LG C9 + Arc + UB820 / Multichannel PCM for DTS Blu-Ray discs



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@Surge My UB820 is connected from the HDMI audio/video out port to the HDFury Arcana and I get multichannel PCM audio playing out of the Arc.

 

I too am also getting 7.1 audio from the 820 through a DR 4K HDMI through my LG to my Sonos Arc. The only time I get 2.0 audio is when the source material is in 2.0 format.

 

After Panasonic asked for more info on my ticket, they have not further responded.

 

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Understood @ledzep1, I’ll look into submitting a bug report to LG with my setup.

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@Surge My UB820 is connected from the HDMI audio/video out port to the HDFury Arcana and I get multichannel PCM audio playing out of the Arc.

 

I too am also getting 7.1 audio from the 820 through a DR 4K HDMI through my LG to my Sonos Arc. The only time I get 2.0 audio is when the source material is in 2.0 format.

 

After Panasonic asked for more info on my ticket, they have not further responded.

 

Hi I'm also getting 7.1 using the arcana. I've noticed today there has been an update on the c9. 5.00.30 not sure if it's anything to do with this though. 

 

Found this.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/2019-c9%E2%80%93e9-owners-thread-no-price-talk.3057634/page-879#post-60623628

 

I’ve got a CX, not sure if there’s an update for me.

Userlevel 7

I have a LG CX with Sonos arc and 2 ones as surround and a UB820

 

Watching Tenet last night I couldn’t get anything other than 2.0 to show on the Sonos app despite fiddling with the Panasonic and LG settings (connected via eArc) so infuriating. I had some sound coming from surrounds but all dialogue from the arc so I assume this was 2.0 

Have you set the DTS setting on the UB820 to PCM?

Yep tried both still shows stereo pcm 2.0 on the app 

DTS must be set to PCM. Also, try turning off Secondary Audio.

Set your TV to these settings:

  1. Turn on SIMPLINK. This can be done by:
    1. Following the directions during your TV’s first-time setup process.
    2. Heading to All Settings -> Connection -> Device Connection Settings
  2. Change your Sound Out to HDMI ARC
  3. Go to All Settings -> Sound -> Additional Settings and turn on eARC.
  4. Under All Settings -> Sound -> Additional Settings -> Digital Sound Out select “Pass Through”
Userlevel 7

One thing to check is what type of DTS track you are trying to play. I was checking the 420 specs and it can't decode DTS:X only bitstream it. It can decode DTS-HD tracks. The 820 will be same I'd expect.

This is a great point, thank you for this. After doing some research, indeed the UB820 supports decoding for everything up to and including DTS-HD MA, but DTS:X (and Atmos) is bitstream only. I checked and all of the DTS discs that I’ve tried so far have been DTS:X, so I tried a DTS-HD disc hoping that it might pass 5.1 PCM properly and… nope. Still PCM 2.0.

I’m beginning to think that this is more of a UB820 problem than an Arc problem, because with any DTS/DTS-HD/DTS-HD MA/DTS:X source I’m seeing PCM 2.0 output listed under Playback Information. Is the UB820 unable to pass multichannel PCM? Or is there some sort of EDID/CEC mismatch that is leading it to think that multichannel PCM is not supported on the C9 and/or Arc? At present, in my testing, it isn’t even sending 5.1 PCM... so the blame doesn’t seem to lie with the Arc (yet).

To be clear, I mean the Playback Information menu on the UB820, not the Sonos app. I can see the DTS-HD soundtrack (or DTS:X or whatever it may be..) and the output is always showing PCM 2.0, so the issue appears to be on the UB820 side rather than the Arc. Since multichannel PCM is working well with other devices mentioned upthread (PS4, PS5, PC, ATV 4k), this does seem to isolate the UB820 rather than the Arc.

It is not a UB820 problem. See my post above.

Userlevel 7

I have a Sonos Arc and UB820, and I get multi-channel LPCM audio playing through my Arc from ALL of my DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray discs. More than likely, the problem is your TV, HDMI cable, or TV settings.

So far you are the only person who seems to have this working properly. Which TV make/model are you running? Would you mind sharing your exact settings on the UB820 and your TV?

I have a seven-year-old Panasonic ST60 plasma with HDMI ARC only. So I added the HD Fury Arcana device between my TV and the Arc that acts as an eARC connection.

Digital Audio Output settings on the UB820:

  • Dolby Audio: Bitstream
  • DTS/DTS-HD: PCM
  • Secondary Audio: Off
Userlevel 7

I have a Sonos Arc and UB820, and I get multi-channel LPCM audio playing through my Arc from ALL of my DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray discs. More than likely, the problem is your TV, HDMI cable, or TV settings.

