Anyone else have Sky HD Lip Sync problems?

D

DSat

Plank
My Satellite Setup
DM800
My Location
North
I've been through the first 15 pages of this forum, so I'm guessing not.... but ....

I have terrible lip sync issues on certain HD channels on Sky. Movies seem the worst, but in particular Sky Action is terrible. I had Transformers on the other night and it was massively out - all the way through. You could lip read 2 or 3 words before hearing them. The odd thing is, I can flick down one channel to Comedy, and it is fine! Even stranger is that it seems to vary film by film even on the same channel.

When it does it a hard reboot does not solve it. I have tried different TV's, wires, dishes, lnb's, cables, sound options, resolutions, images, autoresolution on/off, sound from TV/amp... nothing cures it. Had the box a few months now. When it has done it I've phoned a friend with the same setup but using an Azbox and he is spot on.

I would say I'm super sensitive to it, but all my mates and even my Mrs spot it immediately. The video is always ahead of the sound, leaving the plugins useless to me!

Anyone got any ideas, because at the moment I can't see any alternatives to sending it back and trying a 500HD... It is a genuine box from the main seller, but if they test it I just know it will be fine on some / most channels.

Cheers

Dsat
 
If its a genuine box I wouldn't hesitate to return it. If you bought it from Mark at Satstore, ring him and he'll send you a new one before he even receives your return !
 
B16MCC said:
If its a genuine box I wouldn't hesitate to return it. If you bought it from Mark at Satstore, ring him and he'll send you a new one before he even receives your return !
Click to expand...

Thanks.

But it wasn't. It came from SMS. I did ring them and try and discuss it, but lets just say a language barrier existed. In the end "put it in a box boss and write on it what the problem is" didn't fill me with confidence my £400 reciever would ever come back.

Might have no option tho... if it is just me with the problem.
 
Hmm, yeah, he aint got the best rep. unfortunately. I think it's your best bet though.
 
DSat:
Return the box to SMS and PM me with the details if you have any problems. I live close to the shop and can make sure it is handled ASAP. I stress again that I don't work for them and can make no promises, but I can apply local pressure if needed.

Note: I have on occasion had lip sync issues on the DM800, but it seemed related to a specific broadcast and when it finished, or during adds, the lipsync was fine.
 
Hi Dsat,
What image are you using I'm using B.H 0.12 and also have this sync problem.
It's hit and miss, some days ok but other really bad.

What I have found out is if you leave it on stand by and not turn off at the wall, its not so bad.

I have read on other forums quite a few other guys are having this problem so don't think its just your box pal
 
billynw said:
Hi Dsat,
What image are you using I'm using B.H 0.12 and also have this sync problem.
It's hit and miss, some days ok but other really bad.

What I have found out is if you leave it on stand by and not turn off at the wall, its not so bad.

I have read on other forums quite a few other guys are having this problem so don't think its just your box pal
Click to expand...

Firstly - schumifan - thanks very much for the offer. If I end up going that route I'll certainly bear it in mind. I'm sure they are fine, just a language barrier I guess...

Yep its hit and miss. Last night I was watching Meet The Spartans on 'Comedy' and it was a miles out. in this instance 'Action' seemed fine. But I'd say it was 1 in every 5 films has it !

I use BH 0.12 also. But I've had the problem on Gemini to test too. Must be something in the box doesn't like 'something' about certain streams... but what is odd, I watcha lot of footy on Sky Sports, and sometimes in the chat after the match Andy Gray is in sync, other times he's out. Surely this would be streamed in the same manner. But no Sky Box Users seem to have the issue (anymore!)...

Really am clutching at straws here, but I tend to find the ones where the sync is out have a greater delay when you change to the channel. I presume it is not just me, when you change channel the picture appears frozen for maybe half a second, then it plays... well sometimes the freeze is slightly longer, and these seem the worst sync. ( Anyone confirm this isn't just me ? :o )

Cheers :)
 
OK. We need to know a bit more about your setup.
1. What cams are you running?
2. Is the card in your local reader or are you using a share?
3. Do you restore settings when you flash a new image or do you restore previous settings?
4. Do you ever have this problem on FTA channels or is it only on encrypted channels?
5. What is your SNR and BER on the channel when you have the problem? And what are these values when you don't have the problem?
6. Are you using a motorised dish or diseqc switch in your setup?
Knowing these ansers might help to nail down the problem better.
 
