Audio problems with new VIP722 DVR

[AVMe]

My 722 receiver is only a couple weeks old and I'm having two intermittent audio problems when using the Dolby digital optical output which is hooked up to my McIntosh home theater system.

(1) Sometimes HD TV channels do not output any center channel speaker sound. The other audio channel speakers sound fine. I'll get a millisecond of sound from the center channel speaker but then it cuts out. Sometimes it works just fine.

(2) Sometimes I get no audio sound at all from any of the speakers on a non-HD channel. If I change channels and come back to the problem channel I'll get appropriate sound out of all audio channels.

Everything works fine when listening to the TV using only the left/right RCA component audio output that is hooked up directly from the 722 receiver to the TV.

All the 722 receiver settings are correct according to Dish Network. Rebooting does not help.

I think the problem is with the Dish 722 receiver but Dish Network is trying to blame the problem on my McIntosh system. I know for a fact that the Mac is not the problem because I had no such issues with the old 501 Dish receiver and the problem only occurs using the Dish receiver. I've tried two different quality digital optical audio cables so I am certain it is not a cable problem.

Does anyone know what the problem could be? I'm new to this forum so help please.

 

[old corps]

You might try MENU-6-7 (Dolby Digital) and try switching between Line Mode and RF mode as well as Dolby Digital/PM and Dolby Digital only. Good luck!

Ed

 

[AVMe]

You might try MENU-6-7 (Dolby Digital) and try switching between Line Mode and RF mode as well as Dolby Digital/PM and Dolby Digital only. Good luck!

Ed

I've tried that to no avail.

I'm getting frustrated to the point that I might switch to DirectTV after being with Dish Network for 12 years.

 

[AVMe]

I'm new here and just noticed that I probably should have posted this new thread under Dish Network - Technical Discussions. Moderator, could you please move this thread there if you think it better belongs there. Thanks.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-technical-discussions/

 

[old corps]

If you're sure your optical cable is ok then it must be the 722. I've got both a 622 and 722 hooked up via optical to A/V receivers with no problem.

BTW, WELCOME ABOARD and I wouldn't worry about your post being here instead of under Technical Discussions. Folks will see it either way. Sorry for your troubles.

Ed

 

[AVMe]

If you're sure your optical cable is ok then it must be the 722. I've got both a 622 and 722 hooked up via optical to A/V receivers with no problem.

BTW, WELCOME ABOARD and I wouldn't worry about your post being here instead of under Technical Discussions. Folks will see it either way. Sorry for your troubles.

Ed

Thanks for the welcome aboard.

I'm using a brand new optical cable from Blue Jeans Cable. The old cable worked okay also. I had none of these problems with my old 501 receiver.

 

[dendavis]

Thanks for the welcome aboard.

I'm using a brand new optical cable from Blue Jeans Cable. The old cable worked okay also. I had none of these problems with my old 501 receiver.

I got a replacement 722 last week for my 622 which crashed. I use an optical cable as well, to my Sony entertainment center. While watching this week's recorded CSI: NY, there was no sound when I went to play it, and the picture froze a couple of times. Gave up, went to another recording I did from the same evening as CSI: NY, it was fine. Then went back to try CSI: NY again, it was perfect. Go figure.

I say it is the receiver.

 

[AVMe]

Update: Dish came out today and installed a new 722 receiver. Same problem.

I spoke with a tech (who shall remain nameless) who knows my McIntosh equipment intimately well. Apparently Dish Network does not adhere to blue book Dolby Digital transmission standards and my old McIntosh DD decoder may be incompatible with this Dish receiver because my Mac was designed to handle only an in-standard DD signal. However, my Mac works okay with my old Dish 501 receiver (as witnessed by the Dish tech today).

Based on numerous tests that I've run with my Mac system, it is evident that the problem lies with how the Dish 722 receiver handles Dolby Digital via optical audio output.

Replacing my old Mac DD decoder with a new one that might be compatible with Dish would cost me several thousand dollars -- something I am unable to do.

