Specific question about the 6.3 audio dropout problem

[philmalik]

Sorry if this topic has been covered elsewhere, I did take a look and didn't find it.

I have an unhacked HR10-250, and currently am sending my audio out just via old school left and right signals to an older amp.

I am about to buy an audio reciever with digital audio inputs.

I am not using an HDMI cable for video (due to the warnings on this board) and don't plan to , only using component video. Just want the digital audio output from the HR10-250.

Are the digital audio dropout problems with 6.3 upgrade only happening via the HDMI signal, or are they also happening with the digital audio output from the HR10-250?

That would suck big time if my new audio reciever isn't going to get the dolby digital signals from the D* box.

Am i right? Am I wrong? Am I totally off base?

I see my D* box has the "pending restart" message, so it COULD be any day the update comes (or not, from what I have been reading).

thanks

[mr.unnatural]

The problem is with Dolby Digital only. You can select PCM audio via the digital output and you shouldn't have any dropout problems. You also won't get any DD surround info so it's a tradeoff.

I'm not sure what warnings you're referring to regarding using the HDMI output. There's absolutely no reason not to use it unless you have one of the first generation HDMI boards that was problematic. Current models have no HDMI problems. OTOH, the difference in picture quality with the HDMI vs. component output is not noticeable on most sets so use the one that works for you.

[bobbo007]

Am I missing something?

I am using all the PCM settings in the HR10-250 (PCM out and record in PCM) and also hooked it up via rca connectors to my receiver. Whether I do audio via the optical or the rca's I am still getting dropouts and concurrent video freeze and or pixelation and quite frequently.

If I'm running something incorrect here I'd appreciate more specific instructions on what to do here to stop the dropouts. Should I disconnect the optical completely?

On another note, my HR10-250 is one of the early ones (paid $999 for it) and I've never had any HDMI issues. So, go figure!

Thanks,

Bob

[bwaldron]

The problem is with Dolby Digital only. You can select PCM audio via the digital output and you shouldn't have any dropout problems.

I do not believe that this is true.

[JimSpence]

I have my HR10 connected via component to the TV (no HDMI on the TV) and optical to my AV receiver (Sony STR-DE685). The HR10 is set to output DD.

I have had no audio dropout problemssince it upgraded to 6.3a (none before that either). Maybe this problem is related to the manufacturing date of the units. Or possibly the AV receiver being used.

[chris_h]

Am I missing something?

I am using all the PCM settings in the HR10-250 (PCM out and record in PCM) and also hooked it up via rca connectors to my receiver. Whether I do audio via the optical or the rca's I am still getting dropouts and concurrent video freeze and or pixelation and quite frequently.

If I'm running something incorrect here I'd appreciate more specific instructions on what to do here to stop the dropouts. Should I disconnect the optical completely?

On another note, my HR10-250 is one of the early ones (paid $999 for it) and I've never had any HDMI issues. So, go figure!

Thanks,

Bob

Bob,

I think your issue is different than the typical "8 seconds all audio missing and then a video burp with audio restored" problem. Yours sounds to me like it may be a hard drive failing or bad signal.

[tucsonbill]

I have my HR10 connected via component to the TV (no HDMI on the TV) and optical to my AV receiver (Sony STR-DE685). The HR10 is set to output DD.

I have had no audio dropout problemssince it upgraded to 6.3a (none before that either). Maybe this problem is related to the manufacturing date of the units. Or possibly the AV receiver being used.Not the receiver. It happens running analog audio directly to my TV. I do agree that it has the earmarks of being box hardware dependant, just by the fact that only about half of us experience it.

BTW, to the OP I have only run PCM out since I've had 6.3a. It's not the fix. This problem is so sporadic (at least on my box) that's it's possible some think they fixed by changing since it hasn't yet happened after they changed. Heck, if it's some subtle hardware timing dependency it might even come and go depending on the weather.

"Pending Restart" means you've already got the upgrade. It will install and run the next time your box reboots.

[chris_h]

Are the digital audio dropout problems with 6.3 upgrade only happening via the HDMI signal, or are they also happening with the digital audio output from the HR10-250?

That would suck big time if my new audio reciever isn't going to get the dolby digital signals from the D* box.



With the typical "all audio missing in recording for 8 seconds" issue, it does not matter what output you are using, the audio is not recorded, so it is not available for any output. It has to do with buffer overflow in the kernel, see the main 6.3 audio dropout thread if interested in the deatails. Yes, it does suck.

[bobbo007]

Bob,

I think your issue is different than the typical "8 seconds all audio missing and then a video burp with audio restored" problem. Yours sounds to me like it may be a hard drive failing or bad signal.


Hi Chris,

Wouldn't that show up on non-HD stations also. I've not problem on standard def stations at all, but I will recheck this tonight.

If it isn't on standard def, would it be 6.3a rather than the hard drive?

