Local HD Audio/Video Problems

[duanebalsiger]

I am a D* customer and had the new 5 LNB dish and H20 receiver installed in August.  When they installed the new dish & receiver, they did not run new cable or replace any other existing equipment.

I have a Sony 60" LCD (model KF-60WE610) connected to the receiver with new component/audio cables.  I have been experiencing some technical issues:

A buzzing, "stutter" sound followed by around 4-5 seconds of audio drop out on the local HD channels (4, 6 & 12).  I read somewhere to disabled the dolby digitial but that did not fix the problem.  This problem has been occuring since at least mid-September, and maybe before (I didn't watch much TV on the local channels before the new TV season started).

A blue screen with audio drop-out only on Fox (channel 6) HD local.  We noticed the problem beginning in early December.

I have been working with D* express customer support for the last 6 weeks on the problems and they have no answers and most recently are blaming it on the networks.  If that is the case, wouldn't everyone be having the same problems?  Is anyone else having the same issues I am or do I have a faulty receiver?

[Scott]

I'm having problems with certain HD's, including all the locals in the other thread (see 771 error thread).  

Are you just not getting the three HD locals or are you also not getting things like 248 FXHD?   If you aren't getting things like 248 in HD or are having issues, then you might just come back to my problem of alignment.

[duanebalsiger]

I only experience the problems on the local HD channels.  The old & new non-local HD channels all work fine.  I don't get the 771 error.

[Talos4]

Duane you're audio problems are definitely being experienced by others.

I really wish I had the time to fully explain the issues related to audio sync and dropouts. (there are many)

It boils down to issues between the STB software and broadcast audio codecs.

I too experience the problems, you are not alone. It is not your equipment per se.

I'd suggest checking the following sites for more in depth discussions of the issue:

http://www.satelliteguys.com  

http://www.avsforum.com

[duanebalsiger]

Thanks for the info - I will try to look into it further.  In talking with DirecTV they also say that many people are having the issue.

[Dan the Man]

Look at this thread for FOX 6 issues: http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7455

From what I have seen in the last week or so, they may have fixed the problem. This seemed to be a local digital TV broadcast issue and not a D* problem.

TMJ4 has had audio problems off and on for some time now (more then a year)? It seems to happen to me 2-3 times an hour during some prime time shows I watch. I don't think this is a D* issue either.

If this is happening only with the locals then there is nothing that D* can do about that. Beleive it or not, D* gets the digital signal from the local stations OTA (off the air) just like anyone else can. They grab this digital signal, run it through fiber and send it to one of two uplink facilities in northern Minnesota. So, if the local OTA signal is messed up so be the D* signal on 4, 6, or 12.

[duanebalsiger]

The "blue screen" problem is exactly what was happening for me on Fox 6 HD (with D*).  It is good that they have gotten it fixed - I don't remember seeing it in the last few days or week, either.  But, I get the Sunday Ticket HD so I don't watch any football on Fox and don't watch many other Fox shows other than the occasional newscast.

As for the audio problem - the "pop" followed by audio drop out.  I don't remember ever hearing it on Fox 6 HD but only on NBC HD (with D*) and ABC HD (with D*).  Is the problem with the local networks and not a national networks or D*?  I don't remember having this problem when I viewed the HD locals OTA (via "rabbit ear" antenna) before upgrading and getting the HD locals via D*.  That makes it seem like there is something D* could do on their end - but I don't know/understand the technical details involved.