Discussion Audio issues on XStream Smart box [SOLVED]

[Siva]

Hello All,

As you know, I have upgraded my HD box to XStream Smart box yesterday.

Good News - Upgraded to XStream Smart box

I have mentioned in my review that there is a bug with the Audio on this box.

Issue:

XStream box is sending Dolby Digital signal on ALL channels and content, regardless of whether the content is actually in Dolby Digital format. This is creating an issue with the audio on stereo channels. Usually, my Home Theater upscales the audio on the stereo channels and produces decent 5.1 audio that I can manage with. It is not happening on this box, because of the box sending 5.1 input regardless of the source having it or not. You may think what's the problem if the box itself is sending 5.1 channel audio on all channels. There lies the catch, only the signal is 5.1 but the sound comes in just 2 speakers i.e. Front Left and Front Right. So basically, the box sends the signal as 5.1 but doesn't send the sound that way and the home theater assumes it's receiving 5.1 and doesn't try to upscale, keeping the stereo audio as is. Fortunately, this is not an issue on the channels/content on which Dolby Digital is available. Box properly sends the sound to all speakers for such content.

Amazon Prime not producing Dolby audio at all.

Solutions Tried:

1. Tried enabling/disabling System sounds. It doesn't have any impact.
2. Tried enabling/disabling HDMI CEC and Volume control over CEC. It doesn't have any impact.
3. Tried using an Optical cable instead of HDMI cable. No change.
4. Tried selecting different formats manually instead of Auto in the Android settings -> Device Settings -> Sound. This is making the entire audio to go to 2 channels if we select certain formats manually and even the content with Dolby is showing as Stereo. It's working fine only in Auto mode. Please note my Home Theater supports only Dolby Digital.

I spoke to the Airtel audio technical team member whom I worked with earlier to fix the Star Maa HD audio issue. He said this box produces original audio regardless of what the format is in the content. However, I explained the issue to him, asked him to test on his end, and he is yet to respond.

It is worth noting that I did notice this with my friend's Internet TV box. I once brought that box to my home for testing and in that box also, all channels were showing Dolby Digital in my Home Theater. I didn't have a chance to look into it keenly at that time though. Now that I see this issue on this XStream box, I can remember it clearly. Also, on the Internet TV box, we had the ability to select the audio type as Stereo or Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus in the box settings instead of Android settings. That has been removed on the XStream box. The only place where we can change the audio formats is in the Android settings.

Though I think this is a software issue that Airtel needs to fix, Let us use this thread to discuss it and solutions that we can try. Hopefully, we can find something.

Cheers,
Siva

 

[Happy Self]

Hello All,

As you know, I have upgraded my HD box to XStream Smart box yesterday.

Good News - Upgraded to XStream Smart box

I have mentioned in my review that there is a bug with the Audio on this box.

Issue:

XStream box is sending Dolby Digital signal on ALL channels and content, regardless of whether the content is actually in Dolby Digital format. This is creating an issue with the audio on stereo channels. Usually, my Home Theater upscales the audio on the stereo channels and produces decent 5.1 audio that I can manage with. It is not happening on this box, because of the box sending 5.1 input regardless of the source having it or not. You may think what's the problem if the box itself is sending 5.1 channel audio on all channels. There lies the catch, only the signal is 5.1 but the sound comes in just 2 speakers i.e. Front Left and Front Right. So basically, the box sends the signal as 5.1 but doesn't send the sound that way and the home theater assumes it's receiving 5.1 and doesn't try to upscale, keeping the stereo audio as is. Fortunately, this is not an issue on the channels/content on which Dolby Digital is available. Box properly sends the sound to all speakers for such content.

Solutions Tried:

1. Tried enabling/disabling System sounds. It doesn't have any impact.
2. Tried enabling/disabling HDMI CEC and Volume control over CEC. It doesn't have any impact.
3. Tried using an Optical cable instead of HDMI cable. No change.
4. Tried selecting different formats manually instead of Auto in the Android settings -> Device Settings -> Sound. This is making the entire audio to go to 2 channels if we select certain formats manually and even the content with Dolby is showing as Stereo. It's working fine only in Auto mode or If I select manual and select Dolby Digital alone in the formats. Please note my Home Theater supports only Dolby Digital.

I spoke to the Airtel audio technical team member whom I worked with earlier to fix the Star Maa HD audio issue. He said this box produces original audio regardless of what the format is in the content. However, I explained the issue to him, asked him to test on his end, and he is yet to respond.

It is worth noting that I did notice this with my friend's Internet TV box. I once brought that box to my home for testing and in that box also, all channels were showing Dolby Digital in my Home Theater. I didn't have a chance to look into it keenly at that time though. Now that I see this issue on this XStream box, I can remember it clearly. Also, on the Internet TV box, we had the ability to select the audio type as Stereo or Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus in the box settings instead of Android settings. That has been removed on the XStream box. The only place where we can change the audio formats is in the Android settings.

Though I think this is a software issue that Airtel needs to fix, Let us use this thread to discuss it and solutions that we can try. Hopefully, we can find something.

Cheers,
Siva

Agree with you. I have the same issue thoogh my Home Theater supports almost all the sound format. It is purely a software issue. I am not sure whether Airtel has technical team having adequate knowledge to address this issue.

