In the last 3-4 months, I started to have a problem while playing MKV files. Not that I play different files, my smp is mainly for matroska playback . I have to say that I didn’t have this problem in the past.
The problem is that while I play a MKV file (most if not all I have are DTS sound only but it happened with DD too), at random time, I start to hear small stop-start of the sound, maybe a few ms interrupts. This can go on for about 10-20 seconds. Then, all of a sudden, the sound is crippled and you hear something like white noise. If you leave it, it continues like that and no sound from the movie can be heard. If I pause the movie and continue playback, the problem goes away. If I put the time in the file exactly before the time the problem started, it may not happen again. I haven’t heard it more than once per file. Usually, this happens in 2/3 files I have.
The playback is through a USB stick (Corsair Voyager 16GB) using the front USB port.
I uploaded two videos in youtube, one while the problem is there, and once exactly after I paused and continued the playback.Links are below
I can upload media info if required. The frequency of the problem is something that bothers me because it happens too often and I have to be on alert with the remote control in my hands. So far, I haven’t see any particular connection with the files the problem occured and it happens, it happened in both 720 and 1080p, dirreferent bitrates etc
Any help/suggestions is/are appreciated.
Are you using HDMI, Toslink, or Analog for sound?
If the problem is reliably reproducible with any given file, try running the file through MKVMerge just as a quick check to rule out muxing issues.
HDMI connected to a Pioneer VSX-S300 AVR (since day one of owning the smp). With some files, the problem happened after remuxing them with MKVMerge (mainly to include subs), while with others, it happened when they were still vanilla (like the one in the videos). Reproducing the problem may be a nightmare though. One file that didn’t play correctly may play ok if played again. Same if I play the file again right before the point the problem occured.
An update.
I was wondering why this problem was not happening all the time. And the reason why was that usually, I watch movies in the weekend. On Sunday night I was switching off the SMP by pressing the red button for 2-3 secs (‘real’ switch off and not sending the SMP to standby mode).
When I was switching it on on Friday night, or Saturday, the very first movie I’d watch demonstrates the problem I mentioned. After that, the movies play normally.
I managed to replicate the problem using MKVs (1080p or 720p) but I still not having a clue on the cause. This was not happening in the past and it started around July/August. I have not added or changed anything in my setup, either in the SMP configuration or my hardware setup (cables, TV, AVR etc).
If anyone can try this or experience anything similar, it would be great to know. Also, I noticed a new option was added to the SMP configuration (audio related but since I don’t have the SMP in front of me now, I forget the name) so I am wondering if this affects something.
