I have a problem that I believe is a FiOS issue. It is either in the STB or the audio stream.
Simply put, the center channel is omitted on some programs or commercials. On some programs the center channel is missing entirely but the commercials are fine. Sometimes the commercials will drop the center channel but the programs are fine. When one channel is acting up another can be fine. Some programs seem to exhibit the problem more than others although I do not have statistics to back that up. When the problem occurs I can 'work-around' it by switching the amplfier from Dolby Digital to simple 'stereo'. I can then hear the entire program although not in 5.1 separation. The problem occurs when watching the program directly or from a DVR recording.
Last night during the Academy Awards the center channel was very low but audible. When switched to stereo there was distortion and a background whistle.
I feed audio from the STB to an Onkyo A/V receiver through the optical connection. Video is straight to the TV through the HDMI signal. (Don't ask why, I don't know, I did it that way for some reason way back when and it has been that way ever since.)
