SBS Audio Squeak Problem

[cak]

Hi all,

For about the last couple of weeks l have been getting a high pitched audio squeak on both SBS and SBS Viceland channels which has made watching them just about impossible. It appears SBS have made some changes recently and they are now broadcasting contents with alternate audio tracks for hearing impaired people which l believe is causing the issue with the audio squeak. I have found a fix that will get rid of the squeak however it is not perfect as the setting you need to change does not get saved as the default after making the change. What does that mean, well a couple of button pushes and no more squeak on SBS or SBS Viceland but if you change to a different channel and then back to SBS you will need to change the Alternate Audio setting again. I am not sure if it is possible to get this change to become the default setting and would be keen to hear if anyone knows how to do that?

Below is the settings that need to be changed to fix the squeak.

Hit the info button while on SBS or SBS Viceland channels
Scroll down to the speaker icon on the right hand side of the info dialog box and hit select to access the Alternate Audio Settings
Once in the Alternate Audio Settings you need to change from Language Unknown (aus) to English-MPEG1
Squeak gone..

603

604

I hope this helps anyone that is having the same issue and if someone finds out how to make the MPEG-1 the default setting please let me know.

[chrismclennan]

Thank you, incredibly helpful!

[Nippy]

My ears are bad and dont hear the squeak unless I really focus on it. On the other hand the squeak has been driving my wife nuts!

Thank You from me and THANK YOU from my wife!

[simonshead]

It took me about a month to figure this out myself, it's that time of the year when it gets cold that I develop very bad antenna problems losing channels, and I got sidetracked chasing ghosts trying to improve reception. I thought this was a related problem.

Anyway... installing a new relocated antenna aside, I can sort of live with having to change to the alternate setting to stop the annoying screeching if I'm watching it live. The problem is, when you want to record a program on these two HD channels (#30 and #31), the TiVo changes the current channel and starts recording the squeaky mpeg4? audio stream. If you catch it early enough, you can manually change it to the mpeg1 stream, and the rest of the show will be recorded with usable audio. It sort of makes a joke of setting a season pass to something as an unattended recording as you are only going to get the BAD audio. If you catch it in the middle of the show and change it to mpeg1, the first half of your recording will still have the screech. I must not be receiving HD on World Movies & Food (#32, #33) as they're fine when ever I watch it.

I don't know why SBS couldn't have made the standard audio the default. I think they changed it so they could have alternative audio as well -- some shows now also have spoken word dialogue over the top of the standard soundtrack for visually impaired viewers, and that data is being decoded as squeaks even if the narration isn't there. I watched a couple of shows and thought the narration was intentionally part of the program until the penny dropped. It seemed to have been activated by itself without intervention by me. Seeing that 99% of the population aren't visually challenged and don't need these features enabled, I'm at a loss as to why they would make this stream the default and enable narration. I'm going to try and speak to someone at SBS in the technical section to sort out what is going on. They seem to have a few contact numbers for antenna problems and reception difficulties on their website.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what other solution we can devise for the TiVo OS.

Here is a short example of the audio defect, and narration on the main audio channel. There was no alternative audio on this program.


https://youtu.be/l5JvP5HFiw8

[simonshead]

Here is the SBS webpage describing their Audio Description trial and what is due for the future: https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/audio-description-services. I have been in contact with them and it appears we are the first to report such a problem. Has anyone else had experience with their TV tuner or other PVR exhibiting glitches due to their experiments? I should add I haven't noticed it misbehave on my Fetch box from Optus. The more people that chime in , the better chance we have of solving it. Any contribution is appreciated and welcome. It appears it will go live and be a permanent fixture by the end of the month.

[edcba]

Here is the SBS webpage describing their Audio Description trial and what is due for the future: https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/audio-description-services. I have been in contact with them and it appears we are the first to report such a problem. Has anyone else had experience with their TV tuner or other PVR exhibiting glitches due to their experiments? I should add I haven't noticed it misbehave on my Fetch box from Optus. The more people that chime in , the better chance we have of solving it. Any contribution is appreciated and welcome. It appears it will go live and be a permanent fixture by the end of the month.

Is there a way to turn off Audio Description on the TiVo? It's now added to the Who do you think you are? series, and the extra voice-overs are unnecessary for nonhandicapped viewers.

[Random01]

Having a spare Tivo-or-two always laying about for testing, ( here on the bench in the Lab ) - I'd be happy to run one into SBS for them to evaluate and see for themselves this issue first hand.

Who have you been speaking to at SBS so far? ( I'm hoping that it's someone down here in Melbourne, as that's where I'm located... )

Let me know -

[simonshead]

Is there a way to turn off Audio Description on the TiVo? It's now added to the Who do you think you are? series, and the extra voice-overs are unnecessary for nonhandicapped viewers.



