TX-RC360 / TX-NR609 DD2.0 decoding issue - audio cutting in and out

I'll provide additional info if it helps.
My HTPC runs on Win7 x64 and the output goes via an nvidia GT430 (I've tried different drivers with no result)
I've tried playing the video files with XBMC, mpc-hc (with ffdshow codecs) and powerdvd and they all give me the same result.
If I bitstream the DD2.0 I get audio drops and small 'clicks" in the sound.
If I let the player decode the DD2.0 all is fine.

I also tried hocking up a Dune HD Max (stock firmware and their latest beta) and still the same audio drops.
Again, if I let the Dune decode the DD2.0 everything is fine.

Hi cyradix,

I have sent another request to our engineering department on this matter as I have not heard back from them.

cyradix wrote:I'll provide additional info if it helps.
My HTPC runs on Win7 x64 and the output goes via an nvidia GT430 (I've tried different drivers with no result)
I've tried playing the video files with XBMC, mpc-hc (with ffdshow codecs) and powerdvd and they all give me the same result.
If I bitstream the DD2.0 I get audio drops and small 'clicks" in the sound.
If I let the player decode the DD2.0 all is fine.

I also tried hocking up a Dune HD Max (stock firmware and their latest beta) and still the same audio drops.
Again, if I let the Dune decode the DD2.0 everything is fine.

I have the exact same problem with a similar setup and an onkyo 809 at the latest firmware.
Please find a solution to this problem soon or ill return it.
//Patrick

Hi Frostfire,

I still have not heard anything back from our engineering department as of yet. Please understand the only thing I can do is send the request.

OnkyoUSA wrote:I still have not heard anything back from our engineering department as of yet. Please understand the only thing I can do is send the request.

Perhaps it's time to forward this request to someone other than engineering. I think 6 months shows an extreme level of patience on the part of your customers (that's how long I've had this faulty receiver). Does Onkyo have a similar receiver that can play DD 2.0? If so, don't you agree that maybe it's time to simply replace those receivers that can't?

Hi forum users,

Please check the following link and let me know if any apply, this will help our engineering department also. Thank you.

http://forums.att.com/t5/Setup-and-Self-Install/Audio-drop-out-with-hdmi/td-p/2676657

OnkyoUSA wrote:Hi forum users,

Please check the following link and let me know if any apply, this will help our engineering department also. Thank you.

http://forums.att.com/t5/Setup-and-Self-Install/Audio-drop-out-with-hdmi/td-p/2676657

"Certain audio receivers are known to be much more tolerant of the dropouts than others."
This is a bit disturbing. As I said, my Denon AVR-1707 receiver does not exhibit this problem at all, nor does my Samsung UN55D7050 TV using digital audio. Evidently, these are among the more tolerant decoders. Clearly, the complete audio is present, or these decoders wouldn't be able to do this. Does Onkyo have access to a U-Verse STB to do an analysis of the DD2.0 data that it's sending? If some receivers can decode it and others can't, perhaps there are some obscure DD functions that Onkyo simply has not implemented, or perhaps AT&T is using some undocumented features that some receivers are able to handle. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part.
FWIW, my STB is a so-called 2nd gen Cisco STB, but the problem remains.

OnkyoUSA wrote:Hi forum users,

Please check the following link and let me know if any apply, this will help our engineering department also. Thank you.

http://forums.att.com/t5/Setup-and-Self-Install/Audio-drop-out-with-hdmi/td-p/2676657

Sorry but this doesn't apply at all as I don't even have a Uverse STB (I'm waaaay over in Europe)
I have this problem with my mediaplayer + TX-NR609
I borrowed a friends old TX-SR307 and it plays the DD2.0 just fine

Hi mikehartigan,

You mention that you have a 2nd gen Cisco, may I have the model number?

Hi cyradix,

What is the model number of your media player that you mentioned? Also have you checked with our European support yet on this?

OnkyoUSA wrote:Hi mikehartigan,

You mention that you have a 2nd gen Cisco, may I have the model number?

