Why are audio tracks of videos one channel only instead of 2?

[PunkMaister]

Usually when I capture video with my USB Hauppage WINTV it captures mono audio but on 2m stereo channels but sometimes it only manages to capture one channel instead making the video only to sound in one speaker or one side of the headphone respectively. What could be causing this, and how to fix it?

[guns1inger]

Faulty cable, connector or port. Start by changing the cable. If the problem isn't fixed, the port is probably damaged.

You can fix it in post by saving out the audio track in virtualdubmod, opening it in Audacity (or your audio editor), copy the good channel over the empty one, save it, and use this to replace the original, again using virtualdubmod

[PunkMaister]

Faulty cable, connector or port. Start by changing the cable. If the problem isn't fixed, the port is probably damaged.

You can fix it in post by saving out the audio track in virtualdubmod, opening it in Audacity (or your audio editor), copy the good channel over the empty one, save it, and use this to replace the original, again using virtualdubmod

Correct me if I'm wrong but if the cable was faulty would not the audio come only from one speaker or headphone side when WINTV is being run? Because if so it does not happen, it sounds perfectly on both sides when WINTV is running.

[jman98]

guns1inger is most likely right, but if you are capturing from cable TV, it's also possible that your cable TV is screwed up. A few years ago I one time recorded a special on the NFL Network and another one on MTV and both only had sound in the left channel. That's just how my cable company (Comcast) was doing the audio for those channels at the time - only the left channel had audio for some TV channels. I haven't recorded or watched either channel in some years now so I don't know if that's still the case, but I just wanted to suggest it as a possibility. You'll have to listen closely to your TV to figure out if this is your problem.

[SHS]

Frist of all most CableTV do not always sent stereo there mono also try checking the Audio cable line output going to sound card make sure there in all way..
If your using Audio/Video input try check the Audio cable it may be bad or it not plug in all the way or it bad connector or port on the device it self.

[PunkMaister]

guns1inger is most likely right, but if you are capturing from cable TV, it's also possible that your cable TV is screwed up. A few years ago I one time recorded a special on the NFL Network and another one on MTV and both only had sound in the left channel. That's just how my cable company (Comcast) was doing the audio for those channels at the time - only the left channel had audio for some TV channels. I haven't recorded or watched either channel in some years now so I don't know if that's still the case, but I just wanted to suggest it as a possibility. You'll have to listen closely to your TV to figure out if this is your problem.

Well that could be hard given the fact I do not own or have a stereo TV set but when I run WINTV the sound comes perfectly from both spekars or both headphone speakers with no problem whatsoever it is only when I actually do some capturing (recording) that this problem becomes apparent which sucks because is very deceitful. I have Dish Network by the way, does Dish has the same problem as Cable?