KD-55A1 sound cuts out and Info Banner shows on loud sounds.

[sihayco33]

I think I have found a repeatable fault in the latest issued verion of Android on my A1. I was watching 4k Dunkirk via my UBP-X800 - wired directly to TV HDMI. The TV was set to a volume of 34. Everytime there was a loud explosion on screen, the sound cut out and the Info Banner apeared across the top of the screen.

Switching the the soundbar for the sound, and not using the TV speaker at all, we saw the same symptoms.

Is this a "Safety Feature"? I have carried out a Soft Reset, but no change.

Simon

[Jecht_Sin]

It should be an Android bug where the audio and info banner are related indeed. The banner randomly shows in all Bravia with Android. The good news is that you can fully disable the info banner (in the Channels options I think to remember), the bad news is that I don't know if that will do anything to the audio getting cut out, nor if the banner disappears also when changing TV channel (but one can still press "i+" to get it).

[sihayco33]

Thank you for your quick reply Jecht_Sin. I shall try the banner disable this evening.

I think the interesting thing is the trigger to the event. Any loud, sudden sounds in the film, bought it on.

Simon

[ChrisCrash]

Last night I suffered exactly the same problem.  I have the same 55" A1 with UBP-X800 Blu-ray player.  Using the UHD 4K Dunkirk disc, the sound at the loudest parts of the movie would cut out and the Info Banner was displayed.  I tried adjusting the HMDI port settings for audio, both at the A1 and the X800, all to no avail.  Although not tried, the info banner status would only remove part of the problem, not affecting the cutting out of the sound.

Like you, I too consider that this may be some protective measrue, but even with the A1 volume at lowest levels, the sound still cuts out.  This appears to be a problem with the A1 input or the X800 output, but at this time I do not know which.

How many more discs will suffer this problem?  It is a recent purchase and I have only played a few movies on the player/TV and none of those have suffered, but neither did these moveis have signifcant loud points, e.g. Martian, Inferno, etc.

[sihayco33]

I have just heard back from Sony Support on this issue:

"Thank you for contacting Sony support.

We are sorry to learn you are facing an issue with your Sony KD-55A1 in which on a certain Bluray disc and on certain scenes the audio drops out and the info banner appears.

In an attempt to resolve the issue, please follow the below:

1- Turn off the info banner on the TV by going through the steps below:  

Home - Settings - Channel Set-Up - Digital Set-Up - Info Banner - Off. 

2- Connect an optical cable between the UBP-X800 and KD-55A1.

Furthermore, please reply with the audio settings on your Blu-ray player so that we can investigate the case further".

[ChrisCrash]

Interesting reply!

How is it possible to connect an optical cable when there is no input on the TV for this!!??  There is an optical output, but no input.

Audio settings on the Blu-ray player are quite extensive, being (from memory) in the HDMI port settings as well as the Audio setup menus, so could you be more specific or do you wish all settings?

[ChrisCrash]

Ha, moreover the UBP-X800 doesn't have an optical output!!

Sorry, these comments are not directed at you, but at Sony.  Do they know what they are talking about!!

[sihayco33]

hope this fix below works for you folks. It has worked for me with the Dunkirk movie. I hope it also works for everything else as well.

"With reference to your enquiry regarding your Sony KD-55A1 and UBP-X800, please follow the below in an attempt to resolve the issue on your UBP-X800:

• Select Setup on the Home screen
• Select Audio Settings
• Select BD Audio MIX Setting
• Set to OFF (Default is On)"

Best wishes

Simon

[ChrisCrash]

It works!!!

Many thanks for sending this through, some faith in Sony has been restored.

Am puzzled now as to how this default setting has had the effect it has.  It would appear to be removing the interactive audio is the key, which I presume is not an issue 'normally'.  What will not work as a result?

Thanks for the updates.

Chris

[Jecht_Sin]

---

@ChrisCrash wrote:

Am puzzled now as to how this default setting has had the effect it has.  It would appear to be removing the interactive audio is the key, which I presume is not an issue 'normally'.  What will not work as a result?

---

It seems it has to do with mixing the commentaries when available: 

http://docs.esupport.sony.com/btv/nsz/06/06-05_2.html#h3-3

BD audio mix setting

Set the output method for the interactive audio and secondary audio (commentary) when playing a BD that contains such audio.

Press Fn + 1 and select [Picture & sound] - [BD audio mix setting].

• On: Outputs the audio obtained by mixing the interactive and secondary audio to the primary audio.
• Off: Outputs the primary audio only. Select this to output HD audio signals, such as Dolby TrueHD, to an AV Receiver.

So yeah, I believe it is better to have it turned off anyway.