Sound Problem with Pioneer AX10 and Sky HD box since upgrade

rentagas

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Basically I've had quite a serious problem with my amp since the firmaware upgrade to anytime described here:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=557852

My HD box is connected via optical to my ax10 outputting 5.1. Whenever sky HD content is accessed from the hard disc for the first second or so there is a loud crack which seems to trip the protection circuits on the amp taking down at least one channel on the amplifier this occurs even if the amp is muted or the sound is turned down

It occurs when:
Live pause restarts
After fast forwarding eg through adverts
On playback of recorded content
With each clip of anytime preview

It only occurs with HD content in 5.1

Has anyone else had this problem?

It started when the box was updated for anytime
As a result I had a replacement box on the assumption I had a faulty box. The new box was fine until it downloaded the firmware and then the problem started again
I have other HD sources connected in a similar way ie XBox 360, PS3, HDDVD player and they are fine
The video is routed through the player as component and the only audio connection is the optical connection

I have been in touch with both sky and pioneer
 
I have the same amp and have the same problem since the upgrade, but have been away on holiday so have not reported it. I will contact sky today
 
Yes all sorted this Saturday. New box, but that wasn't the problem. It turned out to be a problem with the dish. The engineer changed the lnb as the 2nd input was damaged. I still cannot believe that it was the problem and need to look at the box to see if it is a later model.
The reason I cannot believe that the problem was with the 2nd feed is we have recorded two hd channels at the same time in the past and the sound issue was on both programmes. Anyway all seems fine now still had to wait a month with no sub refund for the inconvenience and the fact that I could not watch hd for a month.
 
I had this the other day whilst watching 24. After FFWD the adverts I got a loud high pitched white noise type sound for a second once I hit play. I have since watched Lost and Rescue me and not had it happen again. I did however reboot my box and wonder if that solved it. I'll need to wait till next weeks 24 to see if it occurs again on that as I deleted it after watching.

SKY updates are a nightmare. Seems there is always something unfixed when they occur:thumbsdow
 
I had this the other day whilst watching 24. After FFWD the adverts I got a loud high pitched white noise type sound for a second once I hit play.

SKY updates are a nightmare. Seems there is always something unfixed when they occur:thumbsdow

Thats the exact problem except it was every hd programme
 
has the new box downloaded the latest software yet? Do you both have an AX10?
Thanks for your help
 
Gents, thanks for starting this thread, i have today registered to avforums after browsing since i got HD June 2006 last year (this is my second post)

I have seen the exact same problems as you guys.

I have a Pioneer VSA Ax1Ai and that does not cause any problems with shrieking noise. My brother also has a Pioneer but the Ax10i version which some of you guys have and he has the exact problem.

To confirm, this happens when you playback anything recorded, you can pause, forward and it will occur every time or every other time both on the planner and the anytime recordings. If you live pause and rewind and play you will get it also, however switching between program channels running real time there is no issue. This issue is worrying my brother also as the shriek/noise is harsh and can damage his Kef THX speakers. I have raised a call with Sky, and the second Tier team have had the information escalated to them. I believe this is certainly related to a software bug.

I think one of you guys had an lnb replaced (however not sure if signal issue as my brothers signal is close to 100%?) or a box, so it is possible you may be running a different/older model or software version on the replaced box. I have browsed all the threads on this forum and the Dig**spy forums and there are others with the exact same problem and they have other makes of amps. The Ax10ai i have is a slightly more refined amp and maybe controlling the optical input signal to avoid the noise.

Try setting the input on your amp to auto instead of dolby digital this will allow the amp to take more time to determine the signal and reduce the likelyhood of getting the noise every time but it will not stop it. At the moment my brother mutes the amp each time he playsback anything in fear of damage which is ridiculous and we should not need to do.

Finally, i have contacted pioneer who are aware of the issue and emphasise that this is a sky software bug and is in skys hands. So we may need to escalate this to them regularly so they are aware we are sitting patiently as possible on this.

Sorry about the long thread but hope this info helps, please keep the updates coming in and i will let you guys know if i find anything.

BTW can you keep an ear out for this annoying sound drop issue as i have been plagued with it for the last few months so am going to be updating the appropriate threads...

