[burningcedar]

I've been experiencing pretty much the same pixelization problems as everyone else with the THD. Like many others, I'm hoping a software fix takes care of this before my 30-day return runs out.

However, I'm also having a problem with intermittent and brief loss of audio. These occur randomly on all channel types (analog or digital, SD or HD); occur about every 5-10 minutes, and only last for about 1 second.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I haven't called tech support yet as I initially assumed it was somehow related to the pixelization problem and was a known and well-reported problem. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be unrelated and potentially a hardware instead of a software problem.

 

[d_anders]

I've been experiencing pretty much the same pixelization problems as everyone else with the THD. Like many others, I'm hoping a software fix takes care of this before my 30-day return runs out.

However, I'm also having a problem with intermittent and brief loss of audio. These occur randomly on all channel types (analog or digital, SD or HD); occur about every 5-10 minutes, and only last for about 1 second.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I haven't called tech support yet as I initially assumed it was somehow related to the pixelization problem and was a known and well-reported problem. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be unrelated and potentially a hardware instead of a software problem.

I don't have any pixelation issues with HD sources nor audio issues. I beginning to think that there are specific cable card firmware issues and the TiVO HD's ability to deal with them.

That said, I believe there are issues when premium series 3 owners who've bought the TiVO hd and have noted issues.

That all said, my experience so far is excellent and I consider myself very fortunate. The only issue I have is that the menu's are moving much slower than my Series 2 DT.

Since they had to do a code split to get these units to production, I'm hoping that TIVo will quickly get all of us TiVo HD owners up to the current rev as the other Series 3 owners.

 

[AbMagFab]

I've been experiencing pretty much the same pixelization problems as everyone else with the THD. Like many others, I'm hoping a software fix takes care of this before my 30-day return runs out.

However, I'm also having a problem with intermittent and brief loss of audio. These occur randomly on all channel types (analog or digital, SD or HD); occur about every 5-10 minutes, and only last for about 1 second.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I haven't called tech support yet as I initially assumed it was somehow related to the pixelization problem and was a known and well-reported problem. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be unrelated and potentially a hardware instead of a software problem.

When you're getting pixelation, you're going to get audio loss. When not getting pixelation, I've only noticed this when watching live TV. If I hit the instant-replay button, it goes away.

It's like the TivoHD can't handle being at the very end of the live buffer. The Series 3 had this early on as well, but they fixed it a while ago (at least I haven't seen it on the S3 is ages).

 

[adrianblack]

When you're getting pixelation, you're going to get audio loss. When not getting pixelation, I've only noticed this when watching live TV. If I hit the instant-replay button, it goes away.

It's like the TivoHD can't handle being at the very end of the live buffer. The Series 3 had this early on as well, but they fixed it a while ago (at least I haven't seen it on the S3 is ages).

I am having the audio dropout problem too. What I notice is its not related to my CableCards or the recording because if I replay the same part that just dropped out, it's fine. (I can now hear the audio that was just dropped.)

I am beginning to think this is a problem between the TivoHD and my Sony receiver. I switched to a different brand of TOS-Link optical cable and it made the problem mostly go away!

Now I get a dropout maybe once per hour. Its still rather annoying, though. The cable that was having the most trouble on the Tivo is now on my Xbox 360 and is working perfectly on it. (I watched a 3hr HD-DVD last night and played Forza 2 for an hour without a single dropout.)

I remember back in the DirecTivo days there was some problem with its optical out and certain brands of receivers. (My friend had a Yamaha and was affected by this.) I hope this isn't the same thing over again. UGH!

 

[jhershauer]

While doing some tests on my pixelation issues, which I documented in another thread, I switched from HDMI out to component out with digital audio out. On the National Geographic HD channel, I suddenly started getting very frequent audio drop-outs. I didn't have anything like that happening with HDMI, even with all of the pixelation events. Also, these audio drop-outs were not happening at the same time as the pixelation...it seemed to be a completely different issue.

I'm going to play with it again tonight to see if I can reproduce the issue...maybe do a reboot after I switch the connections in order to give the Tivo HD every opportunity to deal with the change.

Jeff

 

[burningcedar]

I remember back in the DirecTivo days there was some problem with its optical out and certain brands of receivers. (My friend had a Yamaha and was affected by this.) I hope this isn't the same thing over again. UGH!

Boy...I hope that's not the problem. I'm using the Tivo's optical output (my TV doesn't support HDMI) fed into a Marantz SR7000 receiver. This is the same cable and same receiver that I used to use with my Humax Series 2 with no problems whatsoever.

The problem only occurs on digital channels (just like the pixelization). Analog channels 2-99 don't seem to have a problem. Like others have noted, it doesn't seem to necessarily occur at the same time as a pixelization problem either.

Guess I can try a new cable -- but those things ain't cheap when you aren't even sure it will solve the problem.

 

[adrianblack]

This is interesting. I'm using component -- haven't tried HDMI because my TV only has one HDMI input and it's being used by my DVD player.