So far you are the only person who seems to have this working properly. Which TV make/model are you running? Would you mind sharing your exact settings on the UB820 and your TV?

I have a seven-year-old Panasonic ST60 plasma with HDMI ARC only. So I added the HD Fury Arcana device between my TV and the Arc that acts as an eARC connection.

Digital Audio Output settings on the UB820:

  • Dolby Audio: Bitstream
  • DTS/DTS-HD: PCM
  • Secondary Audio: Off

Yep, we’ve all got DTS/DTS-HD set to “PCM” and Secondary Audio set to “Off”. Still PCM 2.0. Sounds to me like the HD Fury Arcana is doing a better job with the handshakes, because the same settings on the UB820 are not working properly with the C9 via eARC. Have you been able to get multichannel PCM for any discs encoded DTS:X?

I just tested my Ex Machina Blu-ray and set the audio to DTS:X. The Sonos app says Multichannel PCM 7.1 and the UB820 says PCM 7.1.

I have the same issue.

I have the LG C9

Got the Arc last week

and got the UB820 today.

Have tried everything but can only get PCM 2.0 output.

UB20 set to output DTS as PCM

TV HDMI is set to Bitstream (tried PCM too); Sound output is set to eArc and pass through.

 

I’m not an expert at this but reading elsewhere I understand, the Arc needs to be able to receive a LPCM signal for multi channel surround, as opposed to PCM (which is 2.0 channel only?)

Can the UB820 definitely do multi channel LPCM?

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I have a Sonos Arc and UB820, and I get multi-channel LPCM audio playing through my Arc from ALL of my DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray discs. More than likely, the problem is your TV, HDMI cable, or TV settings.

Thanks for all your suggestions! I have a LG CX, so therefore cannot be the TV! HDMI cable has never produced any issues so i don’t think its that either so it HAS to be something relating to the settings.

 

Panasonic settings:

All audio settings are set to Bitstream with the exception of DTS which is set to PCM as you suggest. Secondary audio is turned off. I also have surround sound encoded or whatever it is enabled, i presume this is correct?

 

TV settings:

Output HDMI ARC (Automatic)

Digital Sound: Passthrough 

eARC: On

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I spoke to Sonos support this morning and they think LG is to blame, pointing me to this article

 

LG CX DTS Incompatability

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I have the same equipment as the OP (C9, Arc, UB820).

If I have a disc with DTS-HD, am I better off getting the UB820 to…

1. Downmix to DTS and send it as bitstream

or…

2. Don't downmix and send it as PCM

 

Which is better from a quality standpoint?

 

If you can’t get the UB820 to play “Multichannel PCM” audio from DTS discs with option 2, then option 1 is your best choice.

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Here are my settings - would a 2.1 cable be required for this? That’s the only thing  pretty sure I don’t have 

 

TV sound settings:

DTV audio setting: Auto (options are MPEG, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, HE-AAC and Auto)

 

HDMI input audio format: Bitstream (other option is PCM)

 

Digital sound out: Passthrough (options are PCM, Auto or passthrough)

 

eArc enabled 

 

TV Device connection settings:

Auto device detection enabled 

SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) enabled 

Auto Power Sync enabled 

 

UB820 settings 

Dolby audio Bitstream

DTS/DTS-HD PCM

MPEG audio PCM

BD-Video Secondary Audio Off

 

Downmix surround encoded

 

Settings for high clarity sound both outputs are set to automatic 

 

 

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I thought I saw someone with a B9 got DTS 5.1/7.1 to work, but maybe I read that wrong (just with eArc off).

Yep, B9 works like a charm, but only if you turn eARC off. It’s a right pain having to keep toggling it back and forwards.

I have tried it with other Panasonic Blu Ray players though and have the same issue, and when I dug into it further I have a sneaky suspicion that something’s not right on Sonos side either. But I’ve not got round to going through support with them about it.

Some interesting comments from Sonos support today when I contacted them:

“Based on the diagnostic when the eARC is on the format of the audio being received by the Arc is Unsupported DTS4 when the eARC is off it transcodes to DTS.”

“Based on checking this Blu-ray player is not included in the list that we have that transcodes the audio format. This is not expected behavior and it requires further investigation.”

They want me to call the support line next week to delve into it further. Hopefully we can get more information on what’s going wrong.

