First off, I'm using a Panasonic Plasma with Dish network's VP622 and an antenna for my hd locals. I've noticed that the volume always fluctuates from loud to soft when I watch basketball on the local hd channels. It happen during the NCAA tourny and NBA basketball. Just noticed it happening with the Bulls/Heat game on ABC. Anybody know what's goin on? I'm just using the tv's speakers.

First off, I'm using a Panasonic Plasma with Dish network's VP622 and an antenna for my hd locals. I've noticed that the volume always fluctuates from loud to soft when I watch basketball on the local hd channels. It happen during the NCAA tourny and NBA basketball. Just noticed it happening with the Bulls/Heat game on ABC. Anybody know what's goin on? I'm just using the tv's speakers.


The title of this thread should be modified. What you described is not OTA, it's satellite.

I do have the problem you describe OTA though, particularly with NBC.

It should not be retitled. It is OTA. It only happens on my local stations, which I do NOT get from Dish Network. I use an antenna in my attic for them.

It should not be retitled. It is OTA. It only happens on my local stations, which I do NOT get from Dish Network. I use an antenna in my attic for them.
Is this happening during the HD program, during commercials, during local non-HD broadcasts, from network to local transitions?

Is this happening during the HD program, during commercials, during local non-HD broadcasts, from network to local transitions?

As far as I can tell, it's only happening on local hd programming from my antenna. And I've only noticed it on sporting events, not other shows or commercials. I have not noticed it on non-hd broadcasts, but I may have just overlooked it since I always watch the locals over the antenna, not the sd dish network locals.

Non-HD broadcasts are often upconverted after the limiting used for SD.

Since you are listening to the TV speakers, it's a mixdown and may be using Dynamic Range Control (DRC). Since the decoder is in the ViP622, I think there is a mode control to set that. I suspect this thread will be moved to the HDTV Reception Hardware area.

How are you feeding the ViP622 audio to the display's speakers?

Hdmi

I'm looking at the ViP622 manual. Try going to MENU > System Setup (6) > Dolby Digital (7) and see what those settings are.

The issue you described will happen when the programming switches from network to local. Network HD broadcasts are 5.1 surround sound. Commercials are generally 2.0 Stereo. Most stations use processors to convert 2.0 Stereo to faux surround sound. With this scenario, commercials will be louder because of the different levels used by stereo v.s. surround sound.

In the case of the 622 DVR from Dish, a recent update activated 5.1 over DVI. Previously they sent 2.0 over the DVI. Because of this update you'll notice the sound difference more now than previously.

There's no problem with your receiver.

The issue you described will happen when the programming switches from network to local. Network HD broadcasts are 5.1 surround sound. Commercials are generally 2.0 Stereo. Most stations use processors to convert 2.0 Stereo to faux surround sound. With this scenario, commercials will be louder because of the different levels used by stereo v.s. surround sound. While some stations convert stereo to 5.1, in my experience most do not. They use AC3 2/0 mode, and the home decoder will often use ProLogic 2 (PL2) decoding to create 5.1. Fox is the only network that attempts to convert all 2.0 material to 5.1 at the network end. CBS uses metadata to control the station's DP569 AC3 encoder to switch between 3/2L (5.1) and 2/0. NBC has the capability to the same, but keeps the network in constant 3/2L mode. The mode for local material is determined by the station and is typically in 2/0. ABC doesn't use metadata, so it's up to the stations. Some ABC O&Os and Tribune stations do convert the 2.0 material to 5.1.

Volume changes during a show (excluding breaks) can occur if the compressor is enabled. In my experience the decoders in the Dish receivers haven't had this problem, and enabling the Line or RF will reduce the dynamic range for more acceptable casual viewing. OTH, the volume differences between program, commercials and between channels has been discussed in length in the forum. Commercials generally have a much higher average volume than most programs. Channel to channel differences, or even network to local are often caused by different values of AC3 dialnorm. CBS is the loudest (-31db), and NBC is the softest (-22db).

The new trick that I've noticed is that some commercials now have tons of echo and reverb which causes pro-logic decoders to blare sound out of all five channels. So now we have to deal with all five channels coming on at full volume instead of just the two mains as well as having to deal with the volume jump due to the dialnorm abuse.

It should not be retitled. It is OTA. It only happens on my local stations, which I do NOT get from Dish Network. I use an antenna in my attic for them.


Sorry, I misread your post. As I said, I took have that problem OTA, especially with NBC, and to a lesser extent FOX and ABC. I don't really notice it with CBS.