List of TV’s that will pass 5.1 from HDMI Sources to Playbar

According to "About My Sonos System", my new Vizio M70-C3 is passing DD5.1 from HDMI-1 to the Playbar/Sub/Surrounds connected to the TV's optical out.

Not sure if it matters but I currently have all sources (Xfinity X1 DVR, Apple TV gen4, older Sony BD player) routing through an old IOGear 3-port HDMI switch (unpowered, no audio breakout, no ARC) to HDMI-1. I plan to direct connect everything and verify once some new cables arrive.

I own an LG OLED 65EG9600 and have researched this extensively. Both this TV and the EF9500 (the non curved version, same TV) come from the factory without the ability to pass the 5.1 signal from external HDMI sources. HOWEVER, you can enable the feature.

You will need a service remote. Press the ADJ button on the service remote, the pass key is 0413, and once you're in the service menu, you will need to go to the ez adjust tools option 7 and change EDID from PCM to AC3.

TV will reboot and you will now be able to pass 5.1 from HDMI sources to the optical out.

There are instructions on how to make a universal remote do what the service remote does. I found it cumbersome and just called LG customer service and they sent a tech out with the remote. Beware, the tech may not know what to do, so follow the steps above if he does not.

Disappointing that LG didn't enable this from the factory on a very high end tv, but I'm satisfied I now have it working on mine.

Samsung UE55JS9000 passes through fine.

Samsung UE55JU7000 also passes 5.1 from HDMI sources. I bought the tv today and I can finally enjoy Dolby Digital on my Sonos Playbar!

Hi everyone,

We know this thread can be a bit hard to read when looking for a TV recommendation. There's also a lot of great information out there around home theater and Sonos which we wanted to put together. We just posted a home theater megathread here with everything you need to know about Sonos home theater to get started and then some. We're going to keep it updated with your recommendations for TVs and other devices as well, the recommendations are listed here.

Feel free to make recommendations, we have some posting guidelines in there to keep things clean. We're looking for TVs that pass Dolby Digital 5.1 from over the air and connected sources. Also, best if they don't have volume or speaker pop-ups when remotes are used, though there are workarounds for that.

Let us know if anything's missing, we're happy to make changes. Feel free to PM me or just post here or there.

Thanks for helping keep this thread updated!

No so much a TV but I've just got the Samsung SEC-3500 evolution kit for my 2014 HU8500 (uk model) and this does allow HDMI bitstream though optical for DD and DTS. Finally my home cinema is complete and it sound incredible 🙂

so if i only have the playbar and the 2 play 1s should it show DD 5.1 or what?

skivnit wrote:

so if i only have the playbar and the 2 play 1s should it show DD 5.1 or what?

In the About section, the PLAYBAR will tell you what format the signal it's getting is in, no matter what you have bonded to it. It should say Dolby Digital 5.1 if that's the signal it's receiving.

rtings.com just posted an extensive article on TVs that support 5.1 surround passthrough with specs for a lot of current TVs. Great article:

http://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/inputs/5-1-surround-audio-passthrough

tbshaw wrote:

rtings.com just posted an extensive article on TVs that support 5.1 surround passthrough with specs for a lot of current TVs. Great article:

http://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/inputs/5-1-surround-audio-passthrough

Great find tbshaw! Do you mind reposting that here: https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/home-theater-megathread-6735001

ukncdc wrote:

All,
Would you mind listing your TV and mode/year in this thread if you have tested it and confirmed it will pass DD 5.1 to the Playbar and from what source. This will help those of us in the market for a new TV and playbar.

Thanks

MikeB.

2015 Samsung UN75J6300AFXZA 75".
Passes Dolby 5.1 no problems
Sounds great w/ Playbar, Sub, and 2 threes

Anyone make a recommendation on a tv ...thread is slightly confusing ... In the market for a new tv to support the play bar and eventually 5.1 when funds available .. Looking for one about 50 inches ... Help

bumph1 wrote:

Anyone make a recommendation on a tv ...thread is slightly confusing ... In the market for a new tv to support the play bar and eventually 5.1 when funds available .. Looking for one about 50 inches ... Help

Hi bumph1, there's a lot of great recommendations here, including all of the TVs in this thread.

I can confirm that the Samsung 60 Ks7000 2016 model does the pass through for 5.1 it is so nice to ditch the optical splitter and additional splitter remote and not to have optical leads from my Sky Q, DVD and Apple TV

Johnny5Alive wrote:

I own an LG OLED 65EG9600 and have researched this extensively. Both this TV and the EF9500 (the non curved version, same TV) come from the factory without the ability to pass the 5.1 signal from external HDMI sources. HOWEVER, you can enable the feature.

You will need a service remote. Press the ADJ button on the service remote, the pass key is 0413, and once you're in the service menu, you will need to go to the ez adjust tools option 7 and change EDID from PCM to AC3.

TV will reboot and you will now be able to pass 5.1 from HDMI sources to the optical out.

There are instructions on how to make a universal remote do what the service remote does. I found it cumbersome and just called LG customer service and they sent a tech out with the remote. Beware, the tech may not know what to do, so follow the steps above if he does not.

Disappointing that LG didn't enable this from the factory on a very high end tv, but I'm satisfied I now have it working on mine.