The procedure is laid out in the very first post of this thread. We haven't got a permanent way to address this yet.



Below is the settings that need to be changed to fix the squeak.

Hit the info button while on SBS or SBS Viceland channels
Scroll down to the speaker icon on the right hand side of the info dialog box and hit select to access the Alternate Audio Settings
Once in the Alternate Audio Settings you need to change from Language Unknown (aus) to English-MPEG1
Squeak gone..

Name: Unknown-5.jpg Views: 38 Size: 24.7 KB

Name: Unknown-4.jpg Views: 37 Size: 25.8 KB

I hope this helps anyone that is having the same issue and if someone finds out how to make the MPEG-1 the default setting please let me know.

[simonshead]

audiodescription@sbs.com.au I was unable to contact them on the phone, it went to a voicemail system which allowed me to replay their waiting messages, but not leave one. SMH.

I've sent a couple of emails, outlining our specific problems -- firstly that the description channel is selected by default, and secondly, there is an associated unwanted squeal.

Despite explaining it was an issue with a PVR, and that the system was being operated by a bunch of technical geeks capable of resurrecting the system from the dead, they replied with a predictable tech-support response -- assume-all-users-are-idiots. They suggested that it was probably an issue with our TVs automatically selecting the wrong stream, and promptly attached instructions for various manufacturers instructions on how to select an option on their TV. The second issue was completely ignored, suggesting they have had no other reports of this issue, and therefore no canned response to give me. I raised the squeaking a second time but it was also ignored.

It's been escalated internally at OzTivo but I'm not sure if anyone is working on it. Perhaps it is a quirk of the codec the TiVo uses, or it is misinterpreting a language flag being broadcast etc. All just supposition and clutching at straws for answers by me. It has been suggested that it could be possible to modify the kernel to detect one of these channels has been selected, and to internally send codes to change the audio stream. Again, I don't know if that has been worked on.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more noise made by more users in the forum about this issue, it appears to me to be a major one worthy of immediate attention. Perhaps because there is only a handful of people making a fuss about it, it doesn't make it onto the list of issues for attention.

[cpab]

Thakyou for bringing this to attention cak and others in this thread.

Here in WA, I had a call last week from a person whose TiVo I modded; he is having a "screeching" with his TiVo on 30 and 31.

I have related cak's fix to him, in a text. I hope this fixes his issue and mine if I happen to experience it on my TiVos.

Cheers

Chris

[samstain]

Audio Problem has now spread to all ABC channels it seems, it even takes out the picture on a couple of them - no more bluey season pass, or many of our other favourite shows :(

Is anyone working some way to pre-set the auto track on a per channel basis - or remember the last setting? Sadly I'm a hardware guy, not software....so not much use at fixing it, though happy to fire up the SA production line again if the patch has to be manually installed.

[edcba]

Audio Problem has now spread to all ABC channels it seems, it even takes out the picture on a couple of them - no more bluey season pass, or many of our other favourite shows :(

Is anyone working some way to pre-set the auto track on a per channel basis - or remember the last setting? Sadly I'm a hardware guy, not software....so not much use at fixing it, though happy to fire up the SA production line again if the patch has to be manually installed.

Last night the 7 pm ABC news was recorded with a picture and no sound, and other ABC HD channels (like channel 20) had the same problem, but the non-HD channels (like channel 2) did not. We assumed that this was a transmission problem in Sydney. Did the problem affect only TiVo users?

[edcba]

Yes, that's the problem. Is anyone trying to update AusTiVo so that Language is set automatically to MPEG-1 rather than Unknown?

[cpab]

G'day edcba and samstain. Same here in Perth. I was going to reboot the Tivo this morning. Have lost all sound in my ABC 20 recordings after Tuesday this week. I hope we can get someone to set the

audio to mpeg-1, by default.

ABC 2 works ok, so will have to watch this until we get a fix.

Further to this:

My recordings of ABC 20 are silent from Wednesday morning, before that they play from Tivo to TV with audio.

I have downloaded last night's 7:30(which is silent to TV with no option to change audio) to Tivo Desktop. Luckily the audio plays from the download on PC.

So, it seems we have limited use of ABC HD channels due to audio problem and the audio is not great on SBS HD channels(though when uploaded to Tivo Desktop the audio is ok on PC).

I hope we can get the technical team to change the audio default to mpeg-1.

[MattCallow]

I did start to look at this when the problem was first reported on SBS. I couldn't find a simple solution. Since the problem is now more widespread, I will try to take another look.

