sound dropping for a second?

[KenB123]

I watched Sunday Night Football (Bears vs. Minnesota) via OTA, that goes through my 622. I don't recall a single audio dropout the entire game. But then back to CBS (via satallite) on Monday night and the occasional dropouts were there. Frustrating!

If it doesn't get resolved, I will consider moving on in April when contract expires.

 

[Muckrak3r]

I have noticed the sound drop outs on FoxHD for several weeks now. Sunday nights on Fox (Family Guy etc) are simply unreal at times. Its very annoying, and even more frustrating to see this has been a known issue for months.

I love my 722 DVR, but would drop it for something lesser that worked correctly.

Any updates from the Dish people?

Let's see: They rollout 1080p tech, and the audio issues begin. hmmmmm rollback the 1080p and let us hear our stuff!!! Then troubleshoot the 1080p capability before rolling it back out????

 

[Lbeck]

Let's see: They rollout 1080p tech, and the audio issues begin. hmmmmm rollback the 1080p and let us hear our stuff!!! Then troubleshoot the 1080p capability before rolling it back out????

Sounds like a great idea. I'll vote for that!

 

[hddvrohno]

We have been having the same thing happen. Had a tech out yesterday and he said that he could tell it was a hard drive problem just by listening to it spin. So her replaced my receiver a 622 with a new 722. The new 722 does the same thing the old one was doing. After a little research it seems that it is an across the board problem with the the new HD DVR systems. We will be making another call to dish soon. I saved the shows to show the tech when he comes out that this is happening.

 

[Fitzie]

Just an additional comment: I was watching a show live a day or so ago, and had about a 2 second audio dropout. That leads me to believe it is not a DVR issue per se, but a buffering issue (which I think would be essentially in the software). That was using a 722. People were talking, and I could still see their mouths moving; the sound picked up in sync with their lips so it wasn't a "lag" problem, just a total dropout.

If my guess is correct, the solution would be to create a bigger buffer. The next question, however, would be: where?

I don't have a 1080P display, so can't check to see whether the VOD 1080P movies have the same problem. They shouldn't, I don't believe.

 

[Pakbackr]

I have been exchanging emails with DISH tech support for two months about this issue. They sent me an email today conluding it is a hardware issue and they are sending me a new DVR. Based on the input from others on this board, I have zero confidence that this will fix the problem.

 

[Fitzie]

I have been exchanging emails with DISH tech support for two months about this issue. They sent me an email today conluding it is a hardware issue and they are sending me a new DVR. Based on the input from others on this board, I have zero confidence that this will fix the problem.

Having a new DVR wouldn't be all bad, except if you've recorded a lot of shows you want to keep a while it wouldn't be all good. If the new DVR fixes the problem for you, we'd certainly appreciate hearing about it since most who've checked with Dish tech seem to be hearing it is a software problem. (???)

Fitzie

 

[Lbeck]

I have been exchanging emails with DISH tech support for two months about this issue. They sent me an email today conluding it is a hardware issue and they are sending me a new DVR. Based on the input from others on this board, I have zero confidence that this will fix the problem.

The only place that I've heard this is a software problem is on this forum. I complained to Dish after experiencing the problem after upgrading from 622 -> 722 and getting HD locals. I assumed that it was the 722. Dish replaced the 1-month-old receiver and the problem did not resolve. I then got on line and found that many users are experiencing the same problem. I think Dish is switching our receivers just to appease the complainers.

Please post back if the new receiver solves your problem. I guess it's possible that I got two bad receivers in a row, but I doubt it.

Also, if anyone is aware of a new receiver solving this problem, please post. Maybe I need a 3rd receiver.

 

[Lbeck]

Just an additional comment: I was watching a show live a day or so ago, and had about a 2 second audio dropout. That leads me to believe it is not a DVR issue per se, but a buffering issue (which I think would be essentially in the software). That was using a 722. People were talking, and I could still see their mouths moving; the sound picked up in sync with their lips so it wasn't a "lag" problem, just a total dropout.

If my guess is correct, the solution would be to create a bigger buffer. The next question, however, would be: where?

I don't have a 1080P display, so can't check to see whether the VOD 1080P movies have the same problem. They shouldn't, I don't believe.

FYI My sound dropouts are limited to only a few channels - unfortunately the ones that I watch most - ABC news (local and national) is most consistent and the most frequent dropouts. Also, all of my dropouts are <1second. Mostly a syllable. Very annoying. Your 2-second dropout may have been another glitch. I can put up with the occasional problem. It's the continuing ones that appear to be ignored by Dish that are frustrating.

