Audio Skipping on Music Choice only on Live TV

[bsilvertab]

I'm hoping to get some help figuring out why when I listen to the music choice stations on my Ceton card my audio drops every time there is a video frame change (5-7 seconds). These channels display some kind of slideshow to display facts about the musician. If I let the music record for about 10 seconds, and then skip back 3 seconds the playback is flawless. This same thing happens on my PC playback as well as my two XBMC units. Running an intel i3 processor, intel board, Realtek integrated audio, NVIDIA GT430 card, and 4gb of ram. All playback is via HDMI. The system is not stressed at all. Attempted moving the live TV buffer to a different drive, didn't work. Ceton had me do a packet capture from the card and could playback the stream flawlessly. I think there is something going on with the audio driver or a WMC. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[erkotz]

Are these channels copy once or copy freely?

[bsilvertab]

How would I find that out?

[werds]

Probably a simpler way but the first that comes to my mind is to tune to that channel specifically. The go to the Ceton Diagnostics tool that is on the WMC main menu and click through to the tuner details - look at the specific tuner that is tuned to the channel mentioned. At the bottom of the information listed it states the copy flag setting.

Granted I just stated this all from memory so I may be wrong and there may be an easier and simpler method...

[volfan6415]

I have noticed this same problem, however, on my system the problem only exists on the HD version of the music choice channel.

If I watch the SD version there is no audio skipping.

[AnthonyB]

It happens all the time on FiOS. Mostly channel 1800 (hit list).

Don't despair, it also happens on the FiOS cable boxes. Good luck trying to get someone on the line to figure it out.

[bsilvertab]

Probably a simpler way but the first that comes to my mind is to tune to that channel specifically. The go to the Ceton Diagnostics tool that is on the WMC main menu and click through to the tuner details - look at the specific tuner that is tuned to the channel mentioned. At the bottom of the information listed it states the copy flag setting.

Granted I just stated this all from memory so I may be wrong and there may be an easier and simpler method...

I can confirm the channel is listed as 'copy free'.

[mixduptransistor]

I hate to be the guy who drudges up old posts, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or worked out a solution?

I found an older thread (about the same age as this one) over on the Windows.com forums where someone was having this issue with a Ceton tuner. I have an HDHomeRun Prime 3 tuner and the music choice channels skip in Windows 7 Media Center, so I don't think it's a tuner specific thing. Also, the thread on the other site mentioned signal issues but my signal on these channels is 8dBmV and 36dB signal quality and 100% symbol quality.

Also, and I think I've figured out "when" it happens but no idea on why WMC is choking or how to fix it, but it happens when there is a spike in the bitrate, which corresponds to the graphics updating. Music Choice channels work by sending a normal MPEG-2 video channel, at a very low bitrate, and only sending keyframes. No other video frames are sent. So, the audio will play fine, bitrate will spike according to the SiliconDust config app, audio will skip for half a second, and then the graphic in the video window will update.

Finally, opening the stream in VLC results in it playing fine with no skipping...definitely not a tuner problem.

Just curious if anyone else had run into this. I'd like to be able to get music choice working on my TV. I can listen in my office with VLC, but would be nice to have it in the living room for parties and whatnot.

[barnabas1969]

I wonder if it has something to do with your cable company, or possibly some codec pack you have installed. I use Brighthouse with an HD HomeRun Prime tuner, and don't have any problems with the Music Choice channels. In fact, we let it play Music Choice for several hours during Thanksgiving dinner.

[mixduptransistor]

I don't have any special codec packs installed. I have a fresh (3 days old) Windows 7 install with WMC setup and VLC installed along with the HDHR drivers, that's it. I have Charter, the other thread I found over at Windows.com was either TWC or Bright House...a different cable company at any rate.

edit: missed when you said what tuner you were using

[cs51762]

I have a Ceton tuner and Charter cable and have the same problem. It hasn't always done it, but I can't remember when it started. My work-around is to hit "Pause", wait about 30 seconds, then hit "Play". After that, no skips.

Mike Fields

[dotbatman]

I've had Time Warner and Comcast and music choice didn't skip, but I was using Clear QAM tuners. I wonder if you were to use one of those if it would solve your issue.

[slowbiscuit]

I hate to be the guy who drudges up old posts, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or worked out a solution?

I found an older thread (about the same age as this one) over on the Windows.com forums where someone was having this issue with a Ceton tuner. I have an HDHomeRun Prime 3 tuner and the music choice channels skip in Windows 7 Media Center, so I don't think it's a tuner specific thing. Also, the thread on the other site mentioned signal issues but my signal on these channels is 8dBmV and 36dB signal quality and 100% symbol quality.

I also have this issue with a Prime tuner on 7MC, but oddly enough it only happens on my Linksys extender - both Xboxes work fine. Never figured it out and HD channels on the Linksys perform flawlessly. All my extenders are hardwired.

[rhconcepts]

I have the same problem and Im a tech for Comcast cable. I know its not the feed coming in and I just changed out the cable card. My cable boxes from Comcast work fine so it has to be something with the computers.

Oh forgot to add it works on my phone after a few secs

[jstaguynj]

I have the same problem and Im a tech for Comcast cable. I know its not the feed coming in and I just changed out the cable card. My cable boxes from Comcast work fine so it has to be something with the computers.

Oh forgot to add it works on my phone after a few secs

LOL. I think it might've been you at my house today.

I can confirm that, after pausing Live TV for 10 seconds, it plays flawlessly with the video portion of the stream as well. So what is different about that stream vs, say, any other channel with audio? Is there a different codec used? I did verify that the channel is set to Copy Free. Signal Level 1.1 dBmV and Signal To Noise is 35.1 dB. Ideas?

[kd6icz]

This just started (again) happening recently here in Ventura County on TWC Spectrum. I noticed they changed the frequency from the mid 800 MHz to the low 300 MHz.

I have four Prime's and a Samsung GX-SM530CF Media Player / CableCARD tuner and the problem occurs on all of them. However, not the cable company provided Arris STB.... So I'm stumped.

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