Forum Discussion

yort's avatar
yort
Roku Guru
2 years ago

Choppy Audio on OTA Channel

I have a Sharp Roku TV and one local OTA channel has choppy audio. Initially I thought the problem was with the station. But after several emails and phone calls they convinced me that its not their problem. I have another Roku TV and it also has the same issue with the same station. This problem has persisted for months and the channel is virtually unwatchable with the sound on. I found several older threads describing the same issue and was wondering if there was a solution.

43 Replies

  • ecnzlmn's avatar
    ecnzlmn
    Channel Surfer
    2 years ago

    I have had the exact same issue for over a year.  NBC local channel and Fox local channel both have such a bad audio stutter, they’re unbearable to watch.  Mine is a TCL Roku TV, roughly 5 years old.  Every other OTA channel works perfectly.  I’ve contacted TCL, Roku, and the broadcast networks, all to no avail.  Honestly, I think they could care less about this issue.  So, today I fixed it, and it’s clearly a defect with the Roku digital tuner.  I had a standalone iKonvert digital tuner connected to an old tv without a built in tuner.  I hooked it up to the TCL Roku via HDMI, connected the antenna, chose the HDMI ARC input (instead of Antenna TV), and did a channel search with the iKovert remote.  All my local channels came up successfully.  I tried the NBC & Fox channels and the audio and video were both flawless.  The downside is, now I have another remote on the coffee table, and I have to toggle back and forth between HDMI ARC input, Antenna TV, and streaming apps on two different remotes in order to access the desired content.  It’s a royal pain, but at least the audio works as it should, no thanks to the useless troubleshooting suggestions by Roku and TCL.  If I could figure it out myself, they should’ve provided a working solution years ago.  I think we’re all deserving of a new TV with a functional tuner at their expense.  For those who read this, believe me, I tried every single recommended troubleshooting step for over a year.  This is the only fix that has finally worked.  I’ll be in touch with Roku and TCL one last time to share my experience and voice my displeasure.  Jump on the bandwagon with me…the more the merrier.  I hope my notes are helpful.  Good luck!

    • ecnzlmn's avatar
      ecnzlmn
      Channel Surfer
      2 years ago

      I'm the user who posted the suggestion to use the * button on the remote, go to Accessibility, then SAP, and change the SAP over to Spanish.  It worked for about an hour, then the stuttering/choppiness started again, and then the football commentators were all interpreted into Spanish language.  So ultimately that didn't work, even though initially it significantly reduced the stutter/choppiness.  As of today at 12:49pm EST, the accessory iKonvert digital tuner attached to antenna and routed to the TV via coaxial cable and HDMI is working perfectly.  When I switch over to OTA TV through the Roku/TCL menu and select the OTA NBC & Fox local channels, the audio is worse than it's ever been.  I've decided to use the Roku/TCL menu for streaming channels and apps, and when I want to watch OTA channels, I power on the iKonvert digital tuner and use that remote control and menu.  It's more complicated than it should have to be, but it works.

      • yort's avatar
        yort
        Roku Guru
        2 years ago

        Thanks for your reply. I don't think I'll buy a new tuner, I'll just have to live with it for now. At least there's other people who are experiencing the same issue so hopefully Roku will eventually try to fix the problem.

    • Loonz's avatar
      Loonz
      Reel Rookie
      2 years ago

      Please help!  Networks (eg: CBS, NBC) sound is choppy, wavering in and out.  Cannot stand it and we have no other way to access these channels.  Is there some way to fix?  It only happens in the living room where the wifi router is close by, but sound is good in the bedroom.

      • RokuJanadeeK's avatar
        RokuJanadeeK
        Retired Moderator
        2 years ago

        Hi Loonz,

        We apologize for the inconvenience.

        May we know what specific Roku device has this issue? Are there other external devices attached to the TV? What have you done so far to resolve this issue? Lastly, when did you start having this concern?

        Please keep us updated so we can continue assisting.

        Regards,

        Janadee

  • keithbutler's avatar
    keithbutler
    Reel Rookie
    2 years ago

    Same issue with an Insignia ROKU NS-55DR710.  Started about Oct, 2022.  The only known user fix is to plug in an USB flash drive, select the channel with the issue and then hit the PAUSE button twice (slowly).  This only works until you change channels, then you must repeat the PAUSE function.

    The problem certainly seems to be a result of a software update.  If they can break it, surely they can determine how to fix it.

  • renojim's avatar
    renojim
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 years ago

    It seems like I've seen this reported here before.  I believe some were able to solve it by trying a different audio track.  Press * on your remote while watching the channel and look for SAP options or something under that.  My memory is fuzzy, but I think one person had a "Spanish" selection which turned out to be English and cleared up the problem.

  • jivebellywaver's avatar
    jivebellywaver
    Newbie
    2 years ago

    Hi, all.

    Just experienced this issue. The quick fix I found was to use the Pause Live TV function. Buy a 16 GB USB flash drive (should cost $10 or less) and plug it into your TV. Set up Pause Live TV. Now when you access OTA channels and you get choppy audio, use the remote to pause for a couple seconds and then unpause. In my experience this has worked consistently consistently to get rid of the choppy audio. Unfortunately, it's not permanent solution as you have to pause and unpause every time you access the choppy channel(s), but it might mean you don't have to throw out the TV.

    For reference, I'm on a Sharp Roku TV (LC-43LB371U) and my choppy audio was from channel 2 KATU (ABC - Portland, OR)

    • jgurrad's avatar
      jgurrad
      Reel Rookie
      2 years ago

      Thank you, I'll pass that on to viewers.