[SOLVED] HDMI Audio Dropout

[Skywatch]

Hi,

I am recently getting frequent dropouts on the HDMI audio. It doesn't happen when playing music via the I2S DAC, only on HDMI sound with video. The video picture continues to play normally, but the audio drops out for about 0.5-1s, and it can happen several times in a minute. It can go several minutes before it happens again.

Anyone have any idea on how to go about tracking down the cause of this please?

Skywatch.

[rikardo1979]

having something like this too, on the music files. drops/cutouts over HDMI

[f1vefour]

Enable full logging and post the log to pastebin and provide a link here.

[rikardo1979]

nothing in my logs m8, that's first I checked
I'm suspicious it's HDMI signal drops so maybe a kernel related

[menakite]

Latest kernel was released on 8 October (3.15.8), are you getting this since then or only recently?
I would suggest to check if the Raspberry Pi "firmware" (xbian-package-firmware) is up to date.

Can you check if this only happens with certain audio codecs?

Edit: have you already tried a shorter HDMI cable or setting config_hdmi_boost=4 (default is 2)? The maximum value is 7, but it can also fry your TV/receiver.

[rikardo1979]

(12th Nov, 2014 10:36 AM)menakite Wrote:  Latest kernel was released on 8 October (3.15.8), are you getting this since then or only recently?
I would suggest to check if the Raspberry Pi "firmware" (xbian-package-firmware) is up to date.

Can you check if this only happens with certain audio codecs?

Edit: have you already tried a shorter HDMI cable or setting config_hdmi_boost=4 (default is 2)? The maximum value is 7, but it can also fry your TV/receiver.

Terminal

root@xbian:/home/xbian# uname -a
Linux xbian.private 3.15.8+ #6 Wed Oct 8 06:31:51 CEST 2014 armv6l GNU/Linux
root@xbian:/home/xbian# /opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd version
Aug 12 2014 18:21:28
Copyright © 2012 Broadcom
version f32b2bbfdea55d48c9a52b92e5c798f9aa5f47bc (tainted) (release)

And I would never report a thing without trying the basics first
So yes, there is no problem with my HW or installation, nothing to do with cables etc, I know the drill

regardless the files, I use FLAC mainly, but I have try the MP3 just to test it. And it seems to be a file related. I havent tried different file since now (my bad) but it should play just fine. I mean FLAC. If the device can easily stream 1080p/DTS than FLAC should be a "piece of cake".
To be honest not sure where to start with trouble shoot.
I would need more time to play more files, to be sure the MP3s are fine, just to make sure. Maybe I find some spare time tonight

edit: I did force update of the system from within config and it seems to be better. had some glitch at the start but now seems to have no cutouts. again, need to test more, so will report back later

[rikardo1979]

well, after that update its much better but not perfect. still suffering from occasional glitches when streaming FLAC files. its much better but not perfect.
still have no idea what causing it. Maybe a buffer or memory leaks

[f1vefour]

I wasn't talking to you about a log Richard. But if you're suffering audio issues something should be contained in the log with full debug logging enabled. I do remember reading about an issue with FLAC but I don't remember if it was an xbian issue or a general firmware issue.

[rikardo1979]

(13th Nov, 2014 06:16 AM)f1vefour Wrote:  I wasn't talking to you about a log Richard. But if you're suffering audio issues something should be contained in the log with full debug logging enabled. I do remember reading about an issue with FLAC but I don't remember if it was an xbian issue or a general firmware issue.

would be great if you could remember where did you read that info

[menakite]

http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/15030 seems much related.

[rikardo1979]

(13th Nov, 2014 12:16 PM)menakite Wrote:  http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/15030 seems much related.

actually its a "bit" different as its not RPi related and also its more than 6 months old, where this is on the latest RC3 build. and there are no pause in songs, its just a glitch or "mute" in songs for a split of the second, no longer
and I can confirm that I didn't have these issues in the past

[Skywatch]

(12th Nov, 2014 10:36 AM)menakite Wrote:  Edit: have you already tried a shorter HDMI cable or setting config_hdmi_boost=4 (default is 2)?

Thank you for that reminder! - I had forgotten about it, but adding hdmi_boost=4 seems to have done the trick nicely.

Come to think of it it was only after swapping out to the longer cable that I believe the issue started, so all being well, that's sorted now!

As for Rikardos issue with FLAC files, I never have had a problem with them (and I have hundreds of them as my whole CD collection is now backed up in FLAC format). I used to play them via a HDMI dac before getting the I2S one up and running.

UPDATE - 2.5 hours of video last night and not a single drop out! - I have marked this as solved now! - Cheers!

Skywatch.