Sky Digital - Sound Quality

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42 posts

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#81157 5-Aug-2007 10:18

This may sound like a silly question but is the volume on the sky decoder set to full?

ZollyMonsta

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#81165 5-Aug-2007 11:07

A few of the programmes/channels come off satellite. So the chain at Sky would be Reciever (Mpeg2 audio)-> decode -> re-encode as mpeg2 audio. The programming is effectively encoded twice.

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rugrat

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#81166 5-Aug-2007 11:17

In my case decoder is set to 3/4 full. When I change channel from movies 1 or greats volume goes right up compared to these channels without altering nothing else. Movies 2 is a lot louder, but given up on it as I prefer movies with sounds coming from all speakers.

Asked someone else who just runs sound through TV and they have to turn sound up as well for movies.

deliveryguy

42 posts

Geek

#81171 5-Aug-2007 11:51

I would recommend setting the decoder volume to full (as all it does is reduce the line level output) and use the amp volume.

If the decoder volume is reduced the amp has to be turned up louder to compensate and any noise in the signal is made a lot worse.

I have been to places where people complaining of noise (hissing and buzzing) when watching using sky and found the TV volume at max and the sky volume at min.

stuzzo

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#81173 5-Aug-2007 12:01

deliveryguy: I would recommend setting the decoder volume to full (as all it does is reduce the line level output) and use the amp volume.

If the decoder volume is reduced the amp has to be turned up louder to compensate and any noise in the signal is made a lot worse.

I have been to places where people complaining of noise (hissing and buzzing) when watching using sky and found the TV volume at max and the sky volume at min.

What we were discussing, though, was the situation where, in some instances, there are clear sound effects from rear speakers when set to Pro Logic and on other programs/content there are not.

deliveryguy

42 posts

Geek

#81174 5-Aug-2007 12:08

sorry thats easy

some sky channels are stereo and some are mono -- the mono channels give no sound from the rear speakers the stereo channels will .

I don't have sky at home so I am unable to confirm which channels are stereo and which are mono.

deliveryguy

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Geek

#81175 5-Aug-2007 12:16

stuzzo: Listened to Sky Sport last night through the Home Theatre set to pro logic....may I mention the great Hawkes Bay Rugby victory?

During the commercials there were good rear speaker sound effects and during the commentary there was just static and the occasional "squigglys" from the rear speakers albeit at a quite low volume possibly backing up the idea that what you are hearing relates to whether the 2 channel sound has been encoded for dolby surround or not.

Just re read the above

The sports commentary is mono and the adverts are stereo - with a mono sound going to prologic the amp will normally send nothing to the rear speakers unless there is noise in the signal (increasing the volume on the sky decoder to full will reduce the noise).

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richms

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#81217 5-Aug-2007 21:58

Mums sky box clips at full on its adjustment, have to turn it down about 3 clicks and then it clears up the problem. If the sky channels use intensity stereo, which mpeg2 does at low bitrates its basically incompatible with prologic decoding since the phase information is destroyed in the signal.

As for the movies being quieter, thats because thats how they are meant to be, so that there is dynamics in it. Sadly FTA TV remove them from their broadcasts.

Richard rich.ms

kiwipearls

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#81240 6-Aug-2007 08:16

I normally have my Sky decoder Volume on full (unless one of my kids have fiddled with it, which if they do, I find it hard to hear (and if watching sky via TV speakers, wonder why my TV volume is up around the 60 mark(philips tv) when normally I have it around 30).

And yes, the squiggly noises are more audible/noticeable when you stick your ear to the speaker.

But where my rear speakers are set up, they are on the wall behind the couch and just a bit over over. So occasionally, especially if I am sitting, I have heard a staticy squiggly sound.

So from reading the replies it seems.

Sky Movies one is much better to run dolby, dolby prologic and dolby digitial.

Sky Movies two is broadcast differently. I wonder why? You would think that especially seeing we are paying for Sky digital, that Sky would broadcast all their movie channels in digital format (sound wise) so that our home theatre devices that we purchase to get that home movie feeling (seeing it is cheaper to stay at home and we pay for sky for our entertainment) would be able to give us the sound format that the movie makers wanted us to hear.

