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Sky Q 1TB box + Arc audio loss on SD channels

  • December 16, 2022
  • 8 replies
  • 514 views
M

Hi all, 

I've been having an audio related issue with my sonos arc using a Sky Q 1TB box. In the past month or so, when changing from a HD channel to a SD (standard def) channel, I suddenly lose sound altogether. The only temporary solution I have found to rectify this is to turn off the Sky Q box via the remote, turn it back on, then the audio comes back again. This does seem to happen infrequently, but when it does it's incredibly frustrating as you can imagine.

My audio setting on my Sky Q box is set to Dolby Digital. I really do not want to have to change this to normal.

My in built TV Netflix app supports dolby atmos without any problems. 

I have updated all software, including on the Sky Box, my TV, my App via play store, to no avail.

My TV for reference is a

Philips - 65PUS7556/12

If anyone else is having a similar problem please let me know. Any help is appreciated.

Many thanks,

Harrison. 

Best answer by Corry P

Hi @Maguire245 

I wasn’t trying to say that the video quality is irrelevant, just that the issue does not lie with the Beam, and is less likely to lie with the TV than with the Sky box. The fact that the issue only occurs when SD is being played is indicative of the issue being with the only device that “cares” SD is playing, but it’s certainly not proof. The Beam certainly doesn’t react in any way to different video properties as it is never told them to begin with - this was the driving force behind my train of thought.

In the Sonos app, which formats do you see playing as you switch from HD to SD and then after rebooting the Sky device and getting SD sound once more?

Do you encounter the same issue when using the TV’s own speakers and not the Beam? If you do, that would perhaps allow Sky to take more responsibility - they don’t make a lot of TV sets, after all, so there’s always going to be some third party hardware involved.

 

Another train of thought entirely:

CEC conflicts are a relatively common source of issues - this could go some way to explaining why a reboot of the Sky box fixes it. If the Sky box has any HDMI-CEC related settings, please try disabling them (they’ll probably relate to power, volume and TV input switching) and testing once more. If it has no such settings, please try connecting your Beam to your TV via optical using the included HDMI-Optical adaptor - this may be another way of avoiding CEC conflicts. If this puts an end to the issue but you’d rather have the full HDMI functionality on the Beam, you could fit a cheap CEC-less HDMI adaptor to the HDMI lead for the Sky box instead.

A CEC conflict would make the Beam stop playing any TV audio - does your TV or Sky box make sounds when navigating their menus? If so, it would be interesting to find out if you can still hear them (from the Beam) while SD is playing without audio being heard.

I hope this helps.

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8 replies

G

Is the Digital Out Format setting on the TV set to Multichannel or Multichannel (bypass)? Does either setting make a difference with the Sky Q audio issue?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
M
  • Maguire245
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 16, 2022

The digital out is set to multichannel bypass. I've had the TV for just over a year now but have never experienced said issue beforehand on the same setting. 

controlav
Forum|alt.badge.img+24
  • controlav
  • Lead Maestro
  • December 16, 2022

I recall another thread where the Sky box emitted Dolby Digital 1.0 (ie MONO!) which is not a supported codec.

I also find it bizarre that there is such a thing as SD channels in 2022, but then I see you are in the UK and remembered my Mum’s problems with the lack of HD on her local BBC channels, some of the time. I think its been a decade since I watched an SD channel.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.
M
  • Maguire245
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 16, 2022

The lowest codec I ever experience is Stereo PCM on a SD channel. 

It is a joke that in 2022 the music channels aren't all streaming in HD. They sure get plenty enough money 🙄

Corry P
Forum|alt.badge.img+19
  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • December 21, 2022

Hi @Maguire245 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

When a TV or sound-bar play audio, it makes no difference to them what quality the video is, so I recommend you contact Sky for support - the fact that a reboot of the Sky box alone fixes the issue is enough to suggest they’re the right people to contact.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
M
  • Maguire245
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 21, 2022

Hi,

I was reaching out to others on this community to see if anyone else was having a similar problem. I have already contacted sky and have not come to any resolution other than potentially replacing my sky box at the expense of my own pocket. "The audio hardware isn't our own, as its third party we do not have liability", was their response. 

The above was merely discussion started by another user, I do understand that video quality and audio quality are two different things, however the latter will be affected, as with reduced video quality it can affect audio quality, and vice versa. To rule out video quality entirely would be naive to say the least. 

Corry P
Forum|alt.badge.img+19
  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • Answer
  • December 21, 2022

Hi @Maguire245 

I wasn’t trying to say that the video quality is irrelevant, just that the issue does not lie with the Beam, and is less likely to lie with the TV than with the Sky box. The fact that the issue only occurs when SD is being played is indicative of the issue being with the only device that “cares” SD is playing, but it’s certainly not proof. The Beam certainly doesn’t react in any way to different video properties as it is never told them to begin with - this was the driving force behind my train of thought.

In the Sonos app, which formats do you see playing as you switch from HD to SD and then after rebooting the Sky device and getting SD sound once more?

Do you encounter the same issue when using the TV’s own speakers and not the Beam? If you do, that would perhaps allow Sky to take more responsibility - they don’t make a lot of TV sets, after all, so there’s always going to be some third party hardware involved.

 

Another train of thought entirely:

CEC conflicts are a relatively common source of issues - this could go some way to explaining why a reboot of the Sky box fixes it. If the Sky box has any HDMI-CEC related settings, please try disabling them (they’ll probably relate to power, volume and TV input switching) and testing once more. If it has no such settings, please try connecting your Beam to your TV via optical using the included HDMI-Optical adaptor - this may be another way of avoiding CEC conflicts. If this puts an end to the issue but you’d rather have the full HDMI functionality on the Beam, you could fit a cheap CEC-less HDMI adaptor to the HDMI lead for the Sky box instead.

A CEC conflict would make the Beam stop playing any TV audio - does your TV or Sky box make sounds when navigating their menus? If so, it would be interesting to find out if you can still hear them (from the Beam) while SD is playing without audio being heard.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
Airgetlam
M
  • Maguire245
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 23, 2022

If the video quality was reduced significantly via a very poor signal, the audio reproduction would indefinitely take a hit, so although it doesn't 'react' to audio quality, it does have potential to be lost, irrelevant to SD or HD. 

I have no doubt that the Sky box is at fault here, and to answer your second question, my TVs own speakers work fine.

The CEC can be turned on or off, however the underlying issue has been a non event as of the past week. Seeing as the convenience of it being on outweighs any problem I'm currently facing, I'm not going to be turning it off. 

I'm going to leave the HDMI setup as it is. I regularly use it for dolby atmos, so an optical cable isn't an option.

Thanks for the suggestions, however the problem seems to of self resolved for now. 

Corry P
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