TTS.Speak does not output audio immediately, hence cuts beginning

[marcusvdt]

This is probably more related to my own system since I did not find any thread about this problem, but then I still need some help...

Every time TTS.Speak is executed, the beginning of the text to be spoken does not actually output to the TV.
I'm using a mini PC, with NVidia's ION technology, connected to the TV through a HDMI cable.
I believe either the NVidia driver or maybe the TV has some issue while playing sounds through this HDMI cable. In fact I suspect the issue is with the driver since I don't remember having this issue when I was using the same mini PC with Windows 7 plus the analog output directly from sound card (instead of the HDMI cable).
I think this ION stuff does some kind on realtime emulation to play the sounds through the HDMI cable and hence the delay to actually start outputting a sound.

Do you guys have any clue about that?

Before I choose to go back to the analog connection (it is a nightmare to remove the TV from the wall so I have access to the connectors, I'd like at least to understand what is happening and check if it is possible to work around some way. Currently I'm placing some dummy chars in the beginning of every TTS.Speak so the sound is activated while these chars are being spoken and hence I can hear the real message that I wanted.

BTW, Wonderfull software. I'm currently using the trial but will buy it soon.

[Haddood]

might sound dumb, but it does happen. are you sure of your HDMI cable? ... if you have another try testing it ...

[jitterjames]

Sorry, I can't think of anything really useful to suggest here.  I would just try to experiment as much as possible to see if you can detect some kind of pattern.  Like, does it actually happen with every single TTS action, or only if TTS was not used recently?  Do you have some other source of audio going through this HDMI cable already?  Does it matter which TTS voice you use.

Etc.

I don't think it is a common problem so it is unlikely that someone will be able to tell you what the fix is.  It's probably a bit voodoo. 

[nime5ter]

I don't know if it's the same thing, since these threads are several years old, but other people have described similar issues: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/465150/nvidia-hdmi-audio-initial-delay/

I have not seen any good solutions in my quick search, but maybe with a bit of intensive Google searching you'll get lucky.

[marcusvdt]

I don't know if it's the same thing, since these threads are several years old, but other people have described similar issues: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/465150/nvidia-hdmi-audio-initial-delay/

I have not seen any good solutions in my quick search, but maybe with a bit of intensive Google searching you'll get lucky.

Hey thanks!
The described problem is exactly the same as I'm having. And the workaround, even being ridiculous, will probably work. I'll check it as soon as I get access to my computer.
For the record, this HDMI cable is working fine.

It seems there is a problem with this driver somehow. Will look deeply for a real solution before I go back to the analog sound output.

Will update this thread later.

[jitterjames]

You can try setting a wav file in VoxCommando that plays when speech is recognized.  It might be enough to keep it alive. (VC Options >> General Tab)

Are you running any other programs that use this HDMI output?

Is there any disadvantage to using analog output, other than the difficulty of physically switching it?  If not then I suggest you just bite the bullet and switch back.  My experience with this type of thing is that you'll start to go grey and wish you had just done the 15 minutes of manual labour instead of trying software solutions for hours and hours.

[marcusvdt]

An update to this... I still did not find a solution for this, but found a workaround:
For each TTS.Speak Action currently in my commands, I added a previous TTS.Speak as follows. The result is that the first TTS action is executed but due to this issue with my computer/TV configuration, it will not actually output audio, but will turn the HDMI audio output on so the second TTS.Speak can be output correctly.
Not a elegant solution, I know, but works.

Notice I have changed the voice for this specific test. Check if you have it and change accordingly.

Code: [Select]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<!--VoxCommando 2.1.4.2-->
<command id="641" name="TTS.Speak test" enabled="true" alwaysOn="False" confirm="False" requiredConfidence="0" loop="False" loopDelay="0" loopMax="0" description="">
  <action>
    <cmdType>TTS.Speak</cmdType>
    <params>
      <param>o{CR}</param>
    </params>
    <cmdRepeat>1</cmdRepeat>
  </action>
  <action>
    <cmdType>TTS.SetVoiceName</cmdType>
    <params>
      <param>Microsoft Hazel Desktop - English (Great Britain)</param>
    </params>
    <cmdRepeat>1</cmdRepeat>
  </action>
  <action>
    <cmdType>TTS.Speak</cmdType>
    <params>
      <param>end I{CR} think to my, sel, aeaea aelf{CR} What ah, wuo wonder, faul: worl oh oh  owold</param>
    </params>
    <cmdRepeat>1</cmdRepeat>
  </action>
  <phrase>Sing something good please</phrase>
</command>

[jitterjames]

As an alternative, instead of using TTS.Speak to "prime the pumps", you could try playing a silent .wav file on the HDMI output.  It might be more reliable and free of side-effects, in that you could use a slightly longer wav but not have to worry about hearing it say "o" if the HDMI was already ready.

[marcusvdt]

For some reason, playing a silent wav file does not prime the pumps! 

I'll have to use the workaround that I mentioned. Sometime in the near future I'll replace the PC anyway, so this behavior will probably go away.
Anyway, this thread may serve to someone else.

[jitterjames]

Interesting.  What about an "almost" silent one?

[marcusvdt]

I tried with various ways, with actual sound beeps from 1 sec to 5 sec long, with silent or almost silent files, setting the soundplay action to sync or not sync.
In the end, the most reliable way of making this TV to say the TTS is to use the workaround I posted.