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Fox (WTTG-HD) TiVo Audio Issues

rbf2000

I have a TiVo HD with 2 CableCards hooked up to the only TV in my house. On Sunday (3/29) I noticed that specific shows on Fox WTTG-HD (channel 505) were missing the audio. All other channels were fine, and other shows on the same channel were fine. The affected shows were The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad (possibly others, but those are the only ones I care to watch).

On Monday the same issue occurred with House and 24. I noticed on house the trailer for the local news, which directly preceeded the airing of House but was on the same recording, played the audio just fine, but as soon as House began, the audio cut out.

I can't imagine this is an issue with my TiVo - it seems to be direcly related to the broadcasting of the content.

Has anybody else experienced this? Is this some sort of known issue? Anybody know how to resolve this?

Message Edited by rbf2000 on 03-31-2009 07:11 AM

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KenAF

I live in your area and use a TivoHD with FiOS. I don't record The Simpsons, Family Guy, or American Dad, but I do record House and 24. The audio on both shows was fine.

Are you using your TV speakers? If so, make sure you sure you have the TiVo's audio output set to PCM:

Messages & Settings -> Settings -> Audio -> Dolby Digital -> Dolby Digital to PCM.

The default audio output on the TivoHD is Dolby Digital. Some TVs can accept and decode a Dolby Digital signal into stereo, but they have trouble handling interruptions in the DD signal. You can usually restore audio by using instant replay. Setting the TiVo to output PCM (as above) should eliminate that problem.

If you are using a A/V receiver or HTIB, then it is possible that your unit has trouble handling breaks in Dolby Digital signals. This issue is not uncommon in HTIBs produced prior to 2006 and A/V receivers produced prior to 2004-2005. When you lose audio with these surround systems, you can usually restore it by hitting instant replay. If you wanted to eliminate this issue entirely, while still maintaining DD5.1 audio, you'd probably have to upgrade your surround system to something more recent.

Message Edited by KenAF on 03-31-2009 04:17 PM

rbf2000

Thanks for your input.

I do have my TiVo connected to my receiver via HDMI, and I have previously noticed the problem you mention. It did not take me long to learn that the jump-back button fixed it, though it's nice to know why exactly that was happening.

The issue I am currently having is not remedied so easily, unfortunately. I called in to tech support and had them reset my CableCards, so hopefully that will fix the problem.

KenAF

@rbf2000 wrote:
The issue I am currently having is not remedied so easily, unfortunately. I called in to tech support and had them reset my CableCards, so hopefully that will fix the problem.

If you switch the Tivo to PCM output and that restores audio on the program, then you've confirmed the issue is specific to your A/V receiver.

The CableCards really have nothing to do with this, since the locals aren't encrypted anyway.

rbf2000

Sorry, you misunderstand. I mean I have had the problem you described previously and I was able to circumvent it using your described methods. That problem does not affect the recording of content, only it's playback, and like you said, it's quickly remedied by jumping back or fast-forwarding, and permanately fixed by changing the output to PCM.

For the issue that I am currently faced with, I can rewind or fast-forward to my heart's content and the audio is still absent. I can change the audio output from DD to PCM and back again to no avail.

I'm no FiOS technician, but I know that without the CableCards in my TiVo I don't get that channel, encrypted or otherwise. Therefore, there is a good possibility that the CableCards have something to do with it. After all, there are really only four places that can be to blame - the signal (which is unlikely since you watched the programs with no problem); the decoding of the signal, which happens with the CableCards; the recording of the content, perhaps a bad sector on the HDD; or the playback of the content.

Since no other channels are affected (a bad sector would affect the TiVo regardless of the channel), it seems to me it would be some sort of decoding error, which could be caused by the CableCard (mis-interpreting a signal as a quasi-content protection flag?), or by the TiVo itself. I just find it unlikely to have nothing to do with the signal (or the decoding thereof) since the error is so specific to a particualr show(s).

You'll have to excuse me for sounding so biased - I'm hoping it is the CableCard, because that's the only thing I don't own out of this whole mess and can get replaced for free.

Again, thanks for your input.

KenAF

@rbf2000 wrote:
For the issue that I am currently faced with, I can rewind or fast-forward to my heart's content and the audio is still absent. I can change the audio output from DD to PCM and back again to no avail.

You're right, that's definitely a separate issue.

If you want, send me a pm and I'll send you a url to download a short segment of 24 recorded by my TiVo from WTTG. You can play it on your TiVo to see if you get audio.

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