Thx

Yousaf
 
Thanks

I involve both sky and pioneer in this at the onset and have had several repeated discsussions with them including the second tier group. I have also pointed them towards the thread on here and digitalspy. It's getting to the stage where I can't bear to watch recorded stuff on my HD box!
 
Update. I haven't been using my amp much because of having my plasma repared/replaced, so I bought a projector from work as a replacement and I now have the same noise problem with my ax10i and the new hd box. I will be contacting them today
 
I think the problem is the anytime software, like you I had a replacement box which was fine until it downloaded the software that had caused the problem in the original box!
 
No, plasma has been binned new one arriving tomorrow and have been having building work done, so have not rung them yet
 
I also have an AX10i and have this problem with all HD channels since the ANYTIME release.

A work around is to disable Dolby Digital option in the the SKY HD menu. Everything used to work fine before this release, and before that with my sky+ box. It's definately a bug in the latest skyHD software.
 
I have a pioneer 2016 and noticed this crack sound for the first time yesterday watching Movies HD 2. I think it was when the adverts (in stereo) ended and the film in DD started.

Shaz
 
Mine's still doing it
Given the time Sky have known about this it is fairly poor there is still no solution
I've pointed them to this forum as evidence it seems to be a real problem
It's actually putting me off watching anything on the sky box which means I am wasting my subscription!
Sunday is lost and 24 day and I am not looking forward to the inevitable interupted sound every time I pause or fast forward through the adverts!
 
have you definately set the audio option to NORMAL instead of DOLBY D on the skyHD box?
 
Disabling dolby digital does stop this happening as does listening to programmes through the TV speakers or using the RF feed to watch things.

I value the improved sound almost as much as the improved picture of HD, disabling the digital output is not an acceptable solution in my view.
 
I agree, but out of the choice of having your speakers blown up, or listing in Dolby ProLogic rather than Dolby D; I know which I would choose
 
I agree, but out of the choice of having your speakers blown up, or listing in Dolby ProLogic rather than Dolby D; I know which I would choose


I agree.

I can't remember what the limit is for the small claims court but clearly sky know about this problem and have done nothing about it.
 
I agree with all here, have posted about this previously on this thread.

The problem started with the anytime version of software that downloaded to the boxes. My brother has a Pioneer AX10i and he recently got his boxed swapped as did some of the guys who have posted. He currently is on the older sofware with no anytime and does not get the problem. He is not going to force the update so he can use DD without the noise (until the box automatically updates of course) then the problem will come back, unless the next update to the boxes is something new that solves the problem.

He has no anytime at the moment but at least he does not have to mute the amp each time he plays or forwards etc.

BTW anyone put more pressure on sky to sort this DD sound dropouts that are plaguing all the movies.
 
Well just had my second box fitted in a week and still no better. I have noticed that if you set the amp to auto, it does help as long as you don't have the sinc delay set. not a cure I know but it helps.
 
Hello,

very interesting thread this, i had a similar incident way back in january while watching the Star Wars day on new years day. after each adbreak there was about a second of high pitched white noise when it kicked back up to 5.1 i thought nothing of it at the time.

when i started watching SD channel the next day i got nothing but noise. turns out that this noise had blown my front speakers. which was a nice start to the new year. :thumbsdow

i have a Harmon Kardon AVR8500 amp connected by optical from the sky box.

more of a heads up for those of you sufferring this problem.

hope none of you suffer the same outcome.
 
This is still an ongoing problem.

To summarise it has been a problem since the anytime launch. I had a new box which initially was OK but developed the problem as soon as it got the anytime update.

The problem is a loud crack and a hiss that occurs when a HD recording starts with a dolby digital, but not necessarily 5.1, starts. If it does not blow the amps protection circuits playback then occurs without a problem. It occurs on starting live pause, fast forwarding through a recording and pressing "play" and on scrolling through the anytime preview menu. The only cure is to turn off dolby digital output from the optical out in the menu.

Sky suggested it was a feedback effect because of speaker level differences:
-changed these with no effect, it still happens
-the pre amp protection still blows with the sound muted or turned right down

Suggested a forced update-didn't work

Suggested a "front panel" reset- wiping hard disk (in fact on a HD box is top panel reset!)-didn't work

In fact prior to the reset I swapped my HD box for another box (ie a third box)-didn't work, but at least some of my recordings are preserved on the original box, now used in a bedroom

Quite keen to get this working........................
 

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