Suddenly HDMI audio stopped

Help and Support Apple TV
1

Hi All,

Until a power cut caused a cold reboot, audio over HDMI worked fine. Now there is no audio coming out, although I checked the Kodi audio system settings and it is still configured to use HDMI. The HDMI cable and AVR are working fine, just tested it with a laptop. What should I check on OSMC to get this going again?

Some settings and logs shown below:

$ amixer
Simple mixer control ‘Master’,0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 64
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control ‘PCM’,0
Capabilities: pvolume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 255
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control ‘IEC958’,0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control ‘IEC958 Default PCM’,0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control ‘IEC958’,16
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]

dmesg:

[ 1.908742] ALSA device list:
[ 1.908746] No soundcards found.
[ 1.913271] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: ALC889A: SKU not ready 0x400000f0
[ 1.913379] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: autoconfig for ALC889A: line_outs=1 (0x14/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0) type:line
[ 1.913386] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: speaker_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[ 1.913392] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: hp_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[ 1.913397] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: mono: mono_out=0x0
[ 1.913403] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: dig-out=0x1e/0x0
[ 1.913407] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: inputs:
[ 1.932420] input: HDA Intel Line Out as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input2
[ 1.932608] input: HDA Intel HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input3

2

Please try posting some full logs.
aTV is EOL for OSMC now, but it’s good you are still using it. A backup and reinstall using Download - OSMC might help.

Sam

3

Thanks Sam, my ATV has proved a reliable little box, which with OSMC is still good as a general audio server, plus NAS server on the LAN. It also plays some old videos quite respectably. It’s amazing really it is still running on the original HDD, thinking how old and limited this box was, even at the time Apple launched it.

Anyway, I enabled logging, plus component specific logging, rebooted for the n’th time and to my astonishment, HDMI started working! O_O

I can’t explain how or why this happened … but as long as HDMI stays on I’ll be a happy camper! :slight_smile:

Sorry for the noise and thanks again for OSMC!

PS. There’s this DBus error showing up in the logs below, and also showing up on screen when the ATV reboots, but I haven’t bottomed out why it happens. Is it a bug, or am I missing some setting?

22:49:44.289 T:3000912384 NOTICE: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
22:49:44.459 T:3000912384 ERROR: DBus: Error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown - The name org.freedesktop.UPower was not provided by any .service files
22:49:44.530 T:3000912384 NOTICE: load settings…
22:49:44.811 T:3000912384 WARNING: CSettingInt: unknown options filler “audiocdactions” of “audiocds.autoaction”
22:49:46.281 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Found 1 Lists of Devices
22:49:46.281 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Enumerated ALSA devices:
22:49:46.281 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Device 1
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceName : @
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayName : Default (HDA Intel ALC889A Analog)
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayNameExtra:
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceType : AE_DEVTYPE_PCM
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_channels : FL,FR
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_sampleRates : 48000
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_dataFormats : AE_FMT_S32NE
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_streamTypes : No passthrough capabilities
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Device 2
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceName : @:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayName : HDA Intel
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayNameExtra: ALC889A Analog
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceType : AE_DEVTYPE_PCM
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_channels : FL,FR
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_sampleRates : 48000
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_dataFormats : AE_FMT_S32NE
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_streamTypes : No passthrough capabilities
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Device 3
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceName : iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayName : HDA Intel
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayNameExtra: ALC889A Digital S/PDIF
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceType : AE_DEVTYPE_IEC958
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_channels : FL,FR
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_sampleRates : 44100,48000,88200,96000,192000
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_dataFormats : AE_FMT_RAW,AE_FMT_S32NE,AE_FMT_S16NE,AE_FMT_S16LE
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_streamTypes : STREAM_TYPE_AC3,STREAM_TYPE_DTSHD_CORE,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_1024,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_2048,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_512
22:49:46.282 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Device 4
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceName : hdmi:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayName : HDA Intel
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_displayNameExtra: HDMI
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_deviceType : AE_DEVTYPE_HDMI
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_channels : FL,FR,LFE,FC,BC,BL,BR,FLOC,FROC,BLOC,BROC,TFC,TC,TFL,TFR,UNKNOWN1
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_sampleRates : 32000,44100,48000,88200,96000,176400,192000
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_dataFormats : AE_FMT_S32NE,AE_FMT_S16NE,AE_FMT_S16LE,AE_FMT_RAW
22:49:46.303 T:3000912384 NOTICE: m_streamTypes : STREAM_TYPE_AC3,STREAM_TYPE_DTSHD,STREAM_TYPE_DTSHD_CORE,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_1024,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_2048,STREAM_TYPE_DTS_512,STREAM_T
YPE_EAC3,STREAM_TYPE_TRUEHD
22:49:46.382 T:3000912384 NOTICE: Loaded settings file from special://xbmc/system/advancedsettings.xml

4

The DBus error is present in all logs. You can ignore.

