Audio Quality Problem
digitaldarknes5
Contributor - Level 1

Hey everyone,

I live in Tampa, FL and I've had an audio quality issue (only on certain channels) ever since I got FiOS TV installed. On Discovery (120), Comedy Central, WGN (local) and all the home shopping channels, the audio sounds like AM Radio. It's not in stereo and it sounds absolutely aweful on all three of the STBs outputs (coax, rca, optical out).. I've called tech support at least 6 times and had tickets issued to an "NT" every time. They call back (when I'm not home to answer unfortunately) and tell me nothing is wrong and that it must be something at my house.. So they send a tech out, and the tech says everything is normal, all the signal levels are great, no issues found but admitted that it did sound really bad on those channels. This happens on all 4 STBs.. So I'm thinking this has got to be a problem at either the VHO (the big main office) for my area or the CO down the road.. The reason I think this is because ONE TIME, the "NT" fixed the problem.. I was watching when he did it.. Unfortunately, it only stayed fixed for one day. He said it had something to do with the software update and that it was a problem at the VHO, yet, no matter how many times I tell tech support to specifically put into the ticket that it has been fixed once by them, they never do fix it.. I'm really at a dead end here, constantly being cycled through tech support and having the NTs throw the monkey back on me saying it's my equipment, but I really don't think it is.. Does anyone have, or has had any issue like this, and if so, how did it get fixed?

Re: Audio Quality Problem
izub
Enthusiast - Level 3
I live in the Seattle area...i have a similar issue 6 sd channels are absolutely awful sound loud and boomy...this is hooked up via optical...all my other 200 channels are perfect... 3 boxes, 3 techs to the house and it's my receiver they say...this is annoying as hell
Re: Audio Quality Problem
G-Pon
Contributor - Level 1

Well, the Tampa and Seattle areas are definitely not served by the same VHO! (Video Hub Office) If you two guys (and any others having this issue) would please e-mail me on this site and give the channels numbers along with the channels names? The internal software has only global audio settings for all channels. It is highly unlikely the set-top box could foul a selected channel’s audio.

Any cable provider can only re-play to you what is sent to them, if the Food Channel sends bad looking sushi to Verizon, we have no other choice but to send it to you, but if we are getting a poor quality feed from one of those providers we probably would be able to get the NT ticket process to resolve it.

Thank you for the extra information and letting me look into it for you!

Re: Audio Quality Problem
izub
Enthusiast - Level 3

I am in Kenmore Wa 98028...This is happenning as soon as I change the channel, all the time (and recordings also) only on these sd channels; 4 (abc)

 9 (pbs) ...11 KCTS)..... 13 (Fox) .....19 local news channel and... 23 some weird local station...It is so loud that it seems that my speakers will blow..

.I am hooked up via optical.. No problems playing  ANY other stations , DVD, radio etc...Thanks for any help...emailed to The Sanchez also...

Re: Audio Quality Problem
bull3964
Enthusiast - Level 3

 Count me in.  Pittsburgh, 190 Comedy Central has horrible boomy audio.  Sounds like an old clock radio.  I know it's not the channel iteself because I've had the issue since I got FIOS and was able to compare between FIOS and Comcast when I still had it.  Audio was normal from comcast and really bad from FIOS.  So, if Verizon really is passing the audio exactly how they get it from Comedy Central, they need to follow up with CC because this isn't the audio quality they are sending to other providors.  This is the only station that I've noticed it on.

I posted a thread about this awile back and never got any responses on it.

Re: Audio Quality Problem
izub
Enthusiast - Level 3
Same here...with Comcast no sound issues...Would not go back, picture and other HD channels are way better!
Re: Audio Quality Problem
vbdallas
Enthusiast - Level 2

I am also experiencing the poor sound quality outside Dallas, TX - in Coppell specifically.  FX, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney Channel, and about 7 others have noticeably bad sound.  It sounds like the audio is being transmitted at a very low bit rate.  It is most comparable to a poorly streamed audio file on the internet.  Sounds are garbled and "blown out."  It is almost like frequencies above and below a certain level are being clipped.

This is probably a direct result of squeezing too many channels in.  They reduce the bit rate on sound to an "acceptable level" and hope we don't complain. 

My FIOS is less than 1 month old and I have called tech support each of the last 3 weeks.  They do not have a clue what is wrong or how to fix it.  They are sending a tech out tomorrow to swap the box.  Sounds identical to Comcast's lame excuses.  "Oh, it must be your box sir.  We'll send a tech out between sunup and sundown to swap boxes." 

I am not going through this song and dance again.  I've already filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  Verizon needs to fix this or I am taking my business elsewhere.

Re: Audio Quality Problem
digitaldarknes5
Contributor - Level 1
Wow, my problems mirror yours. Word for word, same channels, everything. Only I'm in Tampa, FL.. So what gives, VZ?
Re: Audio Quality Problem
bull3964
Enthusiast - Level 3

I would like to add that this  has been partially resolved for me as of Monday.  I say partially for a few reasons.

It doesn't seem to stick.  While watching my recording of monday night's daily show, there was a blip in the broadcast, temporarly macro blocking, followed by no sound.  If I paused, and it pay again the sound was perfect, great quality, right volume.  The subsuqent Colbert Report recording was also flawless.  When I watched futurama live later that night it was also flawless.

Ok, what about the next day's recording of Daily Show?  The audio was reverted back to the poor quality (though, I will say the levels are matched much better so it doesn't stand out as bad from the other channels).  The whole run of the Daily Show was poor quality.  I then started playback of my Colbert Report recording.  There was poor audio for awhile, then a similar blip that I noted the day before followed by no audio.  I paused the DVR and hit play again and the audio came back and was high quality for the remainder of the episode.  However, at 1am for Futurama, the audio was reverted again.

So, it does seem like it's being worked on some.  It seems that something gets reset (which goofs up the transport stream to the point where the DVR loses the audio track until  you pause and restart), the audio quality is good for awhile, but then it slips back to poor quality later. 

Message Edited by bull3964 on 02-05-2009 07:39 AM
Re: Audio Quality Problem
digitaldarknes5
Contributor - Level 1
I have also experienced something similar. I don't have a DVR, but there are times when I've been watching and there is a blip, and the audio goes up to high quality for a few hours, but then returns to poor quality. I agree that it might be something they're working on, but I'd really like it if someone would keep us posted as to what they're doing about it 😉