10.1 PBS WMVS horrendous audio dropouts using DISH HD DVR

[beeper]

Anyone else notice the horrendous amount of audio dropouts recently, during the various concerts broadcast during the MPTV fund raising programming? For example, the Straight No Chaser broadcast (12/5/11). The audio dropouts occurred regularly during the programming and during the channel 10 fund raising breaks. No problem with the picture, just the audio. My signal strength is not an issue.

This may be more noticeable when listening with an AV receiver vs. display speakers at normal volume.

I don't notice the problem on any other channel, including the music programming on PBS channel 36,
although I only briefly viewed channel 36 during one broadcast.

See my updated troubleshooting info below.

[Jack 1000]

Anyone else notice the horrendous amount of audio dropouts recently, during the various concerts broadcast during the MPTV fund raising programming? For example, the Straight No Chaser broadcast (12/5/11). The audio dropouts occurred regularly during the programming and during the channel 10 fund raising breaks. No problem with the picture, just the audio. My signal strength is not an issue.

This may be more noticeable when listening with an AV receiver vs. display speakers at normal volume.

I don't notice the problem on any other channel, including the music programming on PBS channel 36,
although I only briefly viewed channel 36 during one broadcast.

At this point,

I would just say it is an issue with the station.  Does this occur on both the SD/HD issues of the broadcast?  Test various shows on the PBS station in question.  Hopefully it just goes away.  If the issue persists for more than a week, contact the station, and let them know that your equipment and signals are fine, but you are getting audio dropouts on the channel in question.

In correspondence, list not only the box equipment you have, the channel number affected, but such things as does the problem occur only on specific programing?  Does the problem occur more often at certain times of the day or night?  How often does the problem happen?  Is the problem on an HD version of the channel?  An SD version of the channel, or both?  How long does the break up last when it happens?

After a week of testing issues with this channel, make notes of these issues for your e-mail, and request that your e-mail be forwarded to the audio engineering department if the problem does not go away.

If you don't want to wait a week, I would still wait maybe two days to do the above testing.  Here is the Contact Us Forum for our local PBS stations.  You could probably enter the answers to your problems with your PBS channel on that forum:

http://www.mptv.org/contact/

Jack

[beeper]

I did some more testing and these are my observations.

First of all, my equipment is the following:
DISH ViP211k HD receiver with built in digital HD tuner for OTA locals. Rooftop antenna for locals. No signal strength issue.
DVR feature enabled with external USB HD.

When I view WMVS HD 10.1 live there isn't any problem with the audio. AV receiver shows Dolby Digital with a minus 3 offset.

When I view a DVR recording or step back live TV into the buffer (same as viewing a recording) I get a steady stream of audio dropouts. It's so bad that it's unwatchable.

When I tune 36.2 the SD simulcast of 10.1 (which also shows audio of DD with the same offset), I can view a recording without any audio dropouts. Furthermore, the audio dropouts when playing a recording are isolated to channel 10.1. No other OTA or satellite recording has this issue with my equipment.

So I've concluded that 10.1 HD has something in their signal that my DVR doesn't like.

If anyone else with a HD DVR (DISH, DirecTV, Tivo) cares to test this issue, please do and post your observations.

Note: Programming with dialog is harder to detect the dropouts by ear vs. programming with music or a more constant tone.
I can see every single dropout with my AV receiver because the DD re-establishes on the readout after each audio interruption.

[tbarney]

My problem is a bit worse than audio dropouts. I have zero signal on 10.x channels.  It has worked perfectly for years,  up until today (or maybe a couple days ago since I haven't been on it in a few days).  My hd tivo registers strength at 60 or better on 4.1, 6.1, 12.1, 18.1, 24.1, 30.1, 36.1, 55.1, 58.1.  Given zero strength on 10.x channels I don't know if something is wrong with my location or not, possibly something limiting my vhf reception since all the uhf channels come in good.   I have other tv's in the house that also cannot receive 10.1 so it doesn't appear to be isolated to the tivo. Antenna is in the roof so not likely to be turned by outdoor elements.