Sound loss on playback on ZMT640 PVR

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PimpMyMagic

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#76162 29-Jan-2011 13:26

My Zinwell PVR has recently started losing sound on playback. It will usually occur either from the beginning of playback of a recording or may happen after spooling forward through a comm break during playback.

After resuming playback the sound is mute. Spooling back to an area previously heard, will now also be mute, so it is obviously a playback problem. If I return (stop playback) to watching live, then sound is working normally.
Any fresh playback attempt will still be mute.

This fault seems to relate to TV1 recordings, while TV3 is OK - or this may be tied to just one of the two tuners.

Can anyone tell me how to switch tuners and know if there's any way to identify which tuner is active?

Has anyone experienced any silmilar problem, or have any idea what the problem may be? There's no sign of any vision disturbances at the time the fault occurs.

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7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433058 31-Jan-2011 09:55

My self and family members with the same zinwell box are experiencing the exact same thing. We are also stuck with what to so will be watching any responses that you recieve with great interest!

PimpMyMagic

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#433086 31-Jan-2011 10:47

Thanks for your post pollypoodlepuppy. At least I know I'm not alone.
My box is just gone 2yrs old now. The fault just suddenly started occuring after no changes made be me. I use an HDMI connection but checked that the condition also existed on the L/R analogue outputs to rule out any DRM funny being behind it.
It only occurs on TV1 but affects other recordings in that they no longer initially play either after attempting a TV1 replay. They do come right after about 30" of playing though, the sound arriving intermittently in "gated" bursts which then evolve into continuous audio, after which other channel recordings play OK. Attempting again to play a TV1 recording exhibits the fault and repeats the whole saga.
It's as though the TV1 recordings introduce a fault condition in a codec or something which then takes a while to clear after introducing an OK recording.
This morning I viewed Breakfast TV delayed (I hate all the ads and all that repetition of news and weather). It was all playing back fine with audio. Towards the end I was catching up so I froze the replay and went away. Eventually the program ended and the file was closed and labelled "viewed". After that I could not get sound on replay of any portion of the recording.
My background is as a TV technician and I'm intrigued as I cannot see any logic in this behaviour, especially in the way it only occurs on one channel - not even on TV2 which is on the same mux.
I may have to resort to ringing Next - I think they are the warranty and service agents. I'm a bit nervous about this though, as I've had bad experiences with them in the past, dealing with "new technology".
If I ever achieve an outcome, I'll be sure and post here.

pollypoodlepuppy

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433120 31-Jan-2011 11:40

As my parents were having the same problem, I also wondered if it was a network change... your codec theory. Im not very technical at all and dont even know what a mux is!

Im getting an eary feeling that the retail supplier of the machine will forward you to freeview technicians (saying that it is not a machine fault) and they will in turn send you back to the retailer (as stated on their after hours telephone recording for faults). I have joined another forum asking the same questions and will let you know if I have any positive responses.

Good luck to you.... US!

PimpMyMagic

267 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#433170 31-Jan-2011 12:44

MUX is an abbreviation for multiplexer. It is a system used to combine digital streams(channels) on to a single carrier (transmitter). All TVNZ's channels are carried on a single transmitter frequency which carries the interleaved digital data that holds each channel's information. (I hope that's not too technically confusing)
Did the "fault" start occuring to each of us at the same time? For me, within about the last week.
If so, then that would strongly suggest a system change, either within the TV1 transmission or a software update that has been applied "over-the-air" to our Zinwell boxes.
I'll see what I can find out after this long weekend (in the northern half) is over.

pollypoodlepuppy

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433195 31-Jan-2011 13:41

Thanks for that. Im still a bit vague on the whole mux thing, but I think I've got the basic idea.

My parents noticed the problem on wednesday (I think). As I rarely ever record channel one, I only noticed that mine was doing the same thing on friday when recording absolutely fab. So yes around the same time. Definatly makes the network sound to be responsible. Im supprised actually that I haven't heard of anyone else having this problem.

I have left a post on the freeview forum website but the admin hasn't authorised it yet. Im in the north also and wondering if the administration is to. I'll let you know if I hear anything from them.

