Audio Issues

[anjenaire]

After months and months of decent playback of videos, music and photos, I suddenly have no audio! Was working fine last week and now it is without audio. Going from WDLive to my TV via HDMI cable, video is fine. Video files that played fine before don’t have sound, internet TV doesn’t have sound. Running the latest firmware. I tried rebooting, reflashing firmware, reset to factory defaults, disconnecting reconnecting HDMI cable, paper clip to the reset hole. So far nada.

Any other suggestions? Such a PIA to go down to watch a show with my family and have the device not work. Losing my credibility with the wife. Very close to giving up on it and buying a different device (maybe a Samsung Blu-Ray player with network and USB file access) especially after losing Play-On (I know, flash old firmware, but that is a work-around not a fix).

[TonyPh12345]

PlayOn is NOT broken in the current firmware.   If it’s still broken for you, then you may have other significant issues…

[George19855]

The most importand issue about the audio is that in hdmi mode and set the music settings to digital sometimes it hasnt audio through the receiver and i must unplug the wd from the power and plug in again to play with sound.

[anjenaire]

That’s it? I am sure my warranty is about to run out. No audio tried every setting, stereo, digital and hdmi no audio and back to stereo. The unit is connected to my TV via HDMI cable, reconnected, switched HDMI inputs, switched cable. Still no sound. (For what is worth, play-on briefly shows up and then issues an error; I will try updating my play-on but what for with no audio). Music doesn’t play either. Could the audio have become corrupt during the latest update?

Lacking any support options, I am going to try and flash update locally and give it another go later.

[anjenaire]

OK tried rolling back to earlier firmware. Still no audio out of the hdmi connection. Flashed to latest firmware. Still no audio. Picture is fantastic. Checked cables, checked settings. Any other suggestions?

[anjenaire]

Well I’ve come to the conclusion that the latest firmware update somehow borked my HDMI audio connection. The only difference between when it did work and now was a firmware update.  I switched to several known good HDMI cables, tried all settings (Digital, Stereo, HDMI without Audio), re-installed firmware, multiple factory resets all to no avail. Good video, no audio out of the HDMI port.

Plugged in the analog cord and I have audio.  Not a total loss but really that was the point of an HDMI device. Less cords and better sound.  I would mark this as unsolved.

[Laudanum]

There are audio issues with HDMI that are known.  Firmware is claimed to fix but many isues still reported.  Yours sounds like a different issue.  I originally had audio to TV through HDMI with digital selected in menu.  After firmware update from original firmware I no longer get any audio to TV through HDMI if it’s a surround format (DD or DTS) as Pass-thru (MKV files).  I have to encode an AAC track in every video to avoid having to switch to stereo if I just want to listen through the TV.  Pass-Thru audio works fine through optical to my receiver (I dont have HDMI receiver).  My TV is capable of handling the HDMI audio surround formats — works fine to TV through HDMI with DVD player and Satellite.  And again, it worked with included firmware (but had other issues).  If I roll back to initial firmware, doesnt help.  I suspect nothing will now, it’s an established HDMI handshake issue now, probably.  And if I do get a HT receiver with HDMI in I will surely experience the same issue of no audio with it as well.  So for now, it’s a hassle but workable.  But down the road when I upgrade the HT receiver, I think it will be time to move on to another brand device … unless they/I can find a fix.  Sorry about your audio issues but I think a lot of owners are in the same boat with all types of different issues.  This is a BUGGY device, no doubt.  It will go down in history as an enigma …