I love been able to have a really good effect with my Dolby prologic, especially when it actually seems like the Helicoptor on screen is flying up behind me. It makes you feel there.

And I just don't know why after all these years I have only just noticed these squiggles now, which is why I thought maybe Sky did some upgrades, downgrades, or changes somehow.

Thanks again for all your feedback. ;-)

"In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems" - The Book of Counted Sorrows

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sbiddle

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#81242 6-Aug-2007 08:42

kiwipearls:
Sky Movies one is much better to run dolby, dolby prologic and dolby digitial.

Sky Movies two is broadcast differently. I wonder why? You would think that especially seeing we are paying for Sky digital, that Sky would broadcast all their movie channels in digital format (sound wise) so that our home theatre devices that we purchase to get that home movie feeling (seeing it is cheaper to stay at home and we pay for sky for our entertainment) would be able to give us the sound format that the movie makers wanted us to hear.

Sky have been talking about launching Dolby Digital audio for some time now. It's been very apparent now for several years that Sky don't care about picture or audio quality and are more concerned about the $$. To be fair on them when 90% of their viewers don't care either it is hard to blame them for making this decision.

kiwipearls

431 posts

Ultimate Geek

#81244 6-Aug-2007 08:44

EDIT : for some reason my puter had a little spazz (or maybe it was me..lol) and it double posted.

"In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems" - The Book of Counted Sorrows

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kiwipearls

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#81245 6-Aug-2007 08:44

sbiddle:
kiwipearls:
Sky Movies one is much better to run dolby, dolby prologic and dolby digitial.

Sky Movies two is broadcast differently. I wonder why? You would think that especially seeing we are paying for Sky digital, that Sky would broadcast all their movie channels in digital format (sound wise) so that our home theatre devices that we purchase to get that home movie feeling (seeing it is cheaper to stay at home and we pay for sky for our entertainment) would be able to give us the sound format that the movie makers wanted us to hear.

Sky have been talking about launching Dolby Digital audio for some time now. It's been very apparent now for several years that Sky don't care about picture or audio quality and are more concerned about the $$. To be fair on them when 90% of their viewers don't care either it is hard to blame them for making this decision.

I think it is because a lot of kiwis like to be ignorant, or choose to be ignorant so as to not make a fuss. It is the "she'll be right" philosophy.

We need to speak up more as a country on the things we feel strongly about.

In the case of Sky digitial and the technologies on offer, we need to know more about it (which I am learning here in these forums) and tell them, as consumers, this is what we want and we are tired of wasting our money on sub-standard services.

"In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems" - The Book of Counted Sorrows

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openmedia

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#81246 6-Aug-2007 08:46

kiwipearls: I normally have my Sky decoder Volume on full (unless one of my kids have fiddled with it, which if they do, I find it hard to hear (and if watching sky via TV speakers, wonder why my TV volume is up around the 60 mark(philips tv) when normally I have it around 30).

And yes, the squiggly noises are more audible/noticeable when you stick your ear to the speaker.

I'd recommend moving the Sky STBs volume down to 90%. I've noticed distortion if it is running at 100% and then passes through an amplifier.

Steve

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Kiwi Pete

48 posts

Geek

#81252 6-Aug-2007 09:27

I would agree about running the audio at 90%, especially on My Sky, when feeding through an amplifier. Have not had distortion from my Pace 230 run at full level but the My Sky Box distorts when run at 100% when Sky overload the input level such as on a sport commentary. Had a similar problem with a Coship 3088C decoder as well on FTA. Running My Sky on the SPDIF output it seems that the "clicking" on peaks has been fixed. Was shocking on the earlier Super 14 match commentaries this year.

allstarnz

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#81273 6-Aug-2007 12:23

i have noticed the Sky audio can be hissy at times. Notice it more in recordings done on my PC. Maybe i'll try turning the audio down to 90%

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