I'm using a Cisco ISB7005. One of the posts in the AT&T thread you cited refers to this as a "2nd-gen IPTV unit".

Hi mikehartigan,

Thank you for the information. We are currently looking into this.

Only on ATT U-Verse 1225 stations that broadcast Audio in Dolby 2.0 Channel... Information - Audio in setup shows "Dolby 2.0" then "unknown" whenever dropout occurs.
Great receiver other than that.

I just bought a TX-NR709 and I have the same issue. Digital 2.0 audio from the AT&T Uverse Cisco IPN4320 box to the 709, either via HDMI or toslink, displays a very frequent, brief, significant audio volume drop. Sounds like a stutter or a cutting in and out. It seems to occur more frequently with louder sounds and with high- and low-frequency sounds. It is definitely more than just an annoyance - it makes the receiver unusable for this content.

My only "solution" so far has been to turn the receiver off and pass the hdmi to the TV, which then plays the audio correctly via the TV speakers.

My previous receiver was an Onkyo 304 and I did not have this problem.

It seems from this discussion that Onkyo does not intend to fix this issue, or this forum is not a good way to get the issue looked at. Should I return the receiver? Is there a way I should contact engineering? What are my options?

Hi Yar,

I will send the request again.

OnkyoUSA wrote:Hi Yar,

I will send the request again.

Let me be blunt...Can Onkyo go about investigating and fixing this as if it is something wrong with Onkyo software? Stop trying to point the finger elsewhere. In the networking world there's something called a packet sniffer. I've got to imagine something similar exists for optical connections. Send me the sniffer, I'll capture the data, and send back to you for analysis & resolution. Please stop stalling and offer us all a fix to this VERY annoying problem.

Wow cant belive this problem has been going on for so long. I have a rc180 and a sr703 that has the same problem with the ATT unverse box. Any update on a fix? I see some on this forum did some type of update. Did that fix any of the sound problems?

It's not just the AT&T Uverse boxes, it is with any device that bitstreams DD2.0 to the Onkyo receiver
I wonder if their engineering department has even acknowledged there is a problem...

Come om now, 2 more months and still no answer?
Is this what Onkyo think of as support?

tbobtx wrote:I am using ATT UVERSE with HD package.
The issue I have is audio drop-out/stuttering on the HD channels but I have narrowed it down to DD2.1/2.0 (dolby Digital 2.0) feed.
DD2.0 is mainly in use on Spike, TNT, USA, CNN, some NBC,FX, Speed, USA. Even if I change modes to Dolby PL or Neo6, the issue is still there which tells me it is a decode issue and not a post processing issue.
NOTE: The receiver does not have issues when decoding DD5.1 stream. This happens on HDMI and Optical interfaces.

This issue only started when I got this Receiver mainly for HDMI upscaling capability and streaming networked audio(that's another issue).

FYI, before you start blaming the Uverse service, My older HK320 which only had optical audio and component video does not have an issue with DD2.1/2.0

It is not just the DVR since I moved my DVR to another TV room and put plain decoder box in my main room. This did not make any difference.

My 2 cents: There must be a bug or timing data/packet info for DD2.0 code that may have been removed while your or TI engineers added all these memory hogging Dolby HD and DTS master formats.

Please help because this is driving me crazy and I have already had to send my receiver in twice with no luck. They replacing HDMI board twice.

Hello Onkyo CS,

I have had to deal with this issue for almost 6months and you have been trying to get engineering attention for at least last 2 months on this problem but I dont see any updates on what engineering is doing to correct this decoding software lapse. I need answers and I need them now.

I know CS is doing all you can from a standpoint of relaying issue to Engineering and I am hoping our issue with this product line/familty of receivers is being dealt with and not falling on deaf ears or as I have seen in some posts, blaming ATT Uverse for this problem when it is definitely a decoder issue inside the receiver.