Thanks,

Bob

[chris_h]

Hi Chris,

Wouldn't that show up on non-HD stations also. I've not problem on standard def stations at all, but I will recheck this tonight.

If it isn't on standard def, would it be 6.3a rather than the hard drive?

Thanks,

Bob

Hard to say. If it was the hard drive, I think it should show up on all stations, but I think I could make an argument for more frequently showing up on HD recordings (which require more thruput to the disk). If it is bad signal, I think I could make a case for one bad LNB (the one for the bird the HD channels are on) or a miss-aligned dish. It is really hard to speculate about this stuff.

[bobbo007]

Hard to say. If it was the hard drive, I think it should show up on all stations, but I think I could make an argument for more frequently showing up on HD recordings (which require more thruput to the disk). If it is bad signal, I think I could make a case for one bad LNB (the one for the bird the HD channels are on) or a miss-aligned dish. It is really hard to speculate about this stuff.

Appreciate your replies.....

I've checked the signal strength several times as I thought of that also. Everything is in the mid-high 90s....sat and OTA.

I watch some standard def tonight (yuk) and see what happens.

I found the weaknees site, but don't want to replace the HD unless I am certain that is the problem. I leaning toward it though, because my issues started BEFORE I received the 6.3a update. But I found several posts that said others had the same issue before they received it too.

Bob

[bobbo007]

here are the commas and "m"s I left out of the former post where it should have said "I'm"....geez...

'm 'm

Bob

[bobbo007]

Hard to say. If it was the hard drive, I think it should show up on all stations, but I think I could make an argument for more frequently showing up on HD recordings (which require more thruput to the disk). If it is bad signal, I think I could make a case for one bad LNB (the one for the bird the HD channels are on) or a miss-aligned dish. It is really hard to speculate about this stuff.


Boy do I feel dumb now!

I checked SD tonight and sure enough....stutters and dropouts. Also checked HD, same there as before. Here is the clincher....checked some recorded HD movies I've saved, same thing there....stutter, audio dropouts.

So I guess it isn't 6.3a, it is the HD.

I'm looking at getting a Weaknees replacement. Is this a good option? I'm not familiar with cakewalk, so it sounds good to me. Only wish there was a way of getting what I've saved over to the new drive.

I also wonder if the new drive formatted by weaknees will have the 6.3a software on it. Yikes!

Bob

[chris_h]

Boy do I feel dumb now!

I checked SD tonight and sure enough....stutters and dropouts. Also checked HD, same there as before. Here is the clincher....checked some recorded HD movies I've saved, same thing there....stutter, audio dropouts.

So I guess it isn't 6.3a, it is the HD.

I'm looking at getting a Weaknees replacement. Is this a good option? I'm not familiar with cakewalk, so it sounds good to me. Only wish there was a way of getting what I've saved over to the new drive.

I also wonder if the new drive formatted by weaknees will have the 6.3a software on it. Yikes!

Bob

No need to feel dumb! These things happen. It is good that you can come to this forum and have nice folks help figure things out.

I think you may be able to get the programs from the old drive to the new one by using mfsbackup and mfsrestore. See the upgrade area. I suspect they may still have the breakups and stuttering on playback, but I have never done this type of drive swap. I only ever added a drive to my HR10.

I suspect that if you told weeknees you wanted a replacement drive with 3.1.5f that they would have them. I sure don't want 6.3 until the DD audio dropouts are fixed.

[bobbo007]

No need to feel dumb! These things happen. It is good that you can come to this forum and have nice folks help figure things out.

I think you may be able to get the programs from the old drive to the new one by using mfsbackup and mfsrestore. See the upgrade area. I suspect they may still have the breakups and stuttering on playback, but I have never done this type of drive swap. I only ever added a drive to my HR10.

I suspect that if you told weeknees you wanted a replacement drive with 3.1.5f that they would have them. I sure don't want 6.3 until the DD audio dropouts are fixed.

Get this....

Received my Weaknees replacement, opened the hr10-250 and after I disconnected the HD and was getting ready to install the new drive I noticed that the mother board drive cable was only half way into the board attachment. It was on an angle. I was VERY careful disconnecting the original drive so I'm almost certain I did not nudge it out. I'm wondering if this was the culprit.

I decided to install the new drive anyway. I'll keep the old one in case I ever want to check it out in the future.

Any opinions?

Haven't had a chance to see if the replacement solved the problem, but will watch later tonight and let you know.

Bob

[bobbo007]

Everything is A-OK with the new drive installed.

Going to connect the phone only to get the recording process started and then it is out until the 6.3a bugs are out.

Bob

[chris_h]

You know, when I added a drive to my old unit, the IDE cable on the mother board side was askew too. I never had any performance issues, and I just assumed it was a one-time manufacturing issue. Maybe this is a more common problem than I originally thought. I did not even mention it prior because I did not think it highly likely. Hindsight is 20/20.