No Center Channel on ABC HDTV

john marine · 12-11-2003, 02:19 PM

Has anyone else experienced no center channel on ABC HDTV (this is COMCAST - WPVI, Philadelphia, PA)when it broadcasts in Dolby Digital...?

My wife surfed past Trista' wedding the other night and we couldn't hear a thing....

I don't even know what to tell the cable company to fix...?

HBO Dolby comes out fine.... any thoughts...?

---John

Cliff Olson · 12-11-2003, 04:19 PM

I noticed Monday Night Football sounded great in DD 5.1. But, during all the commercials, there was no sound in the center channel. This is the first week that I've had HD, so I'm not sure if it's like that every week... I've also got Comcast, but on the West Coast.

Diallo B · 12-11-2003, 06:45 PM

I have the same problem with ABC. I have Comcast and a MOTO 5100. The problem is not with your setup it is with ABC. I actually posted this on AVS in FEB of this year. I think this is the best way to explain the problem.

On my receiver my 5.1 light illuminates whenever I am tuned into ABC whether or not it is a network broadcast or an affiliate broadcast. It even stays on during commericals which for the most part, save some superbowl commercials, are stereo transmissions. The problem is the receiver shows that it is supposed to be receiving 5.1 channels of information when in actuality it is only receiving a stereo transmission.

This is a problem for those of use using a digital connection from our 5100 to our receiver. For example, since ABC is sending a 5.1 signal only utilizing the L and R channels my receiver will only provide information for the L and R speakers unless I change my receiver to decode in analog and then it will provide some form of prologic.

I find this to be an error on ABC's behalf as all of the other stations that I receive via my 5100 do not exhibit this problem. AC-3 is used only when appropriate. I think that I have read somewhere on this forum that individuals have attempted many times to contact ABC concerning this issue yet there has been no fix made yet.

Hopefully ABC will correct this soon as it is extremely annoying to have to constantly switch modes on my receiver due to the technical errors of a broadcaster that only needs to encode its transmissions correctly. ABC simply needs to broadcast DD 5.1 content as such and send stereo content as DD 2.0. This will solve the decoding problem.

john marine · 12-12-2003, 07:30 AM

Thank you....that explains it....I understand now.....let's hope they resolve....

Garrett Adams · 12-12-2003, 06:54 PM

My Sacramento ABC 5.1 feed is fine, delivering perfect center channel. During Prime Time when the 5.1 feed is active the only time when the CC goes dead is during local commercials.

Previously for over a year I had a problem with a very muddy CC on all 5.1 material (not just ABC). Turns out my CC had a blown tweeter. Right now my Paradigm CC is in for repair now but my retired Energy Take 5 CC has been up to the interim task.

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TonyD · 12-16-2003, 10:19 PM

i have the same trouble from abc 6 in philly using a mit hd receiver.

only i notice that the center channel is too low during the shows and missing durring comercials.

i often have the center turned up for 6 abc and have to lower it when i put on another channel.

Diallo B · 12-17-2003, 12:03 AM

garret,

what happens when abc airs a show that is not actual 5.1? Does your receiver say that it is decoding 5.1 at all times? My 5.1 light is on even during commercials. Do you have that same issue?

Garrett Adams · 12-17-2003, 06:05 PM

Diallo my ABC feed is usually Dolby 2/0.0. On Prime Time 5.1 content it is Dolby 3/2.1. I don't recall whether ABC has any Prime Time non-5.1 shows. If so, and I'm watching, I'll check to see if the 5.1 feed is still active. If it is them my CC will be silent.



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