FYI, I used to work for an audio DSP company in product marketing and I understand the issue at hand and tried to convey this in my first post. If your engineers or project managers want to setup a conference call with me, we can arrange this. Just send me a PM.

Again, I cannot keep waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to decide to do something. If you give us a timeline of let's say 2 weeks or 1 month, that is okay but I am not going to sit around because Soon it will be 1yr and then 18mo and so on and then you will say sorry, the model is outdated and is no longer supported and where does that put me.
My problem is now!!!

regards
TBOB

tbobtx wrote:I am using ATT UVERSE with HD package.
The issue I have is audio drop-out/stuttering on the HD channels but I have narrowed it down to DD2.1/2.0 (dolby Digital 2.0) feed.
DD2.0 is mainly in use on Spike, TNT, USA, CNN, some NBC,FX, Speed, USA. Even if I change modes to Dolby PL or Neo6, the issue is still there which tells me it is a decode issue and not a post processing issue.
NOTE: The receiver does not have issues when decoding DD5.1 stream. This happens on HDMI and Optical interfaces.

This issue only started when I got this Receiver mainly for HDMI upscaling capability and streaming networked audio(that's another issue).

FYI, before you start blaming the Uverse service, My older HK320 which only had optical audio and component video does not have an issue with DD2.1/2.0

It is not just the DVR since I moved my DVR to another TV room and put plain decoder box in my main room. This did not make any difference.

My 2 cents: There must be a bug or timing data/packet info for DD2.0 code that may have been removed while your or TI engineers added all these memory hogging Dolby HD and DTS master formats.

Please help because this is driving me crazy and I have already had to send my receiver in twice with no luck. They replacing HDMI board twice.

Hello Onkyo CS,

I have had to deal with this issue for almost 1yr with 2 repairs since November to resolve this issue. Since i was told to only try get resolution through forum since Aprile, you have been trying to get engineering attention I don't see any updates on what engineering is doing to correct this decoding software lapse. I need answers and I need them now.

I know CS is doing all you can from a standpoint of relaying issue to Engineering and I am hoping our issue with this product line/familty of receivers is being dealt with and not falling on deaf ears or as I have seen in some posts, blaming ATT Uverse for this problem when it is definitely a decoder issue inside the receiver.

FYI, I used to work for an audio DSP company in product marketing and I understand the issue at hand and tried to convey this in my first post. If your engineers or project managers want to setup a conference call with me, we can arrange this. Just send me a PM.

Again, I cannot keep waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to decide to do something. If you give us a timeline of let's say 2 weeks or 1 month, that is okay but I am not going to sit around because Soon it will be 18mo and then 2yrs and so on and then you will say sorry, the model is outdated, out of warranty, and is no longer supported and where does that put me?

My problem is now!!!

regards
TBOB

Another week another bump.
Don't tell me I have to go back to Denon for my next receiver??

Hi forum users,

I apologize for the delay but this is from our engineering department who spoke with an engineer at Motorola/AT&T who stated they do have an issue with their software. Our engineering department has requested that if you have these issues to contact your respective ISP for further assistance.

Thank you.

OnkyoUSA wrote:Hi forum users,

I apologize for the delay but this is from our engineering department who spoke with an engineer at Motorola/AT&T who stated they do have an issue with their software. Our engineering department has requested that if you have these issues to contact your respective ISP for further assistance.

Thank you.

i see so AT&T uverse only has an issue with Onkyo receivers since everyone else with different brands dont seem to have this?
also, some people have tried to watch movies and audio in AC3 2.0/2.1 and also have this issue running audio through these receivers but dont have this issue running straight to TV or having PS3 do decoding instead of receiver. So how do you explain this?

Indeed! So my HTPC, my PS3 and the Dune HD Max mediaplayer I tried ALL have the exact same software problem as the Motorola/AT&T boxes???
What a coincidence!!
Yet when I hook any of those 3 devices up to an older model Onkyo receiver the DD2.0 problem is gone
Must be a clever Motorola bug to infect other devices but hide itself when switching receivers...