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Phonak Marvel: TV connector disconnects after x seconds of quiet TV signal

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For my MacBook Pro I have a Blue Snowball mic which connects via USB 2.0 to the USB C port on the laptop.

The mic is this:
Blue Microphones Snowball iCE Plug 'n Play USB Microphone For Recording, Podcasting, Broadcasting, Twitch Game Streaming, VOICE overs, YouTube Videos on PC and Mac - Black Logitech for Creators Blue Snowball iCE USB Mic for Recording, Streaming, Podcasting, Gaming on PC and Mac, Condenser Microphone with Cardioid Capsule, Adjustable Desktop Stand, Plug 'n Play - Black : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ7

The adapter is use to connect a USB 2.0 device is similar to this
Anker USB C Hub, 5-in-1 USB C Adapter, with 4K USB C to HDMI, SD and microSD Card Reader, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, for MacBook Pro 2020/2019/2018, iPad Pro 2020/2019, Pixelbook, XPS, and More Anker USB C Hub Adapter, 5-in-1 USB C Adapter, with 4K USB C to HDMI, SD and microSD Card Reader, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, for MacBook Pro 2019/2018/2017, iPad Pro 2019/2018, Pixelbook, XPS, and More: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories11

In reply to @Blacky

After using Windows based laptops since 1987, I switched to a MacBook in 2019. It did take a little effort to get the Paradise P90 to connect to my MacBook Air, but once connected it works flawlessly. I sometimes will cruise on my MacBook while watching a ballgame or show on TV. When I start a video on the computer, the Paradise P90 switches automatically to the laptop video sound then back to the TV once the MacBook video ends. I had to adjust the Zoom preferences to enable the Zoom audio but it was a simple process as well. I love these ’s, I can finally hear people, even in a crowd, phone calls on my iPhone, and perfect sounds from my TV and laptop.

In reply to @RogerPM

Any update on whether we can prevent the TV connector from going into stand-by after 45s when the signal drops below 1mV?

I bought the Behringer USB - optical converter and it works great on the computer (though volume control stops working). Would love to have this option for the phone as well.

Currently I plug the TV Connector into an external USB battery for a portable solution while on my phone. Then as long as I plug a regular audio jack into my phone, I can use the TV connector to hear and people on the other end hear me through the phone microphone which is much better quality than the Bluetooth connection on the provides. But if they don’t speak for 45s or if I answer right after plugging in, I have to ask them to repeat what they just said to get transmission going again.

@a13z said:

Any update on whether we can prevent the TV connector from going into stand-by after 45s when the signal drops below 1mV?

I thought this standby problem was caused by the Phonak TV connector, but ever since I got my new MacBook Air M1 I ditched the TV connector, am using my laptop’s bluetooth to connect to my KS 9s, and I still have to snap open and snap close my right hearing aid dozens and dozens of times a day - literally everytime I walk into another room and then back to my laptop. It’s maddening and I am beginning to wonder when the hinge will break off the right hearing aid from overuse - MTBF?
Why can’t these hearing aids and/or the Phonak app maintain a connection during a slight signal drop?

I suspect these are actually separate issues - I have had lots of issues with the Bluetooth connection being wonky as well, and I suspect that is what you are currently struggling with. I had to constantly be restarting my hearing aids to re-establish Bluetooth connection, and since the resulting quality was so lousy I was eager to find a different solution which the TV Connector provides.

My understanding is that the TV Connector uses radio frequencies (not Bluetooth) to reach the hearing aids. This explains why there is no latency nor any of the same pairing and reconnecting issues associated with Bluetooth.

But the TV Connector itself goes into standby mode if the signal it is receiving drops - but it doesn’t do this if it is receiving an optical audio signal.

@a13z said:

But the TV Connector itself goes into standby mode if the signal it is receiving drops - but it doesn’t do this if it is receiving an optical audio signal.

Thanks, I will see if i can dig out my optical converter and toslink cable and try that again with the TV Connector. With my old 2012 MacBook Pro, it had built-in optical but the ones after that don’t.

In reply to @a13z

Any information on the TV Connector dropping out? I just bought one to work with my TV and when it works the sound is through my ’s is great. The problem is when they first come on they work great but after awhile the sound fades out. They will sometimes come back and then fade out again. The sound is still there but it is almost like background noise, faint and hard to understand. There is a big difference between a regular broadcast and something I record to watch later. The regular broadcast may last for 20-40 minutes before fading out and then may come back for awhile, whereas a recording will come in for about a minute before it fades out and seldom comes back, and if it does only lasts for about a minute.

When you say “the sound is still there but it is almost like background noise…” this makes me think it is not the TV Connector going into standby mode, a known issue when it is connected via standard headphone jack with no sound for 45 seconds.

Check the color of the light on the back:
green means it is broadcasting normally and should sound great in the hearing aids
white means it is in standby mode and you won’t hear anything until it switches to green again

If it’s staying green and you’re still hearing bad quality sound, see if you can verify with a pair of headphones (or some other device) that the TV itself is sending a good signal to the TV Connector. If that seems solid, then maybe your TV Connector is no good.

When the sound fades out the green light remains on. The sound is there but very faint, it is almost like the ’s are changing to a different “environment” channel as it fades out, no channel chime though. This is the second TV Connector I have bought, the first one did the same thing so I sent it back thinking the problem was in the connector now I am thinking it is in the HA’s? Is there some adjustment to be made to them?

I also think it’s unlikely the problem of the TV Connector. Especially after having it replaced already once.
Maybe you could connect it to another source for a test? A radio or so? If it stays stable, you know the TVs signal is not good.
Try also to use a different audio cable.

Edited

I am so happy with these AfterShokz BONE CONDUCTION headphones!
I finally gave up on all efforts to feed the audio from my laptop directly into my hearing aids via either bluetooth or the TV connector, because the audio constantly drops out every time the person speaking takes a break to catch their breath, or if I walk into another room and back because then I have to pull open the battery compartment on my right hearing aid and snap it shut and then use my laptop to re-connect with my hearing aids, which is ridiculous and aggravating!
Now, with my Aftershokz, the audio connects once and stays connected and I can listen all I want to my laptop and, as a bonus my hearing aids can concentrate on doing what they do best - picking up the conversation in the room.

https://tinyurl.com/bds7fe8k5

Is your phone or another Bluetooth device connecting? My TVconnect often goes quiet during a phone notification(even when no sound from phone).

In reply to @sterei

Sorry for the delayed response, I have been traveling and away from my computer. I tried using the TV connector with a different tv and the signal was actually worse, but that tv was 10 years old so that might have been a problem with that set. The first set with the fading problem is a 2021 Samsung, and I am using the fiber cable for connection. My hearing aids are Marvel Bolero M90.

@sundance said:

UCA202

Glad I found this thread. Today was my first day using the TV Connector with my laptop for Zoom etc… It worked great, except for the dropouts. I just ordered the Behringer device and am looking forward to using it :slight_smile:

Fantastic. Glad you’re getting good use from the TV Connector. Bonus is you also use far less hearing aid battery then you would via an equivalent Bluetooth connection. The sound quality is also far richer in my experience.

Go for it. Optical connection will sort out the dropouts.

Edited

Great thread on this issue and the optical output solved my problems as well. I live on Zoom/Teams these days. I ended up with a different device that looks like a little thumb drive for $22 USD off of Amazon: Reiyin DA-02 DAC USB-A Digital to Analog Converter13 Do a search for the device on Amazon since they have 3 colors and one may be much quicker for delivery depending on where you live.

USB DAC

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