[nelsonrl]

I have three HR20's. Since the last software update I am loosing audio on my local HD's, HGTV HD and several others (not on HBO, etc). Sound goes away on all of the affected channels at the same time. This happens on on all three receivers. Picture quality remains fine and a reboot of the receiver gets the sound back.

Any ideas?

 

[GregLee]

You owe us more information. Your sound is played how? AVR? What AVR? Does the sound come back on all three receivers when you reboot any one of them? (That would be very odd.) Is the failing sound ever Dolby Digital (if you can tell)? Did you try changing the Dolby Digital setting on any of the receivers, and if so, what happened?

 

[nelsonrl]

Sound is always played through an AVR.

Bedroom - Yamaha Sound Bar - HD Receiver HDMI cable to the sound bar, Sound bar to the TV (Sony Plasma) is through HDMI

Den - Pioneer AV Receiver (VSX94) sound is through fiber to receiver, to Mits Rear projection

Media Room - Yamaha RX-Z1 AV receiver is sound source - same connections as the one in the Den.


In all three, I have Dolby turned on at the DVR, but have tried turning it off. Have not tried connecting directly to the TV as the connections are a real bear to get to.

I have to reboot receivers individually


This problem just started occuring a week or two ago

 

[Carl Spock]

Any difference when you turned Dolby Digital off?

Does the sound just die or does it fade out?

Do you lose it in both channels on a SD broadcast like Fox News or MSNBC?

Do you lose it on the center channel on a Dolby Digital mono broadcast like HGTV HD? If you switch to PCM at that moment, does the sound come back through the left and right speakers?

What are the "several others" channels?

Do you lose it on all of your local stations? How do you get your local stations - OTA? SD LiL? HD LiL?

Do you lose sound on any other sources?

Are the three different systems hooked up together in any other way than the satellite system, like audio ins/outs?

 

[nelsonrl]

Sound just dies - no fade.

HD Channels only (and not all of them) - channels like Home and Garden HD, HDNET, TNTHD - Essentially all HD channels except HBO, Cinemax, Showtime.

Receive via HD LiL, no OTA as I do not have an antenna.

Do not loose sound on any other source to the receivers (never happens listening to FM Radio or DVD for instance) or the SD version of the channel.

Thanks for the help.

 

[GregLee]

Possibly you could try turning off Dolby Digital in the AVRs, to see if that makes a difference. I'm asking about DD, because you said your local stations have the problem, and my local stations stations do digital sound differently from the national channels -- none of them does DD 5.1. Now, though, I have no idea what might be going wrong with your sound.

 

[Carl Spock]

DBSTalk members who know what stations are on what satellites - could this be an alignment issue? If so, which satellites should he give us signal strength? It's really weird all three receivers are acting identically when this is not a chronic problem reported by others since the software upgrade. My bet is that the software upgrade is a red herring and pure coincidence.

 

[schneid]

DBSTalk members who know what stations are on what satellites - could this be an alignment issue? If so, which satellites should he give us signal strength? It's really weird all three receivers are acting identically when this is not a chronic problem reported by others since the software upgrade. My bet is that the software upgrade is a red herring and pure coincidence.

I like the alignment idea too. You can start here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa101.html

to find out what programs are on what birds. The link is to the 101. You need to look at the others too.

 

[nelsonrl]

Not disputing that it could be alignment, just find it strange that the 3 receivers drop audio randomly, but stranger things have happened. Called directv and asked, they did not ask for a signal strength, but did want to send out a technician. I will let you know the outcome.

 

[nelsonrl]

Just to add a little more into - this is now impacting shows I recorded prior to the problem first showing up. When the HD channel audio drops its all channels and on recorded shows as well. Point being, I do not think it is a signal issue since loss of audio happens with shows recorded months ago.

None of the three configurations is new. The RX-Z1 has been installed for 5-6 years, the Yamaha sound bar for 1 1/2 years, the Pioneer for about 6-9 months or so. Of course the DirecTV receiver models have changed, but not recently. None of the AV receivers has ever had the Dolby problems of syncing between standard audio and dolby in the past.

 

[nelsonrl]

Just a quick update. DirecTV insisted on sending a tech out to look at signal strength. The tech just called to say he will be out in an hour or so, but he did say this is a known problem with the new software on the DVR that DirecTV has issued some sort of alert for to the tech's. He is going to come to check the signals from the sat, but does not expect to find a problem.

I had to reset one receiver 4 times Saturday - getting annoying. The other two worked just fine while I was having to reset the one I was trying to watch. I almost wish it were the signal, that can be fixed quickly. A software problem? Who knows how long that will take.

 

[nelsonrl]

Tech just left - downloaded a new release - probably CE version, but did say this is not a signal issue.

 

[Rich]

DBSTalk members who know what stations are on what satellites - could this be an alignment issue? If so, which satellites should he give us signal strength? It's really weird all three receivers are acting identically when this is not a chronic problem reported by others since the software upgrade. My bet is that the software upgrade is a red herring and pure coincidence.