Dish has agreed to send a tech out to install the new upgraded 722K receiver. If the 722K receiver does not work with my system then I may have no choice but to switch to Direct TV or Time Warner cable (yuck). I doubt that I would experience this problem with Direct TV.

Dish Network has been gracious in working with me to resolve the problem but this is enormously frustrating!

 

[AVMe]

Update: I spoke with a Dolby specialist who works with various high end A/V equipment including McIntosh. He said that Dish Network does adhere to the Dolby Digital transmission standards and the problem is probably with the satellite receiver. He has seen the exact same problem with a newer version of my Mac that was connected to a Scientific Atlantic cable box. After going through 4 cable boxes they found out that a gate was not open inside the cable box but the cable company was able to fix it remotely. The plot thickens.

 

[wetz73]

Out of curiosity, why are you so sure this problem wouldn't exist with DirecTV? Another question I have is this--does it occur if you hook an OTA source to your receiver (can your run an optical cable from your TV to your Mac and hook an antenna directly to your TV)? Maybe the problem isn't in how E* transmits DD, maybe it's in how everybody transmits DD. Just curious! Hope things work out for you.

 

[AVMe]

Out of curiosity, why are you so sure this problem wouldn't exist with DirecTV? Another question I have is this--does it occur if you hook an OTA source to your receiver (can your run an optical cable from your TV to your Mac and hook an antenna directly to your TV)? Maybe the problem isn't in how E* transmits DD, maybe it's in how everybody transmits DD. Just curious! Hope things work out for you.

I'm not sure that the problem wouldn't happen with DirecTV.

My current TV does not have any digital audio outputs so I can't hook up an OTA source the way you suggest. I'm temporarily stuck with using a very old TV because my main TV burned up -- literally. I'll be getting a new HDTV in the next couple months.

I do not have any problems with my Mac system using other 5.1 sources such as DVDs or CDs.

I'm thinking that there is either a flaw in the 722 receiver itself or it is for some reason not compatible with my Mac. Dish Network says it should be compatible. I did not have these problems using my 501 Dish receiver which leads me to believe that the problem is the 722 receiver.

If the new 722K receiver does not resolve the problem then I'll have my local authorized Mac dealer test my Mac.

 

[toto]

I'm not sure that the problem wouldn't happen with DirecTV.

My current TV does not have any digital audio outputs so I can't hook up an OTA source the way you suggest. I'm temporarily stuck with using a very old TV because my main TV burned up -- literally. I'll be getting a new HDTV in the next couple months.

I do not have any problems with my Mac system using other 5.1 sources such as DVDs or CDs.

I'm thinking that there is either a flaw in the 722 receiver itself or it is for some reason not compatible with my Mac. Dish Network says it should be compatible. I did not have these problems using my 501 Dish receiver which leads me to believe that the problem is the 722 receiver.

If the new 722K receiver does not resolve the problem then I'll have my local authorized Mac dealer test my Mac.

If the source is 2 channel audio, will your MacIntosh add a center channel? Does this issue occur on movie channels? PPV? Is the source 5.1 or 2 or 2.1?

 

[AVMe]

If the source is 2 channel audio, will your MacIntosh add a center channel? Does this issue occur on movie channels? PPV? Is the source 5.1 or 2 or 2.1?

If the source is 2 channel audio the Mac will add a center channel depending on which input mode I select. The only time I do not select to use a center channel is for listening to stereo music, such as Sirius/XM or CDs; in those cases I select the stereo input mode.

The problem occurs only when using the Dish receiver's optical audio output and it occurs with both a Dolby Digital signal and a Dolby Pro Logic signal. The problem is intermittent (meaning the problem varies from TV channel to TV channel) and could occur on any channel -- regular and movie channels. The problem always occurs immediately when first locking in to a TV channel. In other words, after the TV channel is locked in the sound will immediately be okay or not. The sound will not change after the initial TV channel change. (Was that confusing?)