How many people out there are using their HD Tivo on the component output with optical digital audio?

 

[tdbear]

I've gotten the brief audio dropouts during live buffering, reversed the stream to replay it, and not having the dropout. I'm thinking that it can't be a HDD problem since the video was fine. And, it doesn't seem to matter how many recordings are happening. And, this is without Cable Cards.

It's unfortunate that they don't seem to be logging what is probably generating errors somewhere. I asked an engineer at a satellite STB house and they said that they didn't want to generate a lots of diagnostics because people might call more often, and they didn't download diagnostics because too many people worry about privacy issues. To bad, because both they and Tivo have a perfect system for doing remote diagnostics.

 

[Jonny Cool]

I don't have this kind of audio dropout, but while watching live tv I cannot hear the guide sounds. I have a TiVo HD using optical audio out to a sony receiver.

 

[dolfer]

While doing some tests on my pixelation issues, which I documented in another thread, I switched from HDMI out to component out with digital audio out. On the National Geographic HD channel, I suddenly started getting very frequent audio drop-outs. I didn't have anything like that happening with HDMI, even with all of the pixelation events. Also, these audio drop-outs were not happening at the same time as the pixelation...it seemed to be a completely different issue.

I'm going to play with it again tonight to see if I can reproduce the issue...maybe do a reboot after I switch the connections in order to give the Tivo HD every opportunity to deal with the change.

Jeff

J, I am ALL HDMI and I am experiencing the audio drops as well. I am running things through an Onkyo receiver. HDMI from Tivo to receiver and from receiver to TV. I hope it's all tied in with the pixelation problems and an update will fix it all!

 

[adrianblack]

J, I am ALL HDMI and I am experiencing the audio drops as well. I am running things through an Onkyo receiver. HDMI from Tivo to receiver and from receiver to TV. I hope it's all tied in with the pixelation problems and an update will fix it all!

Dolfer, try switching to PCM audio in the Audio section under settings and see if that changes anything. It really has fixed the audio issues on mine (though not pixelization, obviously)

 

[dfelska]

I also have the same issue - we have one in the bedroom that uses component outputs and only the left/right RCA jacks to the TV directly, and I don't remember ever hearing a single droupout unless we were having one of the famous SA cablecard macroblocking events.

In the living room, however, we use the componet outputs to the TV and the optical out to our JVC RX702 - when we first got it, I was just using the HDMI inputs, but was getting the audio problems, and figured that might be it, so switched to the optical with no change. An audio dropout, while brief (a second or two) happens probably 4-5 times per hour and does not necessarily co-incide with a macroblocking event (I have had macroblocking problems with the audio continuing normally, and vice-versa).

I suspect a Dolby Digital problem - I will try switching to PCM as suggested, but then why the heck do I have Dolby Digital. Anyway, if anyone else has some insight on this, much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[bkdtv]

Turning of Tivo sounds under Settings -> Sounds eliminates the dropouts with the menus.

 

[mvnuenen]

Turning of Tivo sounds under Settings -> Sounds eliminates the dropouts with the menus.

Huh? I am ... Could you plz explain what you mean "dropouts with the menus"?

 

[dolfer]

Dolfer, try switching to PCM audio in the Audio section under settings and see if that changes anything. It really has fixed the audio issues on mine (though not pixelization, obviously)

PCM did not make any difference.

Also, I want my Dolby Digital to work! That's one of the key selling points of HD!

 

[bkdtv]

PCM did not make any difference.

Also, I want my Dolby Digital to work! That's one of the key selling points of HD!

Your dropouts are associated with the Scientific Atlanta CableCards. Audio dropouts and pixelization are known issues when Scientific Atlanta CableCards are used.

Tivo said last week that they have a fix in testing now for expected release within a few weeks.

 

[adrianblack]

PCM did not make any difference.

Also, I want my Dolby Digital to work! That's one of the key selling points of HD!

My Tivo HD received an update last week sometime -- and it seemed to actually have fixed things up quite a bit. I only noticed the update because I was playing some MP3 files via HMO and I've found certain files crash the Tivo when I try to play them. Well, after one such crach, I saw it installing an update.

I no longer seem to get any audio dropouts on non-HD content. The SDTV stuff usually is always 2-channel Dolby Digital so maybe that has something to do with it .... I haven't watched much HD content lately (nothing on that I'm currently recording) but I did watch one HD program after the update and it did have some random dropouts.

Also, my macroblocking issues seemed to have gone away on SDTV stuff. The one HD prorgam I watched did seem to still have the problem.

 

[d_anders]

I'm getting the dropout at the beginning of each recording.

 

[jimmiem]

I'm getting the audio drop out almost every couple of minutes. I could live with the pixelization - compared to the audio issue it's pretty minor. I can't deal with this drop out, though.

I have a SA CC and from what I've been reading so far that seems to be the culprit, no?

 

[bkdtv]

I have a SA CC and from what I've been reading so far that seems to be the culprit, no?

Yes, Tivo said about 10 days ago that they have a software fix in testing for release in a few weeks.