# HR10-250 with new LCD, HDMI audio problems with some recorded programs



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

I've been using the HR10-250 for years with HDMI video-only sending to a projector, while using the optical digital audio output to send Dolby Digital to my old receiver, with no sound problems. My HR10 software is 6.3e.

I just picked up an Sony KDL-40EX500 LCD TV and hooked it up to the HR10 HDMI through a 3x1 switch. On live and recorded HD programs, the sound plays fine on the TV (over HDMI). On live SD programs the audio seems to be fine.

However, when trying to play recorded SD programs from Now Playing, many times the video will play, but no sound will play on the TV. To try and get sound on these recorded programs, I go to out to Live TV and try to play an ATSC live channel where audio always comes through, then back to Now Playing and try to play the recorded program again. After 4 or 5 tries back and forth, the audio will usually start working and play normally on the recorded SD program.

...Ok, after a bit more testing...It seems that I can get audio to play reliably on SD recordings (with Dolby Digital) IF I put the HR10 in Standby, then Power On and go directly to Now Playing and play the recording. The issue seems to be with switching between Live TV and a recorded SD program. If I then go to Live TV and back to the SD recording again, audio doesn't play. If I turn on the HR10 and go directly to Live TV, then back to a recorded SD program, there is no audio most of the time.

EDIT: I found a second way to reliably get audio back: If I play the SD recording with no audio, then switch Inputs on the TV away from the HR10, then back...audio starts playing.


My current audio settings are: 
Dolby Digital: Yes, Record in Dolby Digital 
Digital Output: Dolby Digital

So it seems like my TV can decode the Dolby Digital over HDMI audio, but for some reason it doesn't like the audio on recorded SD programs (sometimes). I have tried changing Digital Output to Dolby Digital to PCM and that doesn't seem to improve the chances of audio playing on recorded SD programs. I would like to keep Dolby Digital on though, since I use my receiver for audio on most HD programs (digital optical out). On the other hand, I may watch other programs and SD programs using the TV speakers.

I don't see any settings in the TV audio or HDMI menu that seem related to this issue. I assume the TV audio format detection and decoding is all automatic and under the hood.

One last thing, I do have a 3x1 HDMI auto-switch between the TiVo and the TV. The switch has worked fine switching between video sources (I always have picture, no matter the audio issues). I don't know if the switch could be causing a problem for the TV trying to detect an audio stream, but it's very odd that Live TV would always play audio and some SD programs won't (unless I play them directly after powering on.)

I have a new 4x2 HDMI switch on the way, so I'll see if that makes any difference. When I change the switch, I'll also try a direct HDMI connection and see if that makes any difference.


Any suggestions on how to make sure HDMI audio plays on SD recordings without having to switch inputs or put the TiVo in Standby and Power On again every time? I'd like this to be as family friendly as possibly, so everyone can just turn on the TV and TiVo and watch Live TV and recorded shows normally without a big hassle.

Thanks for your advice.


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

I've had some issues with HDMI audio on the HR10 - my previous two receivers didn't like it but my current one (Pioneer SC-05) does. The HR10's HDMI design is back from the days when compatibility was a hit-or-miss affair. I ended up running optical audio when it didn't work.


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

stevel said:


> I've had some issues with HDMI audio on the HR10 - my previous two receivers didn't like it but my current one (Pioneer SC-05) does. The HR10's HDMI design is back from the days when compatibility was a hit-or-miss affair. I ended up running optical audio when it didn't work.


Thanks for the reply. My searches also turned up a lot of old discussions on HDMI audio issues. I guess this may just be the way it is.

I have my optical audio hooked up to my receiver already and it does work, so we can either switch on the receiver or toggle the TV inputs to get working audio.


----------



## LI-SVT (Sep 28, 2006)

Set the HR10 to convert the Dolby Digital to PCM. The setting is in the audio menu. The TV needs to tell the HR10 to down convert to PCM since the TV can only accept a two channel audio stream. That automatic feature never worked well for my HR10.


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

LI-SVT said:


> Set the HR10 to convert the Dolby Digital to PCM. The setting is in the audio menu.


Thanks for the suggestion, but that doesn't solve the issue of no sound when switching from Live ATSC to recorded SD. I mentioned that I tried that. (Also I still will be using the optical audio out to my receiver in some cases.)

I've just found a third way to get sound to play though: if I flip through the video output mode on the TiVo (480i-480p-720p-1080i) while playing an SD recording, the audio will start playing after changing modes.


----------



## LI-SVT (Sep 28, 2006)

Sorry, missed that. What about using component video and analog audio to the TV?


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

LI-SVT said:


> Sorry, missed that. What about using component video and analog audio to the TV?


