Hi all,
I am still within the 100 day return period (just). I must say I really like the Sonos way, i.e. how simple it is to set up and use; the music services it supports; the sound. But I am getting what might be called "codec anxiety". As I believe we all know, Sonos only supports Dolby 5:1. I recently tried to play a Blu Ray disc which turned out to only have DTS as it's English audio track, and got no sound. Have I made a mistake in buying the Sonos, where their competitors seem to offer better future proofing.
Others comments would be interesting to hear.
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.
I am still within the 100 day return period (just). I must say I really like the Sonos way, i.e. how simple it is to set up and use; the music services it supports; the sound. But I am getting what might be called "codec anxiety". As I believe we all know, Sonos only supports Dolby 5:1. I recently tried to play a Blu Ray disc which turned out to only have DTS as it's English audio track, and got no sound. Have I made a mistake in buying the Sonos, where their competitors seem to offer better future proofing.
Others comments would be interesting to hear.
I own a Playbar but personally would only recommend it for people who only stream content. If you play discs nope would return it and get something else.
Interesting thread here that is in topic
https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/replaced-my-playbar-6790257
How long will it be before streamed content will only be providing other codecs and not Dolby 5:1?
I have no idea Dolby Digital Plus is starting to show up which will be a problem if it becomes the default....
I have no idea Dolby Digital Plus is starting to show up which will be a problem if it becomes the default....
As long as TV manufacturers are working based on the specs DD5.1+ it won't be a problem, as only the DD5.1 core will come out of the optical output. DD5.1+ is not meant to be outputted via optical (not even via HDMI ARC).
I have no idea Dolby Digital Plus is starting to show up which will be a problem if it becomes the default....
As long as TV manufacturers are working based on the specs DD5.1+ it won't be a problem, as only the DD5.1 core will come out of the optical output. DD5.1+ is not meant to be outputted via optical (not even via HDMI ARC).
Thanks for the clarification.
Userlevel 4
+2
As you've discovered, Dolby Digital is already being phased on our 1080p blu-ray content. It's going to be more common on newer 4k discs too, the 4k video takes up a lot of space and they're already putting the extras on a separate disc to save space for Dolby Atmos etc. The creation of HDR formats like Dolby Vision is also taking up space. If you're going to use disc media, I'd strongly recommend against keeping the PLAYBAR.
From a streaming perspective, which is always a compromise on quality, I'd find it unlikely that Dolby Digital will be unsupported in the near future - although you may be limited to stereo only in some cases. However, just because DD works, doesn't mean it's a good thing - newer codecs are way better quality. Sky TV is adding newer codecs to its Sky Q soon, like Atmos support for Sports.
If you're anywhere near Surrey, appreciate it's a bit of a trek from MK, I'd happily demo the alternative.
You can get a lot of kit for PLAYBAR money:
https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home-cinema/home-cinema-systems.html
From a streaming perspective, which is always a compromise on quality, I'd find it unlikely that Dolby Digital will be unsupported in the near future - although you may be limited to stereo only in some cases. However, just because DD works, doesn't mean it's a good thing - newer codecs are way better quality. Sky TV is adding newer codecs to its Sky Q soon, like Atmos support for Sports.
If you're anywhere near Surrey, appreciate it's a bit of a trek from MK, I'd happily demo the alternative.
You can get a lot of kit for PLAYBAR money:
https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home-cinema/home-cinema-systems.html
Your immediate problem would be solved by buying a Samsung Bru-Ray player, as these transcode DTS to DD5.1. My setup works fine like this. Of course you may not wish to do so, and may feel you shouldn't have to, but it is an option.
From a streaming perspective, which is always a compromise on quality, I'd find it unlikely that Dolby Digital will be unsupported in the near future - although you may be limited to stereo only in some cases. However, just because DD works, doesn't mean it's a good thing - newer codecs are way better quality. Sky TV is adding newer codecs to its Sky Q soon, like Atmos support for Sports.
If you're anywhere near Surrey, appreciate it's a bit of a trek from MK, I'd happily demo the alternative.
You can get a lot of kit for PLAYBAR money:
https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home-cinema/home-cinema-systems.html
Thanks for the interest in my issue. It would be good to get a demo of Sonos alternatives, but Surrey is a bit too far. I did buy my Sonos gear from Richer Sounds in MK though.
My reasons for going for Sonos were primarily due the wireless surround option. So far as I can gather, alternatives are a bit limited. Heos or Bose? Or have I missed some?
Userlevel 4
+2
Thanks for the interest in my issue. It would be good to get a demo of Sonos alternatives, but Surrey is a bit too far. I did buy my Sonos gear from Richer Sounds in MK though.
My reasons for going for Sonos were primarily due the wireless surround option. So far as I can gather, alternatives are a bit limited. Heos or Bose? Or have I missed some?
Do your surrounds speakers not have power cables then? In my eyes, if it's still got a wire, it's not wireless and you're kidding yourself. The Sonos surround power cables are thick and chunky, I find speaker wires much easier to hide and you can bury them without breaking building codes.
Enter your username or e-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.