Sorry for slow reply. Had to wait till i got home to play with it.

1. CCCam 2.1.3
2. Local Sky card
3. I don't restore anything. I just install the new image and scan 28.2. Only the last install have I saved settings.
4. It has been evident on BBC HD, and ITV HD, but I think it may have been programme related. ITV one certainly was as the freesat forums were moaning about that particular program too.
5. Completely random depending on which dish / LNB I'm trying, and what channel. No pattern. Have seen it on 88% SNR and also on 61% (the extremes) and everything inbetween. BER always 0.
6. Motorised dish, but have also switched to fixed sky dish during programme, and no difference.

I'm now almost convinced it is a DM800 problem. Going up the loft later to retrieve an old DVI:HDMI wire. Whether this will even work or not I don't know. Bemuses me how it can be one channel, yet the next in the list is fine.

One thing I have noticed in my testing, is every channel is slightly out. When I play sound through both TV and amp with the speaker delays set to 0, the difference in sound is obvious. The amp (optical) is a split second ahead, on everything. This is separate to the issue in hand though, as the sync i'm complaining about is massively out, when it happens. But I've found the amp sound is perfect (but sadly not when sync happens).

Thanks for your help m8

DSat

shumifan50 said:
OK. We need to know a bit more about your setup.
1. What cams are you running?
2. Is the card in your local reader or are you using a share?
3. Do you restore settings when you flash a new image or do you restore previous settings?
4. Do you ever have this problem on FTA channels or is it only on encrypted channels?
5. What is your SNR and BER on the channel when you have the problem? And what are these values when you don't have the problem?
6. Are you using a motorised dish or diseqc switch in your setup?
Knowing these ansers might help to nail down the problem better.
Click to expand...
 
This problem is hitting a high percentage of 800's. I'm surprised it hasn't shown up here before now. I have 2 800's and I am having the exact problem as you describe. I have narrowed it down to either sound over DVI or AC3 downmixing as if I output the sound to my Sony amp the sync is perfect without any delay setting. There is a know issue with the DM500's too but this can be resolved with a change to a file in the config directory if I remember correctly.
 
I have a suggestion: I am running OpenPli on my DM500HD and have not seen the problem on the DM500HD. OpenPli uses the absolute latest drivers etc in their nightly builds. Just maybe the problem has been fixed. Nabilo Black Hole is now an 'old' image. You could also give DreamElite a try as it also seems newer than Nabilo. I will also try them on my DM800 and see if I still get lip sync problems, but this will take some time as mine only went out very infrequently. The suggestion by packetstormer also seems like a good thing to try. A lot of new STBs suffer lip sync problems initially, but I would have thought they should have been ironed out on the DM800 by now. I also suggest you raise it on IHAD as I think DreamMultimedia monitors the site quite closely.
 
Just a quick update on this.

I tried a new DVI-HDMi wire, and it works (so it isn't a special DM wire!) but didn't solve the issue.

I have tried many many images, I'm convinced it is not that.

Watching ITV HD last night, lip sync was hugely evident... but I had another TV alongside with the scart output plugged into it. Switching to that TV (still on the HD channel) the sound was bang on.

The only sound option was the AC3 downmix.

Which leads me to conclude it is definately a problem with the DVI sound conversion within the DM800. Question is, is it all of them, and people just aren't noticing... or just a few of them?

I'm going to (try and) speak to SMS again today about it, but do I send it back for a repair / replacement, ask for a refund, or ask for a DM500, which with a HDMI port should hopefully eliminate the issue!?

Schumifan - unless I'm missing something that site is German - can't make head nor tail !?
 
No IHAD has an 'English Corner' (lower down the page). You can also raise a ticket directly with Dream Multimedia through their web page email system.

My DM800 definitely does not have lipsync problems. So it is either a fault on your DM800 or a mismatch somewhere in the equipment you have. The next thing to do is to return it to SMS. If you want you can include a note asking them to ask me to look at it for you(refer to shumifan50 - they know my nickname), or you could ask for a direct replacement (although the unit is not that new anymore, so I don't know their policy on that, might need to be repaired). PM me when you have done this and what you have arranged.
 
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