sound goes out a lot with 625

[slanoue]

I have had Dish Network for about a month with a 625 on two TV's.
The TV I mostly watch is an RCA big screen model number P52928.

I have noticed this occasional problem. It usually happens when I go to turn up the volume with my TV remote. The sound goes out. The only way to fix it is to turn off the TV and turn it on again. But tonight, it happened twice and turning the TV back on did not help. The sound went out again immediately. The only way to fix it was to completely turn everything off at the power strip and then restart, then the sound came back on. It's annoying because it happened while I was recording on the DVR, so it screws up the recording when I have to restart it. Let me just add it doesn't ALWAYS happen when I use the TV remote, and sometimes it happens when I'm not even touching the remote.

I really don't think it's the TV because it only started happening since I got the dish and restarting the dish helps the problem.

I phoned Dish support but the guy tried to blame it on the audio/video wires. I would think if it were the wires, though, it would be more in and out and not just every once in a while, and restarting wouldn't help it. I already checked all the wires to make sure nothing is loose. The guy also suggested that I try to watch the other TV and see if the same thing happens, but it is not convenient to do that....this TV is the one I mostly watch, not that one, and I would have to watch it for many hours to see if it happens.

Also I should mention that when I turn the TV on and off, it makes a little "poof" sound. When the sound goes out with this problem, it still makes that poof sound. When it happened twice today, I turned off the TV, and turned it on again, and then it would have an extra poof sound, as the sound went right back out again as I turned the TV on again.

I'm thinking that either there is something wrong with the box, or they somehow messed up with the connections.

When I phoned tech support, the guy said that if they had to change boxes, they would MAIL me a new one and I would have to hook it up myself. WTF?? If a cable company's box has problems, they send a technician to hook up the box for you. Why should I have to do it? Geez, this really annoys me. I would go back to cable but then DISH would still charge me about $12 a month because I have a stupid 18 month contract.

Does anyone else have this sound problem, or does anyone know how to fix it? Or where I can get some decent help from DISH to fix it?

Thanks!

Suzanne Lanoue

 

[prcasher]

No problems here. I'm using a RCA 32" for TV1. Also using the composite output. What output are you using? Composite, S video, or what? Maybe if your TV has the capability you could switch (using the different cable). Maybe try the modulated output just as a test. (remember you get snow when the DVR is switched off using it as it switches to the cable/antenna input when off).

 

[slanoue]

Sorry, I don't know what any of that means, can you explain?
I didn't hook it up, DISH or one of their local installers hooked it up.
And, my TV is a 52" rear projection, I believe, don't know if that matters or not.

Thanks!

 

[prcasher]

Do you have a friend that is more tech savvy? Maybe they can just take a quick look. When you adjust the sound with the remote I'm pretty sure the DVR is out of the picture and the operation just involves the TV. Is the TV under warranty? does it have a service contract? How was it hooked up before you got the DVR?

 

[KAB]

I agree that the DVR is probably not the culprit. Are you having any sound problems on TV2? Put your TV remote away and just use the 625 remote for a while and see what happens. Also, does the unit have RCA audio cables running to your TV (it should)? Check to make sure they are pushed in all the way on both ends.

 

[slanoue]

prcacher--no, I don't have anyone who can take a look. I'm fairly sure it is the satellite hookup because it didn't happen before I got that (and it's only been a few weeks--just happened as soon as I got the sat). The TV was previously hooked up the same, but with a Comcast cable box (I didn't have the problems with that). It is not under warranty. I just had a separate problem with the TV fixed (it's about 5 1/2 years old). Something inside that generates a lot of heat burned out and had to be replaced.

KAB--the sat remote will not adjust the sound, don't know why. That's another reason I think they hooked it up wrong. When I had Comcast, their remote WOULD adjust the sound. I don't know if there are sound problems or not with TV2. I don't watch that one because it is a smaller TV in the other room, not very convenient to watch. Yes, I adjusted all of the cables, made sure they were all tight and pushed in, etc.

This is the setup I see on the back of the box:
The audio/video cables go out to the VCR, which then goes to the TV (with a coaxial cable) and out to the DVD-recorder (with audio/visual cables).
A coaxial cable from the cable line goes to a splitter. Half that spliter goes to a place marked "chan 21-69" on the 625. The other half of it goes to another splitter, and both sides of THAT splitter go to holes marked "satellite 1" and "satellite 2" on my 625.
There is also a phone jack that goes out to my phone line.

I hope that helps...

BTW I am not "tech savvy" when it comes to satellites because I just got one recently, but I am fairly tech savvy when it comes to TV's, VCR's, and computers, just from using them all for the past ten years or so...I just need things explained when I don't understand the words you use or the technical terms.

Thanks for any help!

 

[prcasher]

Can you check the TV sound setting using the TV remote press Menu, select audio, select audio processor, and make sure stereo is selected, do this while in input mode watching the DVR. You should be able to program the 625 remote to work with the TV using the 625 manual, but the TV remote should work. If you get the remote programed press the sat button for normal operation use the little red button to turn off and on the TV and the big red button to turn off and on the 625. The connections sound ok but you could have a bad set of cables, the ones with the 3 RCA plugs (yellow white & red), going between the DVR and the TV. It does sound like a TV problem.

 

[SimpleSimon]

A coaxial cable from the cable line goes to a splitter. Half that spliter goes to a place marked "chan 21-69" on the 625. The other half of it goes to another splitter, and both sides of THAT splitter go to holes marked "satellite 1" and "satellite 2" on my 625.

They are not splitters, and have entirely different functions.

The one closest to the satellite inputs is a DPP Separator. The other one is a Diplexer.

 

[prcasher]

Do the composite out RCA plugs coming from the DVR go to the VCR audio/video input (assuming it's a stereo VCR using all three cables, yellow, red, & white) then does the VCR audio/video output (RCA plugs) connect to the TV's composite input (RCA plugs)? The coax cable you mention is that the RF out from the VCR going to the RF input of the TV?

 

[prcasher]

You can use the process of elimination by turning off the TV & 625 and moving the 3 RCA plugs from the TV1 output to the TV2 output and use the TV2 remote and see if the problem goes away on the big screen. If it does go away then move the cables back and see if it comes back. Then it's probably the DVR.

 

[slanoue]

I had also sent an email to Dish. This is the response I got from them today:

Dear Ms. Lanoue,

Thank you for your e-mail. Our engineering department is aware of this
issue; it has been determined the issue is software related and we are
actively working to resolve it as soon as possible. It will be resolved
with a software update in the near future. I apologize for the
inconvenience. *
Make sure you power the receiver off over night. Powering it off puts it
in standby mode which allows it to accept regular software and programming
updates.
To hear what you missed, you can try rewinding the program, and then fast
forwarding to the time the audio skips. This will sometimes allow you to
play it back without any audio drop outs.

Kendra
Technical Support
Dish Network


I'm hoping this is not just their automatic response.....crossing my fingers!
I will try the things you guys suggested, though, and let you know what happens.

I still have the occasional problem (where it goes out but turning the TV off and on again fixes it) but haven't had the worse one again where I had to completely turn it all off at the power strip.

Thanks for all the help!