Userlevel 7

@Ken_Griffiths Thanks for the info. We have determined that the LG can pass through multichannel PCM. The problem has always been the LG working with specific external media devices. In this case, it is the Panasonic UB820 UHD player.

@Ken_Griffiths Thanks for the info. We have determined that the LG can pass through multichannel PCM. The problem has always been the LG working with specific external media devices. In this case, it is the Panasonic UB820 UHD player.

Sadly, I don’t have the UB820 to test, but at least the Arcana works okay looking at your earlier posts. 

...it appears the devices ‘handshake’ rather than the ‘pass-through’ on the TV may have some issues. I did have to manually force the handshake to get the PS3’s multi-channel LPCM 5.1 codec as it’s ‘sound out’, to then pass-through the LG TV ports, otherwise had I set the PS3 to its default auto settings, I am fairly sure it would have transcoded the audio to PCM stereo only.

Purchased HDFury Arcana and am now able to get Multichannel PCM 7.1 through Sonos while watching a DTS-X disc on my LG CX and Panasonic 820.

However, this only works if you plug the Panasonic directly into the Arcana via the HDMI IN port. So it appears that I will need to use an HDMI switcher for my other devices (Apple TV 4K, PS5, Fios, and Nintendo Switch) so that they can all plug directly into the HDMI IN port of the Arcana.

Someone above suggested that for e-ARC televisions, it would not be necessary to plug the devices into the Arcana because the e-ARC TV would act as the “switcher”. However, when I tried plugging the Panasonic directly into the TV via HDMI like I usually do, I was only able to get Stereo PCM 2.0 through the Arc.

My next thought was to connect only the Panasonic to the Arcana through the HDMI IN port and leave my other devices (Apple TV 4K, PS5, Fios, and Nintendo Switch) connected directly to the TV via HDMI. But when I tested a Dolby Atmos Netflix film on the Apple TV, I was getting “Dolby Atmos (DD+)” through the Arc. When I used to watch Dolby Atmos content on Netflix, the Sonos app showed “Dolby Atmos”.

I did some research and it appears that the “(DD+)” indicates that the Arc is not connected via e-ARC, only regular Arc. I believe this is a lossy Atmos rather than lossless.

All in all, I’m happy to have found an (annoying) solution and will need to purchase a different HDMI switcher because my current one only has 3 external ports and I have 5 devices that will need to feed into the Arcana.

A word of caution to you because I am in a similar position. If you care about the HDMI 2.1 capabilities of the PS5 (same for Xbox Series X) then a HDMI switch is a no go. At the time of current writing I have not been able to find a switcher on the market that is HDMI 2.1 compliant/capable. 

I have the same issue in that I cannot get Tenet (which only contains 2 audio tracks here in the UK) to play in anything other than stereo through a UB820 player on an LG CX (despite the new software update to the Arc meaning we can do multichannel 5.1 PCM). I considered the HD Fury Arcana but I realised because I have both a PS5 and Xbox series X it’s a no go. The Arcana would need several ports for me to use (Xbox, PS5 and Ub820) that for e-Arc and still use HDMI 2.1 capabilities. As far as I am aware I can’t still output sound from the Ub820 through the Arcana with E-ARC and leave my console plugged into the TV’s HDMI 2.1 ports and output sound from all 3 devices through the Arc soundbar. That would be 2 e-ARC systems (1 being within the TV and the other being the Arcana).

I’ve ripped my Tenet disc and confirmed this has just 2 audio tracks FYI. DTS-HD MA and DD 5.1 unforunately audio described so a no go’er. I cannot get this to work BUT for stereo on the UB820 on an LG CX which for a big budget film I want to have my full surround in use with the sub, Arc and surround old play:1’s that I am using.

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This is from the Panasonic UB820 manual:

 

I have the Apple TV4 HD version linked to the LG C9 and that passes through the Multichannel LPCM 5.1 codec to the Sonos Arc, no problem ...(I was playing 6 Underground from Netflix when I tested that previously), Audio out on the ATV set to Auto, if that assists here at all?
 

Maybe that points to the Panasonic UB820 having a problem with its ‘handshake’ with the LG C9 TV, particularly as I have managed so far to get both the Apple TV (set to auto) and a PS3 (manually set to LPCM 5.1) to pass through the multichannel LPCM 5.1 codec to the Arc.

Userlevel 5
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FYI - LG have just released an update for the CX (04.40.10) which appears to (mostly) resolve this issue. 

 

Before, I only got stereo PCM passthrough from the 820 for DTS discs - and had to get the HDFury Dr HDMI 4K and code with a custom EDID to get the full LPCM 5.1/7.1.