Hi Johnny5Alive, I bought the oled 55EG920V. I am getting DD5.1 from HDMI (blue ray player), but with the normal TV and the WebOs apps (e.g NetFlix) I get DD2.0 and sometimes even stereo. Did you had this issue on your device ?
Thanks

Does anyone know if the XBR-65X850A passes 5.1 over optical?

Robert,

I went ahead and googled your TV manual, to read it for you. Based on the information on page 85, I'd say yes.

Airgetlam wrote:

Robert,

I went ahead and googled your TV manual, to read it for you. Based on the information on page 85, I'd say yes.

Thanks.

Sony KD-49X8000C can passthrough DD5.1 from HDMI / USB/streaming source on the TV.

Hi, I just got a playbase for my birthday (complimenting the Play 5, Play 1 and Connect I have elsewhere in the house) and have been really disappointed to find out that the Samsung TV I have (UN55H7150AF) does not support 5.1 passthrough for HDMI connected sources. Similar to others on this thread, I was given this information by Samsung support themselves. I had queried whether ANY Samsung model supported pass-through and was told they did not (like all of them, even models in 2017); they only supported outputting 5.1 when the source was the aerial or streaming from one of their apps or from USB.

After lots of digging, I found this article which I found very useful.

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/How-to-Get-5-1-Dolby-Surround-Sound-from-a-SONOS-PlayBar.shtml

This appears to confirm that MOST samsung TVs simply will not support 5.1 pass through from HDMI input sources.

Others in this thread have mentioned that there is a list here of TVs which have been tested for pass through:

http://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/inputs/5-1-surround-audio-passthrough

However, when I looked at the manuals for both my tv and one of those listed in there that could do pass through (the Samsung MU8000), the text is identical that: "Digital audio is only available with 5.1-channel broadcasts" which seems again to indicate that it's only truly antenna broadcasts that will be supported, not any old HDMI inputs. There is the option for DTS neo 2:5 but from what I have read that is taking the 2 channels that the TV has reduced the original signal to and synthesising 5 again - I do wonder if that is what people are actually getting when they are saying they have got 5.1 on Sonos working with a Samsung TV.

I had ordered a 2nd Play 1 from amazon earlier this week (Arriving tomorrow) to set up what I had thought was going to be 5.1 for all sources. 😞

I am now thinking my only option will be either to buy a new TV (not going to happen unless I want to make my wife very cross with me) that does support pass through or getting an HDMI/Toslink switch that will allow my HDMI sources (Samsung BD player, Apple TV 4th gen, Amazon Fire TV) to to output 5.1 to the Sonos. Spending $250 on a switch seems very excessive though.

I do love the sonos interface so very disappointed that without further investment, I won't be able to enjoy 5.1 with their kit 😠

This thread is impossible to try to search. Is there a wiki somewhere we could create?

In meantime I’m wondering if a Samsung 65MU8000 (http://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/4k-uhd-tvs/65--class-mu8000-4k-uhd-tv-un65mu8000fxza/) will pass DD5.1 through optical for playbar.

Anyone know?

Sony KDL-32R505C works after Setting AV from PCM to automatic (Basic Settings -> AV Settings -> Digital Audio Output)

thebobbydigital wrote:

This thread is impossible to try to search. Is there a wiki somewhere we could create?

In meantime I’m wondering if a Samsung 65MU8000 (http://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/4k-uhd-tvs/65--class-mu8000-4k-uhd-tv-un65mu8000fxza/) will pass DD5.1 through optical for playbar.

Anyone know?

While it would be of some benefit to them, you're essentially asking Sonos to maintain a list of what other company's products will do. The optimal person to ask if a device will pass DD5.1 through optical is the company selling it. It's second-hand information from anyone else.

Skelton wrote:

thebobbydigital wrote:

This thread is impossible to try to search. Is there a wiki somewhere we could create?

In meantime I’m wondering if a Samsung 65MU8000 (http://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/4k-uhd-tvs/65--class-mu8000-4k-uhd-tv-un65mu8000fxza/) will pass DD5.1 through optical for playbar.

Anyone know?

While it would be of some benefit to them, you're essentially asking Sonos to maintain a list of what other company's products will do. The optimal person to ask if a device will pass DD5.1 through optical is the company selling it. It's second-hand information from anyone else.

I'm not asking sonos to do this. I'm posting in the community making a suggestion for a community maintained wiki.

thebobbydigital wrote:

Skelton wrote:

thebobbydigital wrote:

This thread is impossible to try to search. Is there a wiki somewhere we could create?

In meantime I’m wondering if a Samsung 65MU8000 (http://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/4k-uhd-tvs/65--class-mu8000-4k-uhd-tv-un65mu8000fxza/) will pass DD5.1 through optical for playbar.

Anyone know?

While it would be of some benefit to them, you're essentially asking Sonos to maintain a list of what other company's products will do. The optimal person to ask if a device will pass DD5.1 through optical is the company selling it. It's second-hand information from anyone else.

I'm not asking sonos to do this. I'm posting in the community making a suggestion for a community maintained wiki.

Sorry for the confusion, I think that's a good idea. I don't know if their board software offers any functionality along those lines.