The only two sat sigs I ever check are on 101 and 103c. This is the first time I've ever seen this issue and to have the same thing happen on three DVRs hooked up to three separate audio receivers is absolutely baffling.

What else could it be except dish alignment being slightly out of kilter? And even that shouldn't cause this to happen. But the dish is the only "common" factor in the equation of his setup, so... Occam's razor would tell us that the answer lies with the dish, perhaps a bad LNB or misalignment. I'd get another guy out with a meter and go up on the roof and watch him measure the signal strengths with his meter and show me that the signals are good.

Simplest thing to do: Get D* to install a new Slimline 5LNB dish. Betcha that solves the audio problem.

Rich

 

[Rich]

Tech just left - downloaded a new release - probably CE version, but did say this is not a signal issue.

Get a new Slimline dish from D*. Don't screw around with the DVRs, they are probably all right. And if everything was working correctly before the 254 download, the problem must be with the dish. I've never heard of this issue before. I have seven 20/21s and all are working with the new NRs perfectly.

Remember the dish is the only common factor you have. It must be that. Wouldn't you think?

Rich

 

[Rich]

Tech just left - downloaded a new release - probably CE version, but did say this is not a signal issue.

How did he download the software?

Rich

 

[nelsonrl]

Did a reset (red button by card) then entered a sequence from the remote. I did see a software download screen on the receiver when he did this.

One reason I question dish being the problem is when the sound goes out, I cannot even get audio through a recorded show from weeks ago. Maybe the latest software (prior to today) is a red herring, but seems the dish lnb's failing or miss alignment hapening just after a software update ls also a bit of a stretch

 

[nelsonrl]

Simplest thing to do: Get D* to install a new Slimline 5LNB dish. Betcha that solves the audio problem.

Rich

You wouldn't think that if you could see my roof!

Had to have the roofer back to repair several shingles the last time they touched my dish. I would prefer the dish be the last thing they touch. That said, I did not restrict or suggest in anyway they not climb the roof to take a look.

 

[Rich]

Did a reset (red button by card) then entered a sequence from the remote. I did see a software download screen on the receiver when he did this.

OK, first he should have pulled the plug, waited a minute or so and plugged it back in. When the blue ring starts spinning you enter 0-2-4-6-8 on the remote and you get the latest NR. To see what software you are running, hold down the "info" button until a blue screen comes up. After the DVR gathers the proper information you will be able to scroll down and you will see the latest software version. Will probably be 254.

One reason I question dish being the problem is when the sound goes out, I cannot even get audio through a recorded show from weeks ago. Maybe the latest software (prior to today) is a red herring, but seems the dish lnb's failing or miss alignment hapening just after a software update ls also a bit of a stretch

I can't begin to tell you how many things have screwed up my 20/21s since the Fall of 06. First were the HDMI problems and it went downhill for a year. Just the other day I switched remotes on a 20-700 and the thing began to malfunction. Had to do the hard reset. Yesterday, I unscrewed a light bulb and the 20-700 in the room shut off.

These things are delicate, they do react to outside influences in unexpected ways. It is not a stretch to imagine the dish is causing the problem. What else do your DVRs have in common? A multi-switch? I've had quite a few and I've only had one go bad and that was before HD came along. And, from what I've read and experienced, when a multi-switch goes South, audio is the least of your problems.

Do you see where I'm going here? You have three separate and distinct DVRs. Each DVR is hooked up to a separate and distinct audio receiver and a separate and distinct TV. In order to experience the same symptom on each DVR's audio output, the fault cannot lie with any of the TVs or the audio receivers. Simple logic. Only three choices remain: The dish, the multi-switch or a cabling problem. The simplest answer is the dish.

How old is the dish? If it were the multi-switch, you would experience video dropouts at the very least. The one that went bad on me completely lost it's mind and kept switching constantly.

The cabling. Doubt that. If it was working, it should keep on working. It all leads back to the dish. I had a lot of problems and had a new 5LNB Slimline dish installed and all the cabling checked and repaired. All the problems went away.

Rich

 

[Rich]

You wouldn't think that if you could see my roof!

Had to have the roofer back to repair several shingles the last time they touched my dish. I would prefer the dish be the last thing they touch. That said, I did not restrict or suggest in anyway they not climb the roof to take a look.

That's amazing. All you have to do is mount the upright shaft on the roof. That comes attached to a flat plate. You either attach a gasket or use a sealant and screw in four lag bolts. Amazing that they could screw up your roof. I shouldn't really express amazement at an installer bungling a job. Rare are the ones who really know what they are doing.

I don't think they would even have to mount the upright shaft. On mine they just put the new Slimline on the existing shaft. Made a huge difference in picture quality and stability.

Rich

 

[nelsonrl]

The actual dish area was fine. It was the damage they did getting there that was the problem. Walked the valley of the roof and broke shingles all the way up.

But like I said, the signal could be an issue, but not sure I understand why if on a live program audio goes out, I can start playing a recorded program that I have watched all the way through and know is good - and not have audio on that program until I reset the receiver.

I do have the slimline 5lnb dish, do have a multiswitch