Other observations are that the dropouts are only on HD and only on other-than-live viewing (recorded or rewound)

 

[Miggity]

I can't believe everyone is still putting up with this. Just to reiterate I bailed two months ago over this exact issue and never looked back.

Glad to Dish has fixed it! Way to go Dish!

 

[k3nn3th]

Well I've gone through Three 622's and still have the same issue. Finally after another tech call I finally got someone who actually took it a step further and found out that supposedly Dish was aware of the problem and working on a firmware fix. I'm not so sure about that. The audio problem I have is usually on locals through Dish (sounds like a bad cell call) like blips of broken english. I hate this damn problem only because it only happens with Fox and especially ABC. And yes I've had tech's sent to the house but still have had the same problem. The audio problem is more prominent on recorded programs from these channels. I thought Dish was supposed to send out the new firmware on the 28th of last month. Anybody know what happened? Charlie, get off the poker table and fix the damn thing already!!!!
I'm getting real close to going with AT&T and their new Uverse.

 

[Lbeck]

If I believed that Dish can't or won't fix this problem I'd bail also. For me it's a matter of wait and see. The inconvenience of switchig to DirecTV for now outweighs the wait. But if they don't fix I'm betting that they'll lose more customers than they already have..

K3nn3th - yes what you describe sounds like the same problem that the rest of us are having. Bad cell connection is an accurate description. Just to confirm it's the same you can watch live or SD and I'll bet you won't have the problem - but who wants to do that all the time??

 

[ShadowInc]

Still having the same problem here as well. I found that it is worse watching shows recorded off of FOX during animation domination. I just started recording fox on sunday nights in SD. That is the only time that I have unbearable sound drop outs.

 

[Pakbackr]

Well I've gone through Three 622's and still have the same issue. Finally after another tech call I finally got someone who actually took it a step further and found out that supposedly Dish was aware of the problem and working on a firmware fix. I'm not so sure about that. The audio problem I have is usually on locals through Dish (sounds like a bad cell call) like blips of broken english. I hate this damn problem only because it only happens with Fox and especially ABC. And yes I've had tech's sent to the house but still have had the same problem. The audio problem is more prominent on recorded programs from these channels. I thought Dish was supposed to send out the new firmware on the 28th of last month. Anybody know what happened? Charlie, get off the poker table and fix the damn thing already!!!!
I'm getting real close to going with AT&T and their new Uverse.

I am confident I will have similar results when I get my new box. I am no engineer, but simple logic tells me this can't possibly be a hardware issue. If it were, we'd have the problem with all recordings and all channels (or at least all that are broadcast using similar specs). This is so isolated that logic tells me it has something to do with the feed, or how that feed is being processed by DISH. The most frustrating thing about all this is that the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing. I will definitely post and let everyone know if my problem gets resolved with the new DVR.

 

[2D Bob]

Driving us crazy!

With home theater surround sound on and turned up, it becomes an obvious major annoyance.

(I know, we can turn it off and listen through 1" speakers in "stereo".)

 

[Miggity]

Lbeck: "If I believed that Dish can't or won't fix this problem I'd bail also. For me it's a matter of wait and see. The inconvenience of switchig to DirecTV for now outweighs the wait. But if they don't fix I'm betting that they'll lose more customers than they already have."

They have been "aware of the problem and working on a solution" since at least AUGUST. We're coming up on six months and still nothing?

Fail.

A buddy of mine who also has had Dish Network HD package still has the same problem here in Portland, OR. He doesn't want to wait anymore either. Sounds like he's bailing soon now too and either going to DirecTV or Verizon Fios.

 

[szorl]

This started happening with me lately - at first I thought it was my Sony Audio Video Receiver with the problem and was getting ready to take it in for service. I had the receiver disconnected when I was watching a movie last evening I had recoreded on the DVR and the sound was being dropped while listening through the speakers on my Philips LCD TV.

Now I guess I will reconnect the receiver and possible call Dish to find out if they have a solution. I have only had Dish for about 6 months and it has just started doing this.

 

[Ergo]

The problem seems to be fixed for the Fox network, but it's still a prominent issue on ABC. What really chaps me is that this has been going on for months and it still hasn't been fixed, and of course Dish will offer us no compensation.

 

[kwaalude]

i can't read alll 7 pages of this but i've had the problem ever since they updated the software this summer. it can be VERY annoying and happens all the time when watching football on FOX HD...not during the live game but during replays and with the talking heads at halftime and after the game. i had a 622 and paid to upgrade to the 722 thinking that would help but it has not. it also happens occasionally during other broadcasts but nothing to the extent that it does on FOX during football games.

 

[rassilon5]

Still putting up with the issue here... Ergo, The sound drops on Fox are just as bad as ever for me... getting quite annoying!