FIX for dropouts, lip sync, pauses, glitches, etc here. (1 Viewer)

[Pete T C]

Hey guys long time no post.

Anyway, I've seen a lot of glitch posts relating to dropouts, lip sync, pauses, etc on the HD-A1 using FW2.0.

This can be fixed by doing the following:
1. Go into the HD-A1's Audio setup menu
2. Change Digital Out SPDIF from BITSTREAM to PCM (very important)
3. Use Analog 5.1 outputs or Digital HDMI 5.1 PCM for TrueHD/DD+/etc, as digital coax/optical SPDIF 5.1 will be disabled.
4. If you still have problems (they will likely be cured with step 2) change Digital Out HDMI from AUTO to PCM (optional)

It seems that with TrueHD especially the re-encoding the decoded audio signal to DTS for output over SPDIF can overload player's processors and cause all of the errors mentioned in the topic line. This can be disabled for most as if you are using TrueHD you are likely using the HDMI or Analog 5.1 outputs anyway - using the SPDIF output for TrueHD is pointless since you won't get the full resolution out of it. Try it out, even if you don't use the digital SPDIF out you will be surprised that it cures your problem 99% of the time as the player will continue to re-encode to DTS for output over SPDIF unless you specifically tell it not to as is done in step 2 of the above.

 

[Cees Alons]

Very interesting. Thanks!


Cees

 

[SherardP]

I experienced one drop out, I just paused my video and unpaused and it was fine, forgot which True HD title it was though.

 

[MarkA]

I did everything listed and I still have lip sync problems (I retested Constantine). Maybe 2.1 will fix this for me.

 

[Stevepro1]

I had a drop out on a NON-True HD title last night [T2]. The player froze about a second or two and then recovered on its own. I am running 2.0 and I tried the fix suggested by Pete TC, which does makes sense. This never happened with the last update. On the plus side, I did watch Constantine in True HD with no glitches.

2.1? Is this official? When? Steve

 

[Vader]

All,

I had the same glitch problems with both firmware V1.4 and V2.0. All of the fixes proposed by Pete were in place, and that solved some (not all) of the glitching. Out of despiration, I tried unplugging the player overnight (not just turning the power strip off). I have only watched three movies since, but all were glitchless (is that a word?). Just a guess, but physically unplugging the Tosh (removing ground) seems to have "reset" something in the buffer. A poster on another forum hypothesized that a FW upgrade is not really complete until this sort of reset is done. Maybe he is right. In any case, I had the dreaded "Serenity glitch" before, as well as a known pause during "Sky Captain". Both are now gone. Go figure.....

 

[Dave>h]

What is the dreaded Serenity glitch and what is the issue with Sky Captain?

i own Serenity (and I didn't notice any play back problems) and Sky Captain is coming from Amazon this week.

Regards,

DAve

 

[Vader]

Dave,

"The dreaded Serenety glitch" is a pause (akin to a bad layer change), but with no lip sync loss that a lot of people have had at the same point in the disc: when the operative is scolding the doctor for his pride: "...key members of parlement..." It generally only happens during the first few passes, then is generally unreproducable, suggesting a problem with the buffer. Since it always happens during the same sequence, the disc it not entirely innocent, either (maybe there is a watermark or flag there). I'm have a friend coming over to watch Serenity this afternoon (the second viewing since I unplugged the Tosh), and I will see whether it really is gone or if I just got lucky.
As for "Sky Captain", I had the same problem during the airplane chase through the city: "Glad you came along...?". This also seems to play through fine now. I dunno. As usual, I tend to vastly overcomplcate stuff, as with my past theories as to the problem, when simply unplugging the Tosh seems to have cured it. I'm content not to look a gift horse in the mouth (where did that saying come from anyway?)....

Since you already play Serenity through just fine, I would be very suprised if you had a problem with "Sky Captain". Let us know...

 

[Phil Menard]

I still have the lip sync problem with CONSTANTINE also. Will try leaving the Toshiba unplugged tonight.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Pete T C,

Good to see you posting again, it has been awhile. Thanks for posting this, as I'm sure it will come in handy when I finally get around to watching Batman Begins, hopefully this weekend.

However, I have a question regarding this:


Is this step necessary only if you are using HDMI for audio? I would assume so, but based on what you said about the player re-encoding DTS even when not used, one can't be too sure.

Finally, for the rest of you HD DVD player owners, do you use your analog 5.1 outputs exclusively, if you are not using HDMI? For SD DVD with DD EX and DTS ES tracks, I would prefer to use SPDIF. In fact, before I read this thread, I had planned to leave Digital Out SPDIF set to Bitstream and switch between analog 5.1 and digital coax depending on whether I was playing a HD DVD vs. a SD DVD. Having to remember to set Digital Out SPDIF flag each time could get most annoying.

Anyway, just curious...

 

[Vader]

OK..... I give up.

On my third viewing of Serenity, the glitch is back, in the same spot. It is still unreproducable after the first pass in a given viewing session. I suppose I am fortunate in that it is little more than a "bad layer change", and does not mess up sync. I still don't understand why some have this, and yet others do not. My best guess is that the problem is a combination of a buffering issue, and something with the coding at that point on the disc (not necessarily an error) - maybe a watermark or something? Bottom line, the problem seems to have gone away after purging the player by unplugging it, then returned after several movies had passed through the buffer...? And last night, the same thing happened on Batman Begins, though not in the feature itself - just the Warner Home Video trailer. Oh, well.... small price to pay for the incredible PQ (and since I never had an issue with a 1 second layer change with SD....). I can still hope that the issue is fixed in a future FW upgrade, or at the very least, when I upgrade to a Denon dual-format player (that they will announce at CES.....please, please?) in May......

 

[Phil Menard]

Sad to report that the fix didn't work for me and my set-up. There is probably another hardware problem causing the delay (the Samsung HL-R5668 is known to have sound sync problems of its own).

 

[Clinton McClure]

I'm having a problem with Fast and the Furious (go ahead and laugh ). I'm having random video pauses, audio dropouts and sections where the disc fast-forwards itself...not a skip, but a fast scan. This is the first time I have tried to play it.

I have firmware 2.0 installed and am running component video and 5.1 analog audio out. My Digital Out SPDIF is set to PCM and Digital Out HDMI is set to PCM. I have checked the disc and there is no dust, prints, scratches, etc... however, the disc surface looks like it contains an oil slick. I have seen the same thing (oil slick) on SD-DVDs which have played flawlessly for years. The glitches are random and non-repeatable but very aggrivating.

I don't have my receipt anymore (blame the wife and her never-ending cleanliness) so looks like I may have a $30 coaster. Any ideas?

 

[Dave>h]

Hi,

Is that the original Fast and Furious or the new one Tokyo Drift?

I watched Tokyo drift last night and had one problem, which I think happened at the layer change (about an hour into the film) where the voice and picture went out of sync. I paused the player and after that everything was fine.

Not a great film but the PQ and the sound (not to mention the great car racing sequences and all the gorgeous little Japanese girls in tight clothes but I digress...) were both top notch. Since it is a Combo disk, I will have to flip it over and compare the two version but the DD plus sound track absolutely killed last night. My buddy also thought the bass in the film was amazing. Very tight bass on the DD plus track.

Dave

 

[Clinton McClure]

It's the original. The problems start during the truck hijacking near the beginning and continue on through the fight at Toretto's where I get frazzled and stop the movie.

 

[Stevepro1]

I watched Batman Begins last night in TrueHD with no glitches. The soundfield in that film is incredible.

Steve