Help!! Can anyone solve this mystery? (1 Viewer)

[PhilS]

I recently purchased both Jurassic Park III and Pearl Harbor on DVD. When I play the DD 5.1 tracks on both discs in my main HT, I get an intermittent crackling noise, sounding like radio static, out of the speakers in addition to the dialogue, etc. I do not hear this on the DTS track on either disc. I thought at first it was a problem with the JPIII disc, so I sent it back. Then when I played the Pearl Harbor disc last night, I noticed the problem on that disc as well.

My equpiment consists of two Citation 7.1 amps. a TAG McClaren AV32R pre-pro, a Panasonic H1000 DVD player, and M&K 150THX speakers,with an M&K and SVS sub. The system has worked fine an all DVD's and CD's before this. Also, I have a smaller but decent HT system in the family room, with M&K 750THX speakers, a Toshiba DVD player, and a Yamaha 995 receiver. I do not hear the crackling on either the DD 5.1 track or the DTS track when I play the discs on that system.

I tried switching out the DVD player in my HT with the one from my family room system, and I still get the crackling on the DD 5.1 track in my larger HT, so I guess it's not the DVD player. Also, I have not had a problem with any other DD 5.1 discs. Nor do I have any problems with music CD's. It seems that I only get the crackling in my main HT when I'm playing a DD 5.1 track on a DVD that has both DD 5.1 and DTS

It seems to me it could only be two things. Either I have two bad discs, which seems unlikely, or there is a problem with the AV32R, which also seems strange (why would it not have a problem with other DD5.1 discs?). I suppose it could also have something to do with the SVS sub, which I added just before receiving JPIII, but this seems highly unlikely as well. Does anybody have any clue as to what the problem might be?

 

[BruceD]

Has your TAG been upgraded for DD-EX playback?
Even if it hasn't been upgraded, it may be having problems with the DD-EX flags on these disks. Universal is using a copy protection scheme on one of those disks (I can't remember which one) that overwrites the DD-EX flag area and causes problems in DD playback.
I'd send an email to TAG asking about these issues.
You can also check out this thread:
DD-EX playback problems
BruceD

 

[PatrickM]

Phil, take a look at this ongoing thread here.
Patrick

 

[PhilS]

I read that thread before, and I assumed it did not apply. I don't lose any of the dialogue or sound, which seems to me what they mean by "drop outs." Instead, I still hear everything on the soundtrack, but there is just some static or crackling that is added. Maybe they are related though. I have an inquiry into TAG re this problem, so maybe they can help out. I have the next to the latest software in my TAG.

 

[PhilS]

I downloaded the new software for the TAG, and this seems to have cured the problem. Of all the features to look for in a pre-pro, the ability to download upgrades from the internet to deal with glitches in technology is a real selling point for the TAG.