Soundbar drops out every few minutes

[Timrees88]

Hi all,

Slightly strange one, but recently bought a new TV and soundbar combo. When playing live or recorded TV with sound output through the soundbar (not an issue when soundbar is not connected) the sound drops out every 5-10 minutes for a split second. Soundbar is connected to the TVI via ARC, set top box also connected via HDMI.

I have spent hours on the phone to technicians from Panasonic (soundbar and TV) who cannot come up with a solution, and suspect the set-top box is the issue, as there is no problem when using other sources (i.e. apps on the TV) - i.e. sound plays consistently through the soundbar.

I have tried every combo of setting through the TV and set-top box (turning dolby on and off, changing or fixing TV quality output from Virgin etc) with no success. I have also changed out all the HDMI cables, with similarly no sucess.

I notice a lot of other people have had similar, if not exactly the same issue (often sound sync issues) with updates to 360 boxes, and have suggested optical to the box as a workaround, and an optical cable should arrive today, but wanted to see if anyone had faced similar issue, or to add my voice to those wanting virgin to come up with a solution to the obvious sound output issues from the 360 box..... 

[Timrees88]

I'm having exactly the same issue, sound drops temporarily, flips to TV speakers, then returns to sound bar. Because it was a new TV and soundbar I spent about 4 hours on the phone with Panasonic adjusting every setting, only to discover it seems to be a Virgin 360 issue. From reading various forum comments there seems to be major issues with sound out of 360 boxes - when will there be a fix?

[Gareth_L]

Sorry to hear that Timrees88

Can I ask if you have both 360 box and the Mini 360 and does the drops happen on both 

Gareth_L

[Timrees88]

I have the mini box, but haven't currently got it in use. Can I just directly replace the 360 box with the mini to test?

[jonathanpye]

For reference, I have an LG SN11RG sounbar and LG 65CX. The tv360 box connected to the TV and the Soundbar is connected via eARC to the TV.  The tv360 box is an upgraded v6 box.

I do not have an issue with the sound dropping as described but do notice how much quieter the tv360 is compared to other HDMI  inputs and the built in TV apps. 

It seems Panasonic TV  owners are experiencing this issue based on those who have commented. It seems peculiar that the issue only affects one brand of TV.

[japitts]

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@Timrees88 wrote:

I have the mini box, but haven't currently got it in use. Can I just directly replace the 360 box with the mini to test?

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Edited reply, you'll need to power the mini up and install it. It doesn't have an HDD and - by design - acts as a slave to the master box.

I don't know your reasons for not having it in use, but all VM TV boxes need 2 connections. 1 co-ax cable for the TV feed, and a wired/wireless link to your home-hub for the internet.

Providing you can satisfy those conditions, then the boxes are interchangeable.

[Roger_Gooner]

As the soundbar has two HDMI inputs, what happens if you connect the 360 to the soundbar instead of the TV.

[jonathanpye]

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@japitts wrote:

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@Timrees88 wrote:

I have the mini box, but haven't currently got it in use. Can I just directly replace the 360 box with the mini to test?

---

Edited reply, you'll need to power the mini up and install it. It doesn't have an HDD and - by design - acts as a slave to the master box.

I don't know your reasons for not having it in use, but all VM TV boxes need 2 connections. 1 co-ax cable for the TV feed, and a wired/wireless link to your home-hub for the internet.

Providing you can satisfy those conditions, then the boxes are interchangeable.

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I would like to add if you cannot connect a coax due to a physical cabling limitation, you can still watch recorded content from the main box via the mini. Therefore, if you do not have a coax you can still test using recorded content from the main box played through the mini box to see if the you have the same issue

[japitts]

No VM box will bootup without a working co-ax, getting current channel info (which is fed over the co-ax) is part of the boot sequence.

Removing the co-ax once booted up is potentially different.

[Roger_Gooner]

As the mini box is not in use it needs to be activated so that it can be used.