Audio Clipping/skipping on Pioneer VXS-912

[Randallm]

I am experiencing audio clipping or skipping when viewing digital HDTV channels. I have Time Warner digital cable. My cable box is a High def Scientific Atlanta 8000HD DVR. The skipping doesn't occur when using the TV speakers. The TV is a Sony Wega LCD Theater. It only occurs when the Pioneer VXS-D912 is doing the audio decoding. I am driving all B&W speakers, 703 fronts, HMT-7 Center, CCM80 rears, and ASW700 Sub. The front and center are bi-wired. The problem doesn't occur on "analog" cable channels. Sometimes it is every 10 sec or so and we have to turn off the AV system and just use the TV speakers. I have had the cable guys out multiple times to no avail and I now believe it must be the receiver. Obviously this receiver is not of the same caliber as the speakers. Any advice before I bag the receiver and get a new one?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It doesn't sound like it, but try to rule out a ground loop issue. Sometimes when a cable box or dvr is plugged in near a receiver, it causes voltage issues. You can try a 3 prong to 2 prong plug reducer for the DVR. Again, I doubt it's an issue, but just something to eliminate before busting out the wallet.

 

[Randallm]

One more thing......

I forgot to mention that it seems to take some time (30 minutes or so) before the problem manifests itself. I added a cooling fan to the component stack to try and cool everything down just in case. Didn't seem to help.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It may be the surround receiver. I have the same DVR8000 you have. Time Warner is coming out tomorrow to upgrade me to the new 8300 unit. Digital sound supposedly comes out of all channels with that unit, not just 100 and above. Who knows. At least the 8300 unit has component outs for a better picture. See if TWC will upgrade your unit. What if it's the DVR?

 

[Randallm]

It may be the surround receiver. I have the same DVR8000 you have. Time Warner is coming out tomorrow to upgrade me to the new 8300 unit. Digital sound supposedly comes out of all channels with that unit, not just 100 and above. Who knows. At least the 8300 unit has component outs for a better picture. See if TWC will upgrade your unit. What if it's the DVR?

Given my history with TWC I would believe anything, so don't get me started on them. Don't know if the new 8300 is available in Houston, I will check. I am confused by your statement about component video on the 8000HD. My 8000HD HAS component video out. Is there an 8000 that is NOT High Definition?

 

[Randallm]

Maybe I wasn't clear in first problem description. I have the audio from the 8000HD Time Warner DVR hooked up two ways. The first takes the converter box audio straight to the Sony HDTV. The audio plays fine over the TV's internal speakers. I also have an audio feed from the 8000HD converter box to the Pioneer VSX-912 receiver. That setup drops audio in and out on channels above 100 (those are digital). I can run both feeds at once and you can hear the AV Receiver feed to the speakers dropping in and out while the direct feed to the TV does NOT skip. That is how I came to the conslusion it was the Pioneer receiver and not the DVR. I'm I missing something?

 

[Dumar]

I can run both feeds at once and you can hear the AV Receiver feed to the speakers dropping in and out while the direct feed to the TV does NOT skip. That is how I came to the conslusion it was the Pioneer receiver and not the DVR. I'm I missing something?

So presumably you are running either coax or optical from the SAT receiver to your Pioneer receiver. Have you tried changing input ports on the Pioneer to see if you can isolate the problem to one input. I'm not familiar with your gear, but you should be able to plug the SAT feed into different source connectors to see if the problem clears up: try the DVD input for example. Perhaps just one optical or coax input is no good. If the optical port turns out to be NG, switch to using a coax cable, or vise versa.

Good luck.

 

[Randallm]

Thanks for the suggestions. The more I read in online forums the more I am thinking it is NOT the Pioneer receiver but rather Time Warner DVR HDconverter box. Others are having similar issues. The next step is to use your suggestions of trying to isolate the port or whether this is a digital output vs analog problem. Other folks with the issue say they see their receiver automatically switching between Digital and Analog signal when this happens. I hate tracking down stuff that only occurs randomly!

 

[Randallm]

Replaced the 8000HD box with the 8300HD box this weekend. The problem went away. So it was NOT the receiver, or if it was it was the compatibility with the 8000HD box. Either way I am a happy camper now.