HDR v3 box not fit for purpose (sound cutting out)

[Jong99]

I'd like to add my name to this new thread, after a few posts in the original.

Still very much affected. Almost all evening viewing of recorded or download shows are frequently interrupted by momentary sound glitches. As with all others, the V1 box was unaffected and, although the severity varies from day to day, it has been continuous since the (paid for) upgrade to V3 last September.

For Sky's info, I have been monitoring the old thread weekly or more frequently ever since. I have not been repeatedly posting as I had nothing new to add. I ask that Sky do not assume that people who have stopped posting have 'gone away' or that their problem is resolved.

I have not logged with Sky as it really makes no sense going through the time consuming process only to be faced with an agent who claims it is unknown and who wants to send out an engineer, but I'd be very happy to work with an Sky escalation engineer who wants to email/DM me. Like several here, I am an IT specialist myself, so very capable of following any diagnostic process they care to define.

It is a real shame as in all other ways I am very happy with my V3 upgrade and it is great to see an increased amount of HLG HDR content.

[Larry+Duggan]

January 6th. 
No software update. 

[tarbat]

---

@Larry+Duggan wrote:

January 6th. 
No software update. 

---

Nobody from Sky said there would be.

[Larry+Duggan]

Somebody mentioned it in the other thread. 

But if we're holding up what Sky say as the arbiter of everything, we may as well close the thread and wait. 

[Ratinthekitchen]

The 10 secs during the football is a separate issue not for this thread.  If anyone wants to record the random split second stutters you're best off just recording whatever you are watching on your phone and when it happens rewind to show its not a broadcast error. Then edit down the recording 

[Morgan+McDonnell]

---

@Larry+Duggan wrote:

Somebody mentioned it in the other thread. 

But if we're holding up what Sky say as the arbiter of everything, we may as well close the thread and wait. 

---

Somebody mentioned it in another thread?  Oh well then 🤔

[Gridders]

sky broadband engineer round today regarding the disconnecting mini boxes and the Wi-fi drain when downloading on Q since the new v3 HDR box was installed.  He says there is also a known issue with the software on the ROUTER, which is in staff testing phase and no date for a roll out, which he said 'could, be causing issues with the main v3 Sky Q box. He suggested hardwiring my box too but he can't comment if that's a solution to the Wi-fi issues this box is creating. 

He also looked up ongoing issues with Sky and the first one was V2 and v3 sound drops on UHD, streaming services and TV in general with no estimated fix date showing. He's recommended I get the box changed but we all know this won't fix the issue. Interestingly he also say he knew the v3 boxes were cheaper to manufacture and that a v4 box with Dolby vision is being worked on.

He swapped my router but nothing with change until the Sky Q box is sorted - all this has down is highlight a router software issue in addition to the Q problems....

[PandJ2020]

---

@Gridders wrote:

Interestingly he also say he knew the v3 boxes were cheaper to manufacture and that a v4 box with Dolby vision is being worked on.

---

It wouldn't be surprising that they would be cheaper to manufacture simply because technology tends to get cheaper over time.  (As the specs have not changed significantly)

I'd be surprised if they went DV as they've hung their hat on HLG.  It's confusing enough as it is but to run multiple HDR formats will at least keep the forum busy...  The software will need to be smarter if this is to succeed.

Oh, and for the audio not to drop out...

[simon194]

---

@PandJ2020 wrote:

---

@Gridders wrote:

Interestingly he also say he knew the v3 boxes were cheaper to manufacture and that a v4 box with Dolby vision is being worked on.

---

It wouldn't be surprising that they would be cheaper to manufacture simply because technology tends to get cheaper over time.  (As the specs have not changed significantly)

I'd be surprised if they went DV as they've hung their hat on HLG.  It's confusing enough as it is but to run multiple HDR formats will at least keep the forum busy...  The software will need to be smarter if this is to succeed.

Oh, and for the audio not to drop out...

---

Sky are using HLG because it's in agreed international HDR standard for live broadcasting and for no other reason. HDR10 was ruled out for live broadcasting because it has static metadata that can get corrupted within the broadcast chain.

[BBBD69]

Just to confirm I am not with Sky Broadband so I don't think the router has anything to do with the problem as users on here are probably with a variety of ISP's.

[tarbat]

---

@PandJ2020 wrote:

What the native format that is broadcast/downloaded and what processing is on the Sky box is a different question...

It varies. Most broadcast channels have a DD soundtrack, with some exceptions. BBC Parliament, some SD movie channels, etc. have PCM soundtracks.  Setting output to Dolby Digital, then any programme with a DD soundtrack is output as Dolby Digital, and any programme with a PCM soundtrack is output as PCM.

[fizzdisco]

Indeed. I'd take any information from a Sky engineer with an extremely large pinch of salt. 

Granted some are better than others (the one who installed my box a few months ago had never heard of HDR) but the numbers of them who are party to Sky's official future plans I would suspect are very limited/non-existent. 

[toomy4s1210]

Haven't had cut outs for around 4 days now seems to be working fine for me .

[Gridders]

Ok so the TV engineer came this afternoon after the BB engineer. He also could not enter the property so explained the multiple issues and he gave me a new v3 box to try. I COULD have had a V2 box but went with the same....and now with a new v3 box AND a new router....I'm still having the same issues in terms of poor Wi-fi speed when downloading, mini box disconnections and over Wi-fi dropping to single digit figures. 

I can't comment on the sound drop outs yet as I've not watched any TV but as predicted the visits on both engineers has not rectified any of my many issues.

Has anyone with the V2 HDR power bank operated box had any network issues? I'm wondering if I should have chosen the V2 box as was offered both.

I will be speaking to Sky again later this week....

[PandJ2020]

---

@simon194 wrote:t...

Sky are using HLG because it's in agreed international HDR standard for live broadcasting and for no other reason. 

---

Yes indeed but the irony being all the HDR content is downloaded rather than broadcast.

DV is natively a better format but it doesn't automatically mean the content is better - it all depends on the mastering and host of other factors.  But going off topic as the issue is sound, not picture.

We'll have to wait and see what evolves.