My parents origionally took their zinwell box back to Noel Leamings who suggested they contact the freeview people. He also recommended that they plug the zinwell into the computer ralter, (dont know if that is how you spell it) to update it. Have you considered trying that? I wouldn't know where to even start to attempt it!

PimpMyMagic

267 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#433251 31-Jan-2011 15:32

Forget about plugging into your computer router. That assumes you have a home network with one.
There is an ethernet connection on the Zinwell and I've connected it to my home network but it hasn't provided any features of worth that I could see.
I haven't heard of any references to obtaining updates directly off the internet. In fact Next say that if you bring your Zinwell into them they will do the update for you. Updates are otherwise done "over the air".(data transmitted over freeview) Next are not permitted by Zinwell to make s/ware updates available on the web due to copyright reasons.
I've just read that the current version is 1.2.0 as posted by their tech support on 27 Oct 2010.
That's the version my box is running. To check your's hit the menu button and select SYSTEM then Information. Hit Enter.
I'll ring Next tomorrow to check if they know anything, otherwise I guess its try to prise something out of the Broadcasters, as the most likely cause. I'm sur they'll try to insist it's a fault in my box.(which occured simultaneously in all of ours - HAH)

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pollypoodlepuppy

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433256 31-Jan-2011 15:46

Saw load of numbers from you instruction. Im still unsure what version Im running. I had to check over the wot wots however so was trying to make it snappy.

I just tried reformating it. Not only did it not work, but I also managed to loose all my recordings including my wee ones favourite kiddie programs and shrek!

mananaweb

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#433330 31-Jan-2011 18:00

I am experiencing the exact same problem. All my TV1 recordings since last week are totally mute. Have tried to re-scan the channels, turned off the power and reset to defaults without success.

pollypoodlepuppy

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433337 31-Jan-2011 18:34

I have finally heard back from the freeview forum. I was told that the time when we all started experiencing problems was when there was an additional audio stream added to tv one on freeview/hd. I've asked what to do to fix the problem and will let you know when I find out.

openmedia

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Trusted

#433423 31-Jan-2011 21:37

There should be an option on the PVR to switch between audio streams. On TV3 this would switch between the 5.1 AC3 and the 2ch AAC audio streams. For some reason TV One on DTT now has an additional audio stream which appears to be blank.

Also the freeviewshop forum isn't connected with freeview.

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.

bfginger

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#433431 31-Jan-2011 21:57

It was ostensibly an "Italian" audio stream the last time I looked.

Somebody with one of the affected boxes should ring up TVNZ. I'm sure their technicians would be interested to hear that their live-wire testing is having this effect on Freeview-approved receivers.

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Dunnersfella

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#433439 31-Jan-2011 22:07

All this talk re: contacting Next may prove to be fruitless as they're now in liquidation.

pollypoodlepuppy

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#433519 1-Feb-2011 08:47

I know that freeview shop is not 'freeview', I just thought it would be a good forum to try to find answers in. I have also emailed tvnz. I will post my findings if there are any.

Thanks for the advise to change audio streams. I'll try to do it.

PimpMyMagic

267 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#433576 1-Feb-2011 10:13

I looked at the various limited audio setup options which don't include a language selection anywhere that I could find. I tried changing some available options (mainly only Dolby/PCM settings) but it made no difference.
I've emailed an engineer at TVNZ to at least make them aware of the issue.

Jaxson

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#433578 1-Feb-2011 10:18

Dunnersfella: All this talk re: contacting Next may prove to be fruitless as they're now in liquidation.

Seriously?

What a crack up. Next have been really protective of the Zinwell product, requiring people to return their PVRs to them for a free update. Not all centres have a Next shop so you're forced to box up and post or drive your PVR to the nearest location because your unit was on a shop shelf in a box last time they did an over the air update for it.

Zinwell must have been sleeping with someone at freeview as they had their PVR out years ahead of anyone else and now support for it is in limbo if Next are in liquidation. The sooner we see some products from name manufacturers like sony and panasonic etc the better I feel. We've been flooded with products straight out of china with very little support from them.

My world famous J C Matthew brand PVR is currently going well, but you can't buy them any more and support is via email to Australia for example. I'll check the TV1 recordings though to see if mine has the same problem as it's essentially a Zinwell PVR with newer firmware. Do people actually watch TV1?

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