD PPV on 627-1. I assume this happens because these part time HD RSNs share a transponder with HD PPV channels.

No matter what the the problem is, please D* get it fixed permanently.

[jimmymiko]

+1

[spidey]

Update: as of 8 minutes left in the 2nd period and still no audio!

I do have some info that may help find the problem and fix it. My audio receiver's 5.1 audio light is on even though there is no audio. All games I've watched on 627-1 have always been in 2.0. So maybe channel 627-1 is pulling the audio from another sports channel that does have 5.1 audio but does not have a game on, hence no audio. Just a thought.

Another thought I just had too: early this afternoon, an HD PPV was listed as upcoming on 627-1. Then later in the day the guide was updated to list the Sabres game. Since the HD PPVs are in 5.1, maybe something is getting screwed up when the guide sometimes shows an upcoming HD PPV on 627-1. I assume this happens because these part time HD RSNs share a transponder with HD PPV channels.

No matter what the the problem is, please D* get it fixed permanently.

This is the first time I have seen the issue and its on all 3 receiver both HR20's and one H20. I have latest CE on each but dount its CE related.

[Billsfan69]

I didn't have audio either.

[BuffaloDenny]

No audio for the entire game. Then late in the game on one of the many occasions I checked back, the picture was gone too with the dreaded "not authorized" message.

[kryscio23]

I didn't have audio either.

I checked 627-1 as well as the Center Ice channel and no audio here eithor. Unbelievable.

[Indiana627]

Of all the games to not have audio! Wow, but the picture of that blood trail was all you really needed to see. Glad to hear Zednik is seemingly going to be OK. Nice to READ about the crowds reaction when his condition was announced at the game. Sure would have been nice to HEAR their standing ovation.

I did get audio at about 8:30 eastern, which is right about the time they resumed the game. 8:30 is also when the guide changed from the Sabres/Panthers game to say "Upcoming: Maples Leafs at Sabres." Coincidence?

Come on D* - get this fixed!

[BuffaloDenny]

I did get audio at about 8:30 eastern, which is right about the time they resumed the game. 8:30 is also when the guide changed from the Sabres/Panthers game to say "Upcoming: Maples Leafs at Sabres." Coincidence?

Come on D* - get this fixed!

Weird, cuz I couldn't even check for audio after the game resumed because I now had the 727 message:nono2: I ended up watching most of the game on 775 with frequent checking back on 775-1 (and 627-1) to see if the audio would ever come on. Of course, once I saw the "not authorized" message, I didn't bother wasting my time calling D*.

[DaveBrz]

Can't comment on the audio during the game but I had switched to 775-1 after watching another game and had audio during the postgame.

[mabellboi]

It seems that more times than not, there are audio issues on the HD channel. Perhaps we should be fortunate that we can at least get the home games in HD, if not all of them, and deal with their intermittent audio issues??

I called in just before the end of the first period. She (tech support) put me on hold to "check their channel" and then came back after about 3 mins and said "Yup, there is definitly an audio issue". :mad: NO S*&$!!!!

I let it go, as I unfortunately had to go somewhere, but do we know if they plan on doing anything to get the away games in HD???? Will those work???

[BuffaloDenny]

It seems that more times than not, there are audio issues on the HD channel. Perhaps we should be fortunate that we can at least get the home games in HD, if not all of them, and deal with their intermittent audio issues??


Intermittent audio issues used to mean the first few minutes of a game. Last night I couldn't listen to the entire game, and then they took away my HD feed before the game was over! Wrong direction D* - please get this fixed.

[Indiana627]

I confirmed with some Time Warner customers that there was no audio problems with the HD feed of the game, so it's not an MSG issue, it's a D* issue. Let's hope it's fixed before tomorrow nights Leafs game (which as of this morning was still listed as Upcoming on 627-1 instead of an HD PPV, so maybe they're figuring out the problem and are getting it fixed.)

[Skellbasher]

Again tonight there's no audio on 627-1 20 minutes into the broadcast.

[jlaforn]

I just checked at 8:10 left in the game there is audio

[Skellbasher]

It just popped in at about 8pm. It dropped to the DTV slide at about 7:55, and the audio was back a few minutes after that.

Starting to become an significant annoyance.