For example, if I tune into the local ABC HD, I sometimes do not get center channel sound. If I tune into local non-HD ABC then I sometimes not get sound from any of the speakers. If I go out of that problem channel and then return to it the sound may be fine. That's what I mean by intermittent.

Interestingly, I lose the center channel sound only on HD channels and I lose all sound only on non-HD channels.

If I use only the Dish receiver's analog audio output (RCA left/right) then there is no problem; however, it would be in Dolby Pro Logic and not Dolby Digitial. The problem occurs only when using the Dish receiver's optical audio out. I know for certain that my optical cables are good.

Note that the problem never occurs when using a DVD source or the 501 Dish receiver.

Whew! Catch all that?

 

[toto]

If the source is 2 channel audio the Mac will add a center channel depending on which input mode I select. The only time I do not select to use a center channel is for listening to stereo music, such as Sirius/XM or CDs; in those cases I select the stereo input mode.

The problem occurs only when using the Dish receiver's optical audio output and it occurs with both a Dolby Digital signal and a Dolby Pro Logic signal. The problem is intermittent (meaning the problem varies from TV channel to TV channel) and could occur on any channel -- regular and movie channels. The problem always occurs immediately when first locking in to a TV channel. In other words, after the TV channel is locked in the sound will immediately be okay or not. The sound will not change after the initial TV channel change. (Was that confusing?)

For example, if I tune into the local ABC HD, I sometimes do not get center channel sound. If I tune into local non-HD ABC then I sometimes not get sound from any of the speakers. If I go out of that problem channel and then return to it the sound may be fine. That's what I mean by intermittent.

Interestingly, I lose the center channel sound only on HD channels and I lose all sound only on non-HD channels.

If I use only the Dish receiver's analog audio output (RCA left/right) then there is no problem; however, it would be in Dolby Pro Logic and not Dolby Digitial. The problem occurs only when using the Dish receiver's optical audio out. I know for certain that my optical cables are good.

Note that the problem never occurs when using a DVD source or the 501 Dish receiver.

Whew! Catch all that?

Does your McIntosh have HDMI in/out?

 

[AVMe]

Does your McIntosh have HDMI in/out?

No it does not.

 

[toto]

Trying a new optical cable is about the only thing other than switching audio in to AAC you haven't tried. You've troubleshot everything and it seems obvious that it is a 722 issue, which I doubt Dish would admit. Have you spoken to a supervisor in tech support?

 

[AVMe]

Trying a new optical cable is about the only thing other than switching audio in to AAC you haven't tried. You've troubleshot everything and it seems obvious that it is a 722 issue, which I doubt Dish would admit. Have you spoken to a supervisor in tech support?

I've tried two different optical cables; one that worked fine with the 501 receiver and a brand new one from Blue Jeans Cable.

Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but what's AAC?

I've spoken to probably 10 different tech people at Dish including a supervisor. They of course claim to have never heard of this problem. One level 3 tech at first said that he had heard of this problem before but after he put me hold to talk to his supervisor he changed his story and said that it was a different problem. I've asked to talk to one of their engineers but they say that is not possible. They've all been very accommodating so far in getting me new receivers for which I appreciate.

If the new 722K doesn't fix it then I'll have my Mac checked out although I'm 99% certain it is not the problem. (It won't be fun unhooking it, taking it the dealer, and hooking it back up.)

 

[AVMe]

Final update: A Dish Network tech just left my house. He was supposed to bring a 722K receiver but did not; he only had a 722 on his truck and can't get in the warehouse today (Sunday) to get a 722K. Regardless, he spoke with his level 6 master tech who has seen the same problems I am having. The problem is that Dish's optical audio port on their HD receivers (722 & 722K) is not compatible with some high end audio equipment like my McIntosh. There is nothing they can do.

The tech used to work for Time Warner cable. He said TW's Scientific Atlantic receivers have the same problem but they can remotely bypass their optical port on their receivers so it will work with high end audio equipment. Dish is unable to do such a bypass on their receivers.

Sucks, huh?

 

[Kevinw]

Get a 622:up