Also, Airtel has no timeline to enable recording facility. In today's world when time management is an issue, it difficulty for many to coincide time with their favourite live programme. Recording facility over comes this problem. Not having recording facility has forced me to unsubcribe many channels to a barely minimum channels and my monthly bill has come down from Rs. 500/- to less than Rs. 250/-.....a loss to Airtel.

A hurriedly lunched product has indented on Airtel Brand image severely.

Anand

 

[Siva]

Update:

Airtel audio engineer called me and told me that they are aware of this. He told me that Tata Sky is the reason for this decision from Airtel. He said that several customers have raised complaints saying Tata Sky is providing Dolby Digital Plus on many channels whereas Airtel is not providing it. So, they made a decision to just show the highest format supported by the Home Theater on all channels and content just to satisfy the users who raised such complaints. So, although the box is producing only 2 channel audio on stereo output, it fools the HT into thinking that it's receiving 5.1 channel input thus displaying the same. I also asked him about Amazon Prime not producing Dolby audio, and he said it must be raised with Amazon, as it's their app. He also said Netflix doesn't have such a problem on the box. If Amazon doesn't agree to resolve it from their end, he asked me to raise a complaint with Airtel and they will look into both the issues.

 

[Happy Self]

Horribly bad....2 channels stereo audio can be converted in to 5.1 channels applying a standard algorithm. However, Airtel prefered to do it by keeping other 3.1 channels mute.

My HT swiftly converts 2 stereo channels into 5.1 channels in good way. But what can a good Ht system do when it is getting all the 5.1 channels with other 3.1 channels muted in them.

 

[ARULRAJ]

Thx bro , i too faced the same issue in my onkyo home theater through optical cable . onkyo showed Dolby trueHD as input and front left and front right speakers only worked. Then i changed android audio setting as DTS by manual only mode in Xstream box. Now i am getting PCM DTS as input / 5.1 output from onkyo for amazon prime ,Netflix and HD channels.

 

[Siva]

Thx bro , i too faced the same issue in my onkyo home theater through optical cable . onkyo showed Dolby trueHD as input and front left and front right speakers only worked. Then i changed android audio setting as DTS by manual only mode in Xstream box. Now i am getting PCM DTS as input / 5.1 output from onkyo for amazon prime ,Netflix and HD channels.

I tried this, and it didn't work for me on Amazon prime. By keeping Auto, 5.1 works fine on HD channels and also on Sun NXT. On Amazon Prime, Dolby is not working, whatever I try. What is it showing on your Onkyo for SD channels after this setting?

 

[Happy Self]

Thx bro , i too faced the same issue in my onkyo home theater through optical cable . onkyo showed Dolby trueHD as input and front left and front right speakers only worked. Then i changed android audio setting as DTS by manual only mode in Xstream box. Now i am getting PCM DTS as input / 5.1 output from onkyo for amazon prime ,Netflix and HD channels.

Probably it is not the right way of doing the thing. The box should have send the audio in it bitstream format (by disabling box system sound) and your HT should have processed to the desired way.

In your case, I am not sure whether the Xstream box is first converting the original 2 stereo channels into 5.1 Dolby Channels by simply padding 3.1 muted/ dummy channels into it and then converting it into PCM DTS or converting original 2 channels stereo audio into PCM DTS directly. The former will again be useless, the later will be useful to an extent.

As per Siva, enabling/disabling System sounds doesn't make change,...then what is this option meant for?

Airtel has deployed a bunch of nonprofessionals rather jokers.

I am not sure whether Airtel is working on for bringing back favourite mode in DTH viewing by filering out Non-Favrourite Chennels in channel navigation by pressing left or right button.

TRAI has declared that it will introduce Set Top Box interoperability by the end of this year. As per the report, TRAI has confirmed that the STB interoperability will be implemented by the end of 2019. I hope Reputed brand like samsung or Sony etc. lunches good Set UP Boxes.

Anand

 

[Siva]

In your case, I am not sure whether the Xstream box is first converting the original 2 stereo channels into 5.1 Dolby Channels by simply padding 3.1 muted/ dummy channels into it and then converting it into PCM DTS or converting original 2 channels stereo audio into PCM DTS directly. The former will again be useless, the later will be useful to an extent.

I believe it's the former. But I'll let the user confirm.

As per Siva, enabling/disabling System sounds doesn't make change,...then what is this option meant for?

This option is to disable/enable the navigation sounds that the box makes when we click the buttons on remote.

 

[prasaad.10x]

Thx bro , i too faced the same issue in my onkyo home theater through optical cable . onkyo showed Dolby trueHD as input and front left and front right speakers only worked. Then i changed android audio setting as DTS by manual only mode in Xstream box. Now i am getting PCM DTS as input / 5.1 output from onkyo for amazon prime ,Netflix and HD channels.

Sirji,
I have Boat SoundBar. I am thinking to connect Xstream Box with Optical Out to Boat Soundbar. My query is, If I lower or increase the volume from Xstream Set Top Box, will it change on Boat Soundbar? Means can I control volume of soundbar by Airtel Xstream Box?
Please advice.

 

[Happy Self]

I believe it's the former. But I'll let the user confirm.


This option is to disable/enable the navigation sounds that the box makes when we click the buttons on remote.

You are right and I stand corrected. I meant Xstream Shopping pass through the audio rather than processing it in a wrong way.