[cpab]

Seems this is to do with ABC HD and SBS HD tweeks of audio streams for additional info for visually impaired people. The Tivo doesn't seem to handle these new narrow bandwidth mp4 video and audio streams too well and sometimes it feels like it is only just managing. ABC HD changed their audio stream on Wednesday this week and now audio is silent, unless "Info" is selected and "Audio" - "mpeg-1" is selected; any recordings are silent when played back through TV, with no option in "Info" to change audio, but if uploaded to Tivo Desktop, the audio plays ok on PC. Wondering if Tivo default audio can be set as mpeg-1 or if there is any other solution.

[simonshead]

Thanks Matt, this problem is starting to turn our units into boat anchors. I fear we will get an exodus of users on the platform unless we can come up with a solution. Good luck.

[edcba]

Matt, we'd be grateful if you could provide updates on your progress. Does Fetch have this problem? Have TiVo had this problem in the US?

[grubs]

Thanks for this thread at least it confirms its not just my TIVO going bust. We've put up with the SBS squeak by using alternative channels but the loss of audio from ABC and new screech on the ABC channels is cutting into our enjoyment. last night I did a total wipe and reset of the TIVO and I notice today that I'm seeing subtitles (closed captions) printing on HD ABC channels. Regular ABC (channel 2) working OK as confirmed by other posters here. Will read up and follow other advice re mpeg-1

[MattCallow]

I have made some progress on this. I now have a script that can fix the audio when watching LiveTV. However fixing the audio as programs are recorded is proving more difficult.

[edcba]

Good news. I hope you can succeed in fixing the audio as programs are recorded.

[btingwell]

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum but reading what has been going on. recently purchased a new smart TV and found all ABC channels have no audio. I would like some guidance to rectify this so my 5 year old can watch bluey.

Thanks

[MattCallow]

I have a possible fix for the audio problem. Anyone willing to beta test it?
You will need ssh access to your tivo, and know your way around the Linux command line

Matt

[Darren King]

Hey Matt

Oddly enough I don't have the issue so can't help directly. I've had a couple of people comment via email if someone was working on it so I'll point them here.

Great work on it too!

[samstain]

I have a possible fix for the audio problem. Anyone willing to beta test it?
You will need ssh access to your tivo, and know your way around the Linux command line

Matt

More than happy to try it out, I have a spare Tivo, and while not that great at Linux, I share a office with two Linux Guru's that I'm sure can help me out if I get stuck.

[MattCallow]

Hey Matt

Oddly enough I don't have the issue so can't help directly. I've had a couple of people comment via email if someone was working on it so I'll point them here.

Great work on it too!

Thanks Darren

[detak]

I have a possible fix for the audio problem. Anyone willing to beta test it?
You will need ssh access to your tivo, and know your way around the Linux command line

Matt

Happy to try anything, not a Linux guru, but can SSH and navigate around

terry

[paddlesteamer]

I have a possible fix for the audio problem. Anyone willing to beta test it?
You will need ssh access to your tivo, and know your way around the Linux command line

Matt

Willing to give it a go - my tivo has the problem and, same as other poster, I can SSH to unit but linux skills are primitive. I have a second tivo unit which can be the guinea pig for testing.
Rob

[Tom]

Willing to give it a go - my tivo has the problem and, same as other poster, I can SSH to unit but linux skills are primitive. I have a second tivo unit which can be the guinea pig for testing.
Rob


Hi guys, how is the fix tracking? Any closer to rollout? Thanks in advance. Tom

[MattCallow]

It has been tested by a few users. It does fix the audio problem, but there are reports that it may cause the Tivo to reboot.
I need to work on a package to push this out to automatically. Once I have that ready, I'll for a few people to test it. If that goes well, then it can be rolled out to people on request.

Matt

[MattCallow]

Update: I've asked a few users to test an automated delivery of this script. If the testing goes well, then it can be rolled out to people on request.
This should happen sometime in January, but probably not for a week or so.

Matt

[Boricle]

Hi Matt,

I'd be interested in testing if you need more people, I'm experiencing the problem here in Canberra.

That said, make sure you enjoy your holidays (I'm hoping you have gotten a break) - it's definitely something that can wait a bit longer :)

Happy New Year.

Gavan.

[dallimor]

I'm also happy to act as a tester if required.

[MattCallow]

@Boricle and @dallimor please send me your TSN via a private message and I'll schedule an update to push the change to your tivo

Matt

[SuzanneS]

Thanks for working on this Matt. I am keen for a solution too. I am not as tech savvy as some but can follow instructions. Thanks!!! Suzanne

[jesi]

I'm also experiencing the audio problems on ABC and SBS and would be interested in applying the fix. Many thanks.

[MattCallow]

See https://forums.oztivo.net/showthread.php?3029-audiofix&p=19428#post19428 for a fix.