[jlaforn]

I agree. I had people over to watch the last game, because I had it in HD. Well it sucked to say see, see how nice it looks :) in HD, but sorry we can't watch it, cause we have no sound. But maybe because of the long road trip they just forgot how to setup the audio correctly.

[wilbur_the_goose]

it's fine on channel 215.

[BuffaloDenny]

it's fine on channel 215.

Yes it is, but that's not the MSG HD feed. This now marks 4 games in a row for MSG HD where audio has been an issue. I hope they get this figured out.

[BuffaloDenny]

Bumping this due to audio issues yet again tonight. Anyone calling this one in?

[Mocco71]

Bumping this due to audio issues yet again tonight. Anyone calling this one in?

was just about to call and it the audio came on.

[SabresFan29]

was just about to call and it the audio came on.

I'm getting 721 message on the HD broadcast. Anyone else?

[slapshot1959]

I'm getting 721 message on the HD broadcast. Anyone else?

Same here,what up?

[BuffaloDenny]

I'm getting 721 message on the HD broadcast. Anyone else?

Yep, this marks 2 games in a row where I lose the video when the audio gets fixed. I am on the phone right now playing CSR roulette. They're funny. They don't even show this game being available today.

Turns out they can't fix it on my receiver. Getting escalated. YadaYada. They told me to hang up because there is nothing further they can do. No satisfaction here. They're happy to take my NHL CI money, and my HD access money, but offer no answers or follow up. Nice.:mad:

[BuffaloDenny]

Same here,what up?

The best thing you guys can do is call it in and go through their troubleshooting so it gets escalated. They say they're not aware of anyone else having the issue, etc. They're escalating mine up to the "command center" and if the "command center" only sees this one call, it could be dismissed as an isolated issue with no resolution. This needs to get fixed, as I have not been able to see and hear an MSG Sabres HD broadcast in some time now.:mad:

I have no real confidence anything will be done, when they don't even recognize this game is on their broadcast schedule today.:nono2:

[Mocco71]

Yep, this marks 2 games in a row where I lose the video when the audio gets fixed. I am on the phone right now playing CSR roulette. They're funny. They don't even show this game being available today.

Turns out they can't fix it on my receiver. Getting escalated. YadaYada. They told me to hang up because there is nothing further they can do. No satisfaction here. They're happy to take my NHL CI money, and my HD access money, but offer no answers or follow up. Nice.:mad:

I am getting a perfect picture with audio on both the 627-1 and the 773-1 feed. Not sure why others are having problems. I sub to both CI and sportspack.

[BuffaloDenny]

I am getting a perfect picture with audio on both the 627-1 and the 773-1 feed. Not sure why others are having problems. I sub to both CI and sportspack.

I think that's the key. Another person called in with this issue, had the CSR add the sportspack to his programming while troubleshooting, and that fixed it. The sportspack shouldn't be necessary, but it seems those of us without it lose the channel when the engineers put in workarounds to fix the audio issues.

BTW, it came back for me on 773-1 and 627-1 for the third period. Anyone else get theirs back?

[pbg]

I think that's the key. Another person called in with this issue, had the CSR add the sportspack to his programming while troubleshooting, and that fixed it. The sportspack shouldn't be necessary, but it seems those of us without it lose the channel when the engineers put in workarounds to fix the audio issues.

BTW, it came back for me on 773-1 and 627-1 for the third period. Anyone else get theirs back?

I too have both the Sportspack and CI and had no issues with the game this evening - Watched it on the CI HD channel

[thecrave]

I think that's the key. Another person called in with this issue, had the CSR add the sportspack to his programming while troubleshooting, and that fixed it. The sportspack shouldn't be necessary, but it seems those of us without it lose the channel when the engineers put in workarounds to fix the audio issues.

BTW, it came back for me on 773-1 and 627-1 for the third period. Anyone else get theirs back?

I called in exactly at 6 PM tonight when neither 627-1 nor 773-1 had audio.

I was able to reach a CSR, she put me on hold after I told her the issue, and when she came back to ask me another question, the audio was on. Watched the whole game on 773-1, didn't check back on 627-1. No other problems.

Literally, the audio came on about 30 seconds after the puck dropped in the 1st period.

