Tivo losing sound - comes back after reboot

**thomson** · 26-02-2006, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Darren King

if it don't detect a clean audio carrier then this problem can result.

I am hoping to work around the cause... if it is auto-muting then we just need to stop that happening. All I need is a little information from somebody experiencing the problems... then I can customise a palmod with a little more debugging information, nail the cause and find a solution.

**fotski** · 09-03-2006, 02:32 PM

Hi Guys,

I'm just experiencing the exact issue.
Older programs I have recorded are working fine but programs recorded from last night have NO sound.
The tivo sounds work.
I have restarted the recorder(from the menu) but that has not helped.
Any advice?
Thompson am happy to help with the info gathering - What do you need from me?

Cheers,
Fotski

**Darren King** · 09-03-2006, 04:00 PM

Hi. You are going to have to be a little more specific with your setup.

If you are getting no sound from either a PAL tuner (if fitted) *AND* the A/V inputs then it is not the same problem Thompson and myself are talking about.

**thomson** · 09-03-2006, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by fotski

Thompson am happy to help with the info gathering - What do you need from me?

The command is:
grep PALMOD /var/log/kernel

It helps to know the start times of the recordings that are soundless.

**fotski** · 09-03-2006, 06:22 PM

Hi,

No PAL tuner here. Original US tuner still in Tivo.

I use foxtel connected via A/V cables.

I grep the log and see what I find

**zollymonsta** · 10-03-2006, 09:58 AM

Palmod should still spit out the needed info.

Palmod is used even if you dont use the tuner.

**arvesolland** · 13-03-2006, 12:00 PM

Hi guys,

I've posted here before about sound cutting out on my TIVO.
I am still having this problem, even though it has been less and less, but it seems completely random when it occurs.
Also, when in occurs in my recordings, i hear a little sound as the sound dissapears...a little 'clonk'....and after that the video of the recording starts having problems as well with some artifacts and sometimes jerky playback.

When sound has cut out, it dosent help to change channels ( I think,,,,,,tried it once and as far as i can remember it didnt work, wil try again next time...but i normally only discover the sound is gone when I am watching a recording, and the tivo may already have rebooted o the sound is back on in live tv...)

I've tried doing the grep PALMOD from the kernel log, but I get nothing...but I am restarting every night at 2am,so that might effect the log.....I will try my best to do a dump of the log when I discover that the sound is gone.

Also, I am only using a Austar Digital STB for input, no FTA tuner.

I would just love to know what causes this issue, as I am really starting to get into my tivo's possibilities, i only want to rely on it as well

Thanks

Regards

Arve

**Darren King** · 19-09-2006, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Cods

G'day, I have exactly the same problem as zollymonsta, been happening pretty much ever since I plugged the TiVo in after getting it, details as follows:
- only occurs on the ABC, never on any other channels
- intermittent fault, have not noticed any patterns
- I have observed it occur only when TiVo records, and seems equally likely to occur both
a. when TiVo has to change channels from another channel (sound always fine on other channels) to record on ABC, and/or
b. when TiVo already on ABC and not recording (and sound already OK) and then starts a recording
- can't remember it ever occurring when I change channel to ABC manually
- when the problem occurs and I happen to be watching, a manual change of channel away from ABC and then back to ABC fixes it (but only for that occurrence)

Background:
- TiVo bought from US, sent direct to Darren King for installation of a tuner & imaging and install of a large HDD (who did a great job, great support afterward, highly recommended!)
- Initial reception problems traced to crap antenna & crap house cabling, fixed with lush new antenna, quad-shielded cable and f-connectors all the way along signal path

If anyone can help, my wife, David Attenborough and I would be very appreciative!

Cheers,
Cods

Just as an update:

NOTE: This issue is only relevant for TiVo's with the "Mark 2" stereo sound modification (that is, the sound processor chip change)

It was discovered a month or so ago that there was indeed a way to make the TiVo perform better in this department.

What was discovered is that if the TiVo went to record something on the SAME channel it could lose sound because the palmod software did not re-check the sound standard. In some circumstances this does cause an issue. The original palmod software was designed to only check the sound standard on the change of a channel as in theory this should not need re-checking if the channel does not change.... well, it turns out that it DOES need to be checked again to cater for instances of signal fluctuations and other abnormalities which can happen with wireless signals.

Subsequently a fix has been tested by some people exeriencing this issue (I could never get it to happen to me!) and it works. The fix was implemented by Keith Wilkinson to the Australian version of palmod and the relevant new palmod package with some other cosmetic changes is available on the oztivo website.

Or I have just the palmod.o file which is compatible with the current one on the R1.5 20051128 oztivo image which I have attached to this message. Simply rename the current palmod.o file in the /lib/modules directory (linux command for renaming is: mv palmod.o palmod.bak) and copy on this one. DO NOT try and simply copy on the new palmod.o over the old one. Either rename the old one or delete it first. Copy on the new one and then reboot the TiVo.

This fix is not required for NZ people or anyone running a TiVo without the Mark 2 stereo chip with a PAL tuner.

The next OzTiVo image release will have this fix as standard.

Cheers

**Cods** · 25-09-2006, 12:23 PM

I applied the new palmod.o to my TiVo on Friday, and as far as I can see it's fixed the problem! Not a sound-lost glitch to be seen all weekend, where normally there would be at least a couple of useless recordings during that period of time.

Great work! Thanks very much to everyone responsible for the fix!

Cheers,
Cods