FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
mtk12002
Enthusiast - Level 3

I have been a happy Fios subscriber for the better part of 10 years and recently upgraded to the new Fios TV One VMS4100. I also am a former home theater technician/programmer/installer. Previously when I accessed the BUI Main Menu and changed the Audio Output to Pass Through (green button for 5+ seconds>User Settings>Additional Settings>Audio Output) on not just my box but my customer's also, it would pass the proper audio through to the AVR (audio/video receiver). When the station was broadcasting 5.1 channels, 5.1 channels would be sent via HDMI to the AVR and it would be decoded properly for the system that I or the customer had set up. If it was a stereo broadcast, the same would happen and it would be decoded and play on all speakers. Since I got the new box this isn't the case. Whether I set Audio Output to Pass Through or Auto, all I'm getting is 5.1 channels. This is a problem because all programming isn't in 5.1 channel surround sound. For example, MTV is broadcast in stereo and it should be passed to my AVR as such, but it's not. It's being sent from MTV to Fios in stereo then to my AVR from the VMS4100 as 5.1 channels but the broadcast is in stereo so the only speakers that work are the left and right front speakers regardless of what decoder I select on my AVR. The other 3 channels are missing so the AVR, or any AVR for that matter, can't decode channels that aren't there. The only way to make the audio acceptable is to switch the Audio Output to L-PCM when watching a show or program I know is in stereo every time which is a hassle and is definitely not acceptable since this wasn't an issue I've ever had with any Fios box previously. How this was overlooked is beyond me. I've spoken to/chatted with Fios Support regarding this issue and they told me that the VMS4100 was being developed and tested for 3 years and nobody noticed this flaw? They also didn't really understand what I was saying nor were they aware of when a firmware update might be rolled out to fix it. What's up and is anybody else experiencing this?

0 Likes
Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

Thought I replied, but didn't see it. I've been trying to get this, no 480 pass through, no native video option and compression or clipping noise on audio fixed for months now. There is supposedly a firmware update to v6.5 rolling out now, but nobody knows what it fixes. Should get it here on April 3, we'll see. Many issues with these boxes.

Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r32314685-APR-6-5-Update-3-19-19

Been trying to get the issues you found and a bunch of others, hopefully this is the cure. Like you experienced,  Verizon techs are totally uninformed about any technical aspects of the service. The answer I got after having EVERYTHING replaced because of audio noise was" our signal is compliant". Gives them a world of latitude.

Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
mtk12002
Enthusiast - Level 3

I'll believe it when I see it that the update will fix any of the issues!

0 Likes
Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
mtk12002
Enthusiast - Level 3

The techs are totally uninformed and not really "technical" in that they didn't really understand the issue I was having. They were most definitely reading from a script but none of the troubleshooting  they provided was anything I hadn't tried already and much of the information they were giving me was irrelevant.

0 Likes
Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

3 weeks later and still no resolution to ANY of these issues. Been on other Verizon forums, posted multiple times,  no answers from Verizon. Found another issue with YouTube channel not showing HDR or Dolby Surround. Anybody out there have any answers?


@mtk12002 wrote:

I have been a happy Fios subscriber for the better part of 10 years and recently upgraded to the new Fios TV One VMS4100. I also am a former home theater technician/programmer/installer. Previously when I accessed the BUI Main Menu and changed the Audio Output to Pass Through (green button for 5+ seconds>User Settings>Additional Settings>Audio Output) on not just my box but my customer's also, it would pass the proper audio through to the AVR (audio/video receiver). When the station was broadcasting 5.1 channels, 5.1 channels would be sent via HDMI to the AVR and it would be decoded properly for the system that I or the customer had set up. If it was a stereo broadcast, the same would happen and it would be decoded and play on all speakers. Since I got the new box this isn't the case. Whether I set Audio Output to Pass Through or Auto, all I'm getting is 5.1 channels. This is a problem because all programming isn't in 5.1 channel surround sound. For example, MTV is broadcast in stereo and it should be passed to my AVR as such, but it's not. It's being sent from MTV to Fios in stereo then to my AVR from the VMS4100 as 5.1 channels but the broadcast is in stereo so the only speakers that work are the left and right front speakers regardless of what decoder I select on my AVR. The other 3 channels are missing so the AVR, or any AVR for that matter, can't decode channels that aren't there. The only way to make the audio acceptable is to switch the Audio Output to L-PCM when watching a show or program I know is in stereo every time which is a hassle and is definitely not acceptable since this wasn't an issue I've ever had with any Fios box previously. How this was overlooked is beyond me. I've spoken to/chatted with Fios Support regarding this issue and they told me that the VMS4100 was being developed and tested for 3 years and nobody noticed this flaw? They also didn't really understand what I was saying nor were they aware of when a firmware update might be rolled out to fix it. What's up and is anybody else experiencing this?




Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
Nilsa_VZ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hello All, 

We apologize for this inconvenience. The team has been notified and I will provide an update as soon as I hear back from them. I have provided all the examples on this thread.

Thank you for your patience. 

Nilsa 


Verizon Logo
Nilsa
Community Manager

Community Manager
Community Manager II
0 Likes
Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

The new 6.5 firmware update does NOT address any of the above audio or video issues.

Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
Tadslippy
Enthusiast - Level 1

Just switched from xfinity and the audio can’t believe no one else is talking about this.  Losing center channel playback on a ton of channels - even ones that should be carrying a full mix, but are appearently only stereo FiOS ondemand - is unacceptable. The box also seems to not remember the pcm setting.

0 Likes
Re: FiOS TV One VMS4100 Audio Pass Through Only Passing 5.1 Channels
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

I've been trying for months to get the audio pass through- pcm stereo issue fixed. Apparently it is not a priority for Verizon as other things are more visable, or more people are aware of them. Very few people focus on audio quality, hence it's a low priority. If you look in the diagnostic menu, you'll see some signals come in as stereo, some Dolby 5.1, some Dolby 5.1+. All get converted regardless of setting to Dolby 5.1 by the 4100 boxes. Dolby Audio compression is also applied across the board and is not optional. Not sure why you have dropouts on center channel, but I know it is not there on some broadcasts. I assume those are stereo being converted to 5.1 by the box, and the conversion is not creating a center channel. Are you seeing the issue on SD, HD or all channels? Going thru an AV Receiver? Try going to passthrough in service menu, not pcm stereo.