A good suggestion, but I prefer the look of HDMI. Also I'm using an HDMI switcher to feed the TiVo, Blu-ray and HTPC into both the TV and a projector. So using another audio input would mean adding an audio switcher or manually switching settings whenever viewing different sources.

I'm trying to make this as simple and family-friendly as possible. Ideally (and before the new TV) I could just switch on either source, TiVo or Blu-ray and it would play on the old TV (with audio on TV speakers) or projector (with audio from the receiver).

So for now, I'm just going to live with switching inputs back and forth when audio doesn't play on an SD recording. It seems to be the simplest solution, although annoying. Otherwise, I can always turn on the receiver for audio (which I usually do for prime time shows or movies).

I did check the TV manual and it definitely supports Dolby Digital as well as PCM through HDMI. I also tried switching the TiVo to output PCM again and checked my receiver to see if the TiVo optical digital output was sending Dolby Digital or PCM to the receiver or not, but it wasn't (as expected). Anyway, this would mean we'd have to switch the TiVo settings every time we switch from a Dolby signal to an SD picture with standard MPEG audio. That's another more complicated solution.

Thanks for all the help. Now, I just have to explain why a brand new TV doesn't play sound on the old TiVo that's been working for years on the old setup.


----------



## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

Could the problem be your switcher? What happens if you connect the HR10-250's HDMI output directly to your TV? Let us know what happens when you get the new HDMI switch.


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

litzdog911 said:


> Could the problem be your switcher? What happens if you connect the HR10-250's HDMI output directly to your TV? Let us know what happens when you get the new HDMI switch.


Definitely a possibility. I'll test both when the new switcher arrives. I will need some sort of switcher to feed all my sources to two displays, so I'll have to re-think my connections if it only works with a direct connection.


----------



## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

markis said:


> Definitely a possibility. I'll test both when the new switcher arrives. I will need some sort of switcher to feed all my sources to two displays, so I'll have to re-think my connections if it only works with a direct connection.


In the mean time, what happens if the HR10-250 is connected directly to your TV without any switcher?


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

litzdog911 said:


> In the mean time, what happens if the HR10-250 is connected directly to your TV without any switcher?


Ok, just tested it. There's no difference with a single direct HDMI connection from the HR10 to the TV. I still have the same problem of no sound when playing SD recordings.

In fact, I turned everything on and there was no sound on the 800+ music channels. I tuned to a local over satellite SD channel and no sound. So, I flipped through the resolution modes (up arrow) and the sound started up.

I did a few more tests, powering off and going to standby and turning back on. Starting with an ATSC HD live broadcasts then going to an SD recording back and forth and the behavior was the same as through the 3x1 switcher.

After that, I put everything back through the switcher and tested again. Of course, I was still having the same problem as before. In one case, though I went from an HD live broadcast with sound to an SD recording and the sound played on the SD recording (which is unusual). From there, I went back to the live HD broadcast with sound, then back to the SD recording and there was no sound.

So, it doesn't happen 100% of the time, but most of the time when switching from Live ATSC TV or Live SD with Dolby to an SD recording with standard MPEG audio there won't be sound.

The 3 workarounds to get sound back are:

1) Put TiVo into standby, then power on and go directly to the SD recording. This seems to work most of the time.

2) While playing SD video without sound, use the UP arrow button on TiVo remote to flip through resolution modes. This always works.

3) While playing SD video without sound, use the INPUT button the TV remote to switch back and forth between HDMI and OTA broadcast. This always works.


----------



## Colby (Mar 2, 2003)

Don't know if this has anything to do with your scenario or not, but some of the early HR10-250s had issues with enabling both component-out and HDMI-out at the same time.

Here's the URL for how to fix it (via telnet):
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=298233&highlight=HR10+HDMI+component


----------



## markis (Mar 1, 2005)

Colby said:


> Don't know if this has anything to do with your scenario or not, but some of the early HR10-250s had issues with enabling both component-out and HDMI-out at the same time.


Thanks for the link. I read all the comments, but I'm not sure it applies in my case. Anyway, it did give me the idea to remove the redundant component cable connection from my HR10, in case that was somehow causing an issue.

Over the weekend, I still had intermittent HDMI audio problems on the HR10 and while watching one HD broadcast I noticed some audio drop outs through the TV speakers. They didn't repeat when I replayed the same section on the TV. And the drop outs also didn't repeat when I listed through the digital optical audio output to my receiver. So, it seems like the HDMI audio on this unit is just glitchy and unreliable.

My 4x2 switch arrived today and after a bit of trouble, it seems to be working well now after trying different input/output combinations.

I haven't noticed an audio problem after adding the new switch. I found a discussion on my switch that says it might automatically down-convert audio to 2-channel PCM. If that is truly the case, it might help send a better signal to my TV.

Otherwise, I guess I'll live with the audio glitches for casual viewing or use the optical audio output through the receiver for consistent sound.


----------

