Definitive Answer to the TP Audio Problem?

[mapenn]

Has their been a definitive answer to the "scratchy" audio problem that seems to plague many TP users? Seems like there are a dozen anecdotal solutions floating around various forums, but has HP actually ever addressed the issue head on?

Since the last webOS update, the issue has become worse -- and Pulse Audio no longer fixes the issue.

To recap, the audio quality of the Touchpad will suddenly become 'scratchy' or 'distorted." Other times, the audio will simply disappear. The only fix is to actually restart the device.

[eblade]

Mine usually goes away the next time the touchpad goes to sleep, but not always. Unfortunately, it seems to be a driver related problem, since the Android sound driver has the same issue. My guess is that webOS 3.0.4 had a merge with a Linux open source driver that includes this problem.

Bright side: When the world has Open webOS, we can probably get this fixed.

Down side: We might not be able to get this fixed until then, unless the Android people figure it out, and Palm borrows the fix. (I'm not saying Palm isn't capable of fixing it, but with the focus being on getting everything open sourced, my guess is that the manpower probably isn't available)

[CHouseman]

Originally Posted by mapenn

Has their been a definitive answer to the "scratchy" audio problem that seems to plague many TP users? Seems like there are a dozen anecdotal solutions floating around various forums, but has HP actually ever addressed the issue head on?

Since the last webOS update, the issue has become worse -- and Pulse Audio no longer fixes the issue.

To recap, the audio quality of the Touchpad will suddenly become 'scratchy' or 'distorted." Other times, the audio will simply disappear. The only fix is to actually restart the device.

Restarting pulse audio via Touchvol solves the problem on mine.

And I'm not sure but I don't think it's happened since going to the latest stable Uberkernel @1.5 GHz a couple days ago.

[Willard]

Restarting pulse audio via Touchvol solves the problem on mine.

And I'm not sure but I don't think it's happened since going to the latest stable Uberkernel @1.5 GHz a couple days ago.

I haven't had the audio problem in a while, using latest stable Uberkernel also @ 1.728 though. I haven't had the audio problem since I uninstalled android, but that may be coincidence.

[Hook]

Originally Posted by mapenn

Has their been a definitive answer to the "scratchy" audio problem that seems to plague many TP users? Seems like there are a dozen anecdotal solutions floating around various forums, but has HP actually ever addressed the issue head on?

Since the last webOS update, the issue has become worse -- and Pulse Audio no longer fixes the issue.

To recap, the audio quality of the Touchpad will suddenly become 'scratchy' or 'distorted." Other times, the audio will simply disappear. The only fix is to actually restart the device.

I read this in the forums here and have found it to be the simplest solution the times that the audio goes scratchy:

1) Close all running apps
2) Tap your power button to shut your screen off
3) Count slowly to ten
4) Tap the power button again to restore your screen

Then I usually tap the volume rocker button a couple times to listen to that tone to confirm the audio has been fixed. I have found about 90% of the time this does the trick. Let us know if it works for you.

[Kneelbeforezod]

Originally Posted by Hook

I read this in the forums here and have found it to be the simplest solution the times that the audio goes scratchy:

1) Close all running apps
2) Tap your power button to shut your screen off
3) Count slowly to ten
4) Tap the power button again to restore your screen

Then I usually tap the volume rocker button a couple times to listen to that tone to confirm the audio has been fixed. I have found about 90% of the time this does the trick. Let us know if it works for you.

I don't close the running apps - just the button press and count to 10, so far this has been working well

[johnsonx42]

Originally Posted by Kneelbeforezod

I don't close the running apps - just the button press and count to 10, so far this has been working well

yes, I find as long as I pause or card any app generating audio, the sleep-10-wake trick works almost every time.

[pdch]

Originally Posted by CHouseman

Restarting pulse audio via Touchvol solves the problem on mine.

And I'm not sure but I don't think it's happened since going to the latest stable Uberkernel @1.5 GHz a couple days ago.

I have both a Panda and a 32TP. I have NEVER had this problem on the Panda, but it happens on the 32 quite frequently. I am running 3.0.5 (stock, no patches, no preware) on both. Maybe the higher clock speed is the solution.

I'll load preware and uberk on the 32 tomorrow and will report back if the problem goes away.

[Andreas]

Got Preware and Govnah on mine but other than that its stock, not overclocked and its been happening several times a day lately.

[khazoury]

I have 3.0.5 & it seemed to get worse at first, but now it doesn't happen as frequently. I just go to the dialer, make a phone call & that fixes it right away. Weird...

[twbrooklyn]

Very irritating issue!

[eblade]

Interestingly -- my iPad did the same thing last night, for about 3 minutes or so.

CPU clock speed is apparently irrelevant. I'm thinking, at the moment, that it might be due to some sort of power save function, though - it seems like it does it to a lesser degree in Android CM9 - every time the screen is shut off and it's not connected to power cord or touchstone. Turning the screen back on makes it go away. In CM7, stopping all audio output for about 2 minutes seems to fix it. In webOS, it seems to fix itself randomly.

[mapenn]

Thanks for the advise everybody - I'll try the 10-second thingy today

[CHouseman]

Uberkernel is not the solution, had the problem just now, when two mail messages arrived about 15 seconds apart. TP was asleep. The first new-mail chime was fine, the second one distorted. Bouncing PulseAudio with Touchvol fixed it in about 5 seconds.

Has anyone had the problem *begin* when the TP was not asleep? Or when playing music, asleep or not?

[Eric 32gb]

Originally Posted by Hook

I read this in the forums here and have found it to be the simplest solution the times that the audio goes scratchy:

1) Close all running apps
2) Tap your power button to shut your screen off
3) Count slowly to ten
4) Tap the power button again to restore your screen

Then I usually tap the volume rocker button a couple times to listen to that tone to confirm the audio has been fixed. I have found about 90% of the time this does the trick. Let us know if it works for you.

This worked for me'......THANKS!!!

[johnjaycee]

works for me too, quicker than doing a reset through device info. Thanks

[mapenn]

Originally Posted by johnjaycee

works for me too, quicker than doing a reset through device info. Thanks

Works most of the time for me as well. It's just frustrating that this is still a common issue for so many users now 8 months after the release of the product. We shouldn't have to do silly little things like this to get our device to do work properly.