5

It’s not a full set of logs, or uploaded via My OSMC, so it’s hard to tell what the issue was.

If it happens again, let me know.

Sam

6

Unfortunately this was not an one off problem. :frowning:

Video plays fine and I have a GUI, but no audio is registered by the PVR.

Here is the complete log after a reboot.

https://pastebin.com/bY1jDD8J

Anything suspicious in the above?

7

Ha! I found how to upload OSMC logs. I had forgotten this facility! :blush:

Please have a look here for anything amiss:

https://paste.osmc.tv/boyedazoce

Thanks again,

8

Sample rate for that video looks odd.

Sam

9

Right, it may be so, but it’s the audio which is not working at present. Both kodi GUI and video/audio files produce no sound. Will a wrong sample rate cause the audio to fail completely?

10

Shouldn’t do – can you take a photo of your audio settings?

Sam

13

I’ve tried many things over the last week. Moved the HDMI cable from the AVR to the TV, moved it back to the AVR, but connected it to a different HDMI port, put it back to the old HDMI port. Rebooted umpteen times. Once or twice I managed to get audio out of it. I’ve regretted rebooting since, LOL, but had to because the UPS stopped being recognised for some reason. Not a problem with video, only audio.

I have over time tried all possible combo of audio settings. The audio settings shown here used to work in the past and these are what I’m running with at present.

Having eliminated the HDMI cable (it works with my laptop), AVR port, could it be the audio card on the ATV was damaged by the power cut? Not sure how this explains I managed to get audio a couple of times so far, but I’m clutching at straws here. :frowning:

14

Have you tried a clean reinstall?
If that doesn’t help maybe it’s time to move into the year 2018

1 Like
15

Thanks fzinken, I’ve been postponing a reinstall although before I retire this box I may have to try this avenue too.

Are the debian repos to reinstall various applications still available?

Is there any documentation on the booting mechanism of ATV with Linux? If I’m going to devote time on this project I may also try running a different distro on it.

17

Yes Jessie Repros are still available.

18

I reinstalled atv-image-4.2.3-25-osmc, atv-kernel-osmc, atv-mediacenter-osmc, and rebooted. A nice all green screen came back, I’m guessing no red colour firing up. Despite the discoloured screen the audio was back in all its glory! :-/

I tried changing theme, resolution and frequency in case the video started displaying properly, but it stayed green. So I rebooted and the video came back correctly with all colours displayed, but … no sound this time!

I’d rather not reinstall completely, but given the audio drivers are built in the kernel and I reinstalled the kernel, shouldn’t this have fixed the problem?

Q: How is the mach-kernel compiled?

My understanding is that mach_kernel contains a copy of the kernel and initrd. In my /boot directory I see:

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 15 Aug 31 18:54 .
drwxr-xr-x 23 root root 4096 Aug 21 23:04 …
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 68619 Mar 6 2016 BootLogo.png
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 4 Mar 6 2016 System
-rw------- 1 root root 2032339 Jun 6 2017 System.map-4.2.3-25-osmc
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 298800 Mar 6 2016 boot.efi
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 588 Apr 3 2016 com.apple.Boot.plist
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 96660 Jun 6 2017 config-4.2.3-25-osmc
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 2712 Apr 3 2016 install.log
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 6137572 Aug 31 18:54 mach_kernel
-rw------- 1 root root 6106624 Jun 6 2017 vmlinuz-4.2.3-25-osmc

I can compile another kernel, but I don’t know how to build the initird (will dracut do?) and mach_kernel thereafter. Are there any notes anywhere how to go about this task?

19

Sounds like a hardware failure to me. As @fzinken said, it’s probably time that you move on and ditch your 11 year old un-supported hardware.

20

You need to fix video output to RGB in AppleTV settings.

OSMC can’t do this as the AppleTV BIOS is read-only from Linux.

You need to fix this in the Apple TV OS.

21

Thank you all for your replies.

@bmillham: I had I’ve been thinking along the same lines about a potential hardware fault. Perhaps an audio chip on its way out, then the video card playing up, what will go next? The intermittent/random nature of this problem is what puzzled me.

@sam: I had changed the output to RGB with the original ATV OS, before I installed OSMC. But the sudden green colour had me questioning my memory of doing this.

I think I have found out the cause of the problem and it is most likely related to the TV/AVR HDMI control mechanism, not the ATV. It seems the ‘HDMI Control’ feature of the TV & AVR, whereby the TV remote takes over and controls the power setting on all HDMI linked devices in a chain (TV > AVR > ATV) is interfering with the HDMI signal. I’ve re-flashed the AVR firmware recently and this may have reset something in the AVR to cause the problem of the ATV loss of sound. I have just switched the HDMI control in the AVR settings from ‘On’ to ‘Auto’, shut down TV and AVR, then rebooted the ATV. The sound came back on and the video colours were correct too!

Thanks again for OSMC!