 

However - with the new LG update I can get LPCM 7.1 passthrough without the need for the additional Dr HDMI 4K device. For some reason, the Sonos app is still saying that it’s LPCM 7.1 (rather than LPCM 5.1) - but I guess this shouldn’t be a problem since the ARC is now able to downmix from 7.1 to 5.1 correctly.

N.B. - if I set my Xbox Series X to uncompressed 5.1, the Sonos app now says LPCM 5.1 (before it said LPCM 7.1) so I know it can work as it’s meant to! It must mean that there’s still something not quite right in the interface between the LG CX and the UB820 to cause the UB820 to put out 7.1 instead of 5.1 - but as I said, at this point it doesn’t really matter as what we hear should be the same anyway.

It would be great to hear if this works for anyone else who had the same issue with the LG CX and the UB820! 

 

I can confirm your findings on latest 4.40.10 firmware for CX. With my particular devices I never had a problem passing LPCM, but I always got multichannel pcm 7.1

Xbox series X when set to uncompressed 5.1 now correctly states multichannel pcm 5.1 (before it said 7.1)

My Apple TV 4K still says multichannel pcm 7.1 for all 5.1 content though.

 

So there has been fixes, but its weird that some devices still report differently.

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I received my HDFury Arcana today and I have some positive preliminary results to share, certainly in regards to the Panasonic 820 output. I need to do more tests. But so far, success with DTS multichannel to PCM Multichannel into the Sonos Arc while retaining correct Atmos playback in True HD format.

 

…. (see my original post above for the detail)

 

Thanks for info. Question: can you still output 5.1 LPCM from Apple TV (or another device, such as PS5)? I thought that Apple TV needed to be hooked up to the Arcana for the 5.1 LPCM to work with Sonos Arc and Arcana. 

Yes, I am getting 5.1 as well as Atmos from the Apple TV and TiVo in my setup. They are passing to the C9 then out the eARC to the Arcana to the Sonos.  The Arcana will route the ARC/eARC signal this way as long and does not change the audio in any way.  So effectively, I have an expensive device solving the 820 LG Sonos handshake issue. No PS5 or Xbox to test. I have my Switch and see what that produces.

 

 

An update, but one with good news, I believe!

I think I have found the set up which works and solves the problem of this thread! I am now using the HDFury Arcana as an intermediary between the Panasonic 820 and the LG C9 by connecting the 820 to the HDMI in of the Arcana and then using the Arcana HDMI out (NOT the eARC out) to the C9 and into a regular HDMI input (Number 3 in my case). This is absolutely not the point of the Arcana device, but amazingly it has enabled multichannel audio between the 820 and the Sonos Arc (via the LG).

 

The Arcana has a setting (not enabled by default) to pass the incoming audio unmodified out the HDMI Out to the TV (in parallel with sending it to the eARC channel). 

 

It turns out that @joeytvmusic97 was correct - I was not getting 5.1 audio from the AppleTV in my previous set up. That set up had the 820 into the Arcana, and the Arcana feeding both the Sonos and the LG. In this mode, the LG will also pass audio back up to the Arcana via ARC which routes it out to the eARC port on the Arcana. Into the C9 was my AppleTV 4K and Tivo Bolt. However, while an Apple TV Dolby Atmos signal would pass through the C9 to the Sonos, straight 5.1 audio would not. Dolby Digital worked fine out of the TIVo. The LG apps all worked too (as they encode in Dolby Digital). No idea why the 5.1 PCM did not make it out from the ATV though. I contacted HDFury on their Discord server (which was great by the way), and basically they told me that my set up was not a defined one for them.  They recommended a HDMI switcher ahead of the Arcana (this set up they show on their website).

 

For a lark, I tried this: Since the Arcana will pass the audio from the 820 through the HDMI Out to the TV, maybe this extra handshake would enable the 820 to actually send out multichannel audio. That does appear to be the case. And as a test, I tried to bypass the Arcana by using either of the two cables I had in the chain (so as to eliminate a cable as the issue), and both immediately reverted back to 2.0 PCM. I put the Arcana back in-between, and presto, 7.1 MC again. 

 

Because the Arcana is now not in the pathway for the ATV or TiVo, all of that audio works exactly as expected. I can get Atmos, 5.1 and 2.0 audio (depending on the source) from the ATV. I can get 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital from the TiVo. I tried my Switch too, and Zelda produced 5.1 PCM audio as well. 

