dropping audio..need some advise on how to find problem

[garyellis]

I have Sage on my HTPC which connects to each of my (2) HD extenders via ethernet cable through a switch.

1 of the HD extenders connects audio to a receiver via SPDIF (optical cable)...the receiver is about 8 years old... (no HDMI)

The second HD extender connects audio directly to the tv via composite (RCA) cables.

My SPDIF connected extender works fine for the first 10 minutes. Then the audio starts dropping - a very bad stutter at first, then completely dropped. After about 10 minutes of dropped audio and a few more minutes of stuttering audio, the sounds comes back on and plays fine until we turn the system off. And it does not make a difference as to the type of audio. It happens on HD programming, on SD programming, on movies with AC3 and movies with stereo and on online podcasts.

My second extender connected via composite cables has no audio problems. So, I connected the first extender with composite rather than optical to test it and it now has no audio problems..

Thus, its either the optical cable or the receiver or the stream that is coming from the extender to the receiver.

Does Sage send a "raw audio stream" to the extender? and how is that handled? Is there a way in Sage or via the extender to change something about this "stream" so that the extender or the receiver can handle it correctly

Like I said, it could be the old receiver or the optical cable.... When stuttering audio, the receiver flashes "PCM (44.1)"

Thanks for any help,

Gary Ellis