YouTube TV playing ‘muffled’ audio from NBC channels

YouTube TV is reportedly experiencing audio issues, but only with NBC’s local programming channels.

According to a number of user reports, NBC channels are broadcasting with lower-than-average volume levels. There are no recent reports of any other channels experiencing issues, just NBC for the time being. The report refers to local channels, and several comments on a Reddit thread are repeating the same issues. One user notes they’re hearing “extremely low, muffled sound.”

The affected areas in the US are spread out, with some notable locations being New York, Michigan, Nevada, New Orleans, and Missouri.

It’s an interesting issue, and the correlation suggests it’s a problem with NBC’s packaging as it’s being sent to YouTube TV for distribution. The problem doesn’t make it sound like this is a YouTube TV issue, though it’s entirely possible NBC’s content is being processed differently, leading to an audio-decoding error. This can happen if 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound is processed incorrectly. The result is unbalanced channels.

This comes as NBC recently entered into a multi-year deal to extend its partnership with Google. YouTube TV will continue to show NBC content, while Peacock will be included in YouTube’s Primetime channel selection. The details of the deal weren’t shared, so specifics on signal quality from NBC affiliate stations aren’t available.

YouTube TV has yet to acknowledge the issue.

Are you having issues with YouTube TV audio? Let us know in the comments.