I'm a Buffalo local w/ Center Ice, but I don't subscribe to the Sportspack, FWIW...

[BuffaloDenny]

I'm a Buffalo local w/ Center Ice, but I don't subscribe to the Sportspack, FWIW...

I wonder if anyone outside the Buffalo market and without the sportspack was able to view the whole game in HD without the 721 error?

I'm thinking maybe the reason you didn't see the error is because that's your local RSN so you wouldn't have needed the sportspack for authorization. I'm just grasping at straws here trying to isoloate the symptoms so we can get this fixed.

So far it seems like once they implement their workaround to get audio working on MSG, people outside the Buffalo market and with no subscription to sportspack are losing the HD feed with the 721 channel not purchsed message.

[bwaldron]

I too have both the Sportspack and CI and had no issues with the game this evening - Watched it on the CI HD channel

Same here.

[spidey]

I wonder if anyone outside the Buffalo market and without the sportspack was able to view the whole game in HD without the 721 error?

I'm thinking maybe the reason you didn't see the error is because that's your local RSN so you wouldn't have needed the sportspack for authorization. I'm just grasping at straws here trying to isoloate the symptoms so we can get this fixed.

So far it seems like once they implement their workaround to get audio working on MSG, people outside the Buffalo market and with no subscription to sportspack are losing the HD feed with the 721 channel not purchsed message.

The feed started a little late maybe 6:05 versus 6:00. The SD channel was fine but 627-1 showed DTV logo and music. I subscribe to NHL CI and RSNs. No audio issues once the broadcast started on 627-1

[Indiana627]

I turned it on at about 3 minutes into the game and both audio and video were fine. I'm in Buffalo and don't have CI or Sportspack. I get MSG as my RSN.

[Billsfan69]

I wonder if anyone outside the Buffalo market and without the sportspack was able to view the whole game in HD without the 721 error?

I'm thinking maybe the reason you didn't see the error is because that's your local RSN so you wouldn't have needed the sportspack for authorization. I'm just grasping at straws here trying to isoloate the symptoms so we can get this fixed.

So far it seems like once they implement their workaround to get audio working on MSG, people outside the Buffalo market and with no subscription to sportspack are losing the HD feed with the 721 channel not purchsed message.

That does seem to be the pattern. You could be onto something with the RSN thing. I know once I get audio back I have never gotten the 721 message, but I do have the Sports pack since I have Premier.

[SabresFan29]

I have CI, no sportspak. Had no audio, then got the 721 message. I could watch the SD feed fine. Checked back multiple times during the game. It wasn't until late in the 3rd that the HD feed worked with audio.

I called last week when it happened, the CSR was all confused, said that there was not anything scheduled for those channels. I laughed and said I'm watching the game, but without audio. He said to bare with them, they were going to escalate to the broadcast control room.

[BuffaloDenny]

I have CI, no sportspak. Had no audio, then got the 721 message. I could watch the SD feed fine. Checked back multiple times during the game. It wasn't until late in the 3rd that the HD feed worked with audio.

I called last week when it happened, the CSR was all confused, said that there was not anything scheduled for those channels. I laughed and said I'm watching the game, but without audio. He said to bare with them, they were going to escalate to the broadcast control room.

Sounds exactly like my experience.:nono:

We know they are having audio issues with MSG, and it is a known issue which the engineers have been implementing a workaround to get the audio working.

This workaround typically is not in place in time for the start of the game. It could be implemented anywhere from a few seconds into the game to never.

But when it does get implemented, some cusomters who have previously at least been able to view the HD feed now lose that feed, receiving the 721 channel not purchased message. Early indications are that if you are outside of the Buffalo market, and do not subscribe to sportspack, then you are the ones impacted by losing the video feed once audio is restored.

Seems to me that they need to check that workaround and fix the issue it seems to be causing. Fixing one issue with a workaround but creating another is not acceptable. Let's see if they have this figured out by Wednesday's game - not holding my breath.

[Indiana627]

I wonder how MSG Buffalo is sending the audio to D*? I'm no audio engineer, but how can they be sending it in a different format for every game? I really don't get that. And how oddball is MSG Buffalo that D* doesn't seem to have this issue with any of the other RSNs?

See http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=1458409#post1458409