 

So, it appears, at least for me, that using the Arcana in this odd way - effectively skipping what it was designed to do - fixed whatever the error is between the 820 - LG - Sonos combo. And I have my preferred wiring - one component to each LG input, and the LG to the Sonos. The LG acts as the switcher between units (and CEC correctly switches input with the remote for each).

 

It would be great to get someone else to test this!

 

Laird

 

Here’s a list of the settings and media I tested this evening:

LG Settings

Audio: HDMI ARC out (Passthrough mode)

eARC on

CEC is on

LG Input 2 eARC connected directly to the Sonos Arc

 

Panasonic Settings

HDMI-> 4K output on (1080 etc being upsampled which is why I wanted the Panasonic in the first place)

HDMI-> Advanced-> 7.1 Channel Reformatting is OFF (but does not seem to make a difference)

Audio-> Digital Audio Output->Dolby BITSTREAM and DTS to PCM

Secondary Audio is off

Downmix on or off does not matter (which makes sense since this if the optical output I think)

Viera (Panasonic’s CEC) is turned on

 

HDFury Arcana

820 plugged into HDMI In

HDMI out to LG Input 3

Audio setting: “eARC and TV HDMI” outputs enabled -

but eARC HDMI connection NOT used! Port is empty.

 

AppleTV 4K

Connected to LG Input 1

Video: 4K match content and resolution format

Audio - Auto with Atmos turned on

HDMI control is on (CEC on ATV)

 

Test Media

LA Phil 100th Anniversary Blu-Ray

DTS-MA 5.1 Track -> Multichannel PCM 7.1

LPCM 2.0 -> Stereo PCM 2.0 (note - the Sonos treats this as if playing a music track and expands audio into the surrounds)

 

Jean Renoir’s La Marseilles

DTS-HD MA 2.0 Track -> Stereo PCM 2.0

Here because this is 2 track mono, the audio is only coming from the Sonos center (as I would expect)

 

The Hobbit Unexpected Journey Extended 4K UHD

Dolby Atmos -> Dolby Atmos (True HD)

Dolby Digital (Foreign audio) -> Dolby Digital 5.1

 

Psycho 4K

DTS:X -> PCM MC 7.1 (this is the new surround mix done for the 4k release)

DTS MA 2.0 -> PCM 2.0 (and sounds mono which this should be as the original track was mono)

 

Chimes at Midnight

LPCM 1 ch ->PCM 5.1 (but sounds correctly mono)

 

AppleTV Playback

Disney+

Rise of Skywalker correctly plays with Dolby Atmos (Dolby Digital)

Star Wars Resistance correctly plays with multichannel 5.1

 

Criterion Channel

La Chienne (1931) - correct 2.0 PCM output (and sound mono)

 

Nintendo Switch LG input 4 - in Auto Audio mode

Legend of Zelda

5.1 Multichannel as expected

 

 

 

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I dont and won’t be spending another £175 on the Arcana

 

Im glad it works for you guys, but i refuse to be shelling out any more. This is one of the supposed “best” AV combinations so i am expecting either Panasonic or LG to work it out. “2020 TV of the year” with one of the best UHD players on the market, in addition to the latest and greatest offering from Sonos - ridiculous that we are having to spend so much time faffing about discussing the matter.

 

 

  1. We (myself included) really need to stope quoting peoples already quoted responses.
  1. It seems that having “something” between the UB820 and TV allows for LPCM as we are all expecting (those of us with CX’s anyway)

Looking at Lairds Arcana settings above - i wonder if putting “something” (i.e. a hdmi switch or something in between the UB820 and TV, would provide the solution that we are all looking for

 

I have an HDMI switch between my CX and Panasonic currently and can’t get LPCM for DTS tracks. 

Userlevel 7

I think someone else said they had a C9 in this thread and that it does still support DTS passthrough, so it might work for you. Unsure what DTS formats the Sonos Arc/Beam will support though…they may not support DTS-HD Master or DTS:X.

correct, LG took off DTS support from CX and newer TV’s so C9 should be fine. 

 

AC and Beam will only support regular DTS, No DTS-HD or DTS-X right now.

Sweet, does that extend to the B9 too? I’d take any DTS support for now, tired of PCM 2.0 for my Blu Rays

The B9 supports DTS passthrough so you should be able to get the core DTS 5.1 track to play from Blu-ray discs.

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Interestingly some guy on Reddit owns a CX and said that

“If you set the TV earc to passthrough and then unplug the TV from power for a few seconds. It will start miraculously playing whatever the number of channels you expect.”

 

I haven’t got round to testing it yet

Userlevel 7

@Chetiya According to the LG website, the latest firmware update only enhances the picture quality.

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