Experimental lab for audio driver testing

Beta Community Apple Beta
#13

Apple has many audio APIs. Each of them work differently with different external devices. None of them does everything everyone wants at the same time. We've found another one and are trying it out to see if the trade-offs work better for some subset of users.

Just like we say that having your DVR connected via WiFi will give you a less reliable experience (because wireless is prone to interference, etc), having your audio connected via WiFi will give you a less reliable experience for the same reason.

We're stuck with APIs we have limited control over and a wireless speaker we have no insight into how they work, so there will always be limits of what we can do, but this is another attempt to see if it gives people better results than the APIs we've used so far.

#14

Thank you Eric for doing all that you can with the little you’ve been given. Personally, I’ve found it to be more trouble than it’s worth using HomePods as a TV speaker and finaly bit the bullet and purchased some Sonos gear. I hope for everyone’s sake you are able to find a workable solution. :grinning:

2 Likes
#15

@tmm1 @eric

Done a little more testing with the new driver (I’m assuming it’s actually being used - just displaying default?)

So far the experimental audio driver has been a lot better for me, here are my experiences with both with live TV.

Experimental:

  • silent start up, need to skip forward 10s for sound to play
  • drops about 1fps for half a minute before settling down and only dropping 1 every now and then
  • silent when in pip and coming out of pip, skip 10s forward for sound to play again

Lab:

  • sound plays straight away
  • drops about 5-10fps, never settles
  • silent coming in pip and coming out of pip, can’t get sound to start playing again.
  • refused to open ABC or SBS (both Aus) - possibly to do the channel having ‘descriptive video service’ as an audio track?

Let me know if you need any additional info or anything else tried out :slight_smile:

#16

@tmm1 looks like another bug. the player crashed on the lab driver when playing what looks like high end audio.

diagnostics submitted.

thanks.

#17

Hi there. I’m an Apple TV + HomePods user, and I’ve also been struggling since the tvOS 17 update. I’ve updated my Channels app to the beta a few days ago and switched over to the Lab audio driver. Generally, it definitely seems to be an improvement. Audio does still occasionally cut out (or the channel will simply go black), but not nearly as frequently. With that said, some channels are worse than others. For me, Food Network is the worst offender and is sometimes almost unwatchable, even with the Lab audio driver. I have no idea why that channel, in particular, is so bad! I feel like I notice the issue frequently occurs during commercials, but perhaps that’s just a coincidence. Either way, it’s definitely been annoying, but I really appreciate all of the work on your part to support us Apple TV + HomePod users. I’m sure it’s been frustrating on your end, as well. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help!

Devices: Apple TV 4K 2nd Gen, HomePod 1st Gen, HDHomeRun PRIME.

#18

Agree. I have similar issues with a few channels that go to commercial and screw up the audio. Been reporting for years.

#19

Updates:

#20

Ignore my frame drop reports - was caused by my Apple TV being set to 4K Dolby Vision.

Will test the Lab driver properly soon and report back.

1 Like
#21

getting lots and lots of dropped frames using the lab audio driver.

diagnostics submitted.

thanks.

#22

@AeroR1 I see the frame drops in your logs. Did this only happen with the new audio driver or does it happen with the other ones too? From the logs it looks like you're running into an issue, but it isn't clear to me it's related to the audio driver.

#24

I just installed the beta last night and I’m seeing frame drops with the Lab audio driver also:

Latest ATV 4K/Hardwired/1GB fiber up & down
Stereo pair of HomePod 2 as default audio output
HDHomerun Duo w/latest firmware

Playback quality: Original/Direct
Video Driver: Default
Audio Driver: Lab

When playback is first started, audio starts almost immediately but video is choppy and audio is out of sync (ahead of the video by 1 or 2 seconds). Rewinding playback by 10 or 15 seconds will re-sync audio temporarily, but video will continue to glitch every 10-15 seconds and audio will eventually become out of sync again. Output frames drop at a rate of about 1 every 2 or 3 seconds.

If I change the playback quality to Direct/Streaming (still using the Lab audio driver), the video chop stops after a minute or so, but the audio is still out of sync until I rewind playback 10 or 15 seconds. It stays in sync as long as I watch the channel. Output continues to drop frames every 2 or 3 seconds

If I change the audio driver to Experimental, it stops dropping frames, but audio doesn’t work at all regardless of how the playback quality is set until rewinding 10 or 15 seconds.

Edit: Diagnostics submitted fdf44ec9-d5d5-4f42-896f-7e2a6f6c75a

#25

Tested lab and experimental now that I’m not using the Dolby setting on my Apple TV (was causing additional frame drops not related to the audio driver).

Experimental:

  • No frame drops
  • Need to skip forward once to enable sound
  • No sound in PiP
  • No sound returning to full screen from PiP until skipping forward

Lab:

  • Noticable frame drops
  • Sound works from channel launch
  • No sound in PiP
  • No sound returning to full screen from PiP - need to close channel and reopen to enable sound again

Edit: Submitted diagnostics after using the Lab driver to open and close a couple channels.

1 Like
#26

@gcapps I don't see any diagnostics submitted from your TV (which is where we need the logs from)

#27

Ok. Just resubmitted from the ATV

#28

We’re reproducing this issue and are looking into why it’s happening.

#29

Any progress?

Maybe you guys should reach out to infuse. They have everything down perfectly for years now, audio, pip, smooth playback, proper display and selection of forced subs. Everything that channels has issues with. Thanks.

1 Like
#30

This issue is what stopped me from renewing this year. Once they get this fixed I will be back. I wish they could get the audio working like Infuse. It is flawless.

3 Likes
#31

Knock it off with the snark, @AeroR1.

How’s the progress on the lab audio driver going? It’s been weeks since you confirmed the problems with it.

It’s been a few years now with bad audio.

TVE TNT Connection Failures 01/09/2024
#32

Thanks to everyone who helped test the Lab driver. The results were used to improve the other drivers, and the Lab option will be removed in new builds.

#33