[opendtv] Re: No Commentary on Fox/NASCAR Broadcast

From time to time I have heard programs that had a much reduced level
for the dialog.....this can occur for both DD5.1 and/or Stereo tracks.
And usually has reduced bass levels as well.

Sometimes switching to Stereo cures the problem...and sometimes not....

I can also compensate by using "Dialog Enhancement" mode on my Pioneer AV
Receiver.....just this week, I noticed a huge improvement on the
Stereo (only) signal during
World Music Award rerun on Analog MNT.

This avsforum post helps to explain this problem:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10110611&highlight=Lt#post10110611

DD5.1 outputs from the local station decoder are L/C/R/LS/RS/SW, where
the Center channel is a separate signal.
Stereo outputs from the same decoder are Lt/Rt, which INCLUDES the Center 
channel.

If the station doesn't "throw the switch" correctly going from Stereo program
(e.g. every commercial break) and DD5.1 program, then L/R may be
broadcast instead of Lt/Rt without accompanying C/LS/RS/SW signals
(no dialog, reduced bass).
You would think that this problem would be impossible with automated 
equipment.....

Via DTV, there is only one DD5.1 data stream, so this error affects both DD5.1
and derived Stereo outputs.

Via Cable, there are separate DD5.1 and PCM Stereo data streams, so sometimes
I've noticed that only the DD5.1 signal is affected.....

holl_ands

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dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx wrote:  I am having a consistent audio problems with my 
recordings of the NASCAR races broadcast on FOX.  Because I didn't watch the 
OTA signal live, I don't know if it is in the recording or if it was live.  I 
did watch a brief amount on cable at a friend's house (while waiting for the 
Indy 500 rain delay) and the commentary was consistent.
 
 The symptoms are these:  the audio is fine for all commentary and commercials 
until the drop of the green flag.  When the race starts, all I get is natural 
sound, the audio of the race cars, and short blips of commentary.  Commercials 
run fine with the proper audio.  The audio for the racing action switches based 
on the visual (i.e., an in-car cam has in-car audio, a track shot has the audio 
with the cars zooming by, etc.).  However, every once in a while, you hear a 
short bleep and there is some commentary and a second later it goes back to 
natural sound without commentary.  This happens the entire length of the race 
up to the post race when everything is good again.
 
 I am guessing that my VCR is stuck on recording SAP and that this isn't 
happening on the regular broadcast (I checked my VCR and it says it is 
recording the standard stereo broadcast.)  I can't imagine this happening on 
multiple races without fixing it.  I am guessing that the feed to the SAP is 
some aux channel on a router that is switching based some other control signal 
and that the natural audio is mixed on a separate console than the commentary 
or final output is mixed on.  Does FOX (or whoever is producing audio) know 
that this is going out?  Does this audio go with some special feature?  Does 
anyone know an engineer working on the NASCAR live trucks?
 
 Dan Grimes


 
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