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

got this reply from sony today so reckon im going for the 55X8505 :)

Thank you for contacting Sony Support regarding the specification of the KD-55X8505B.



In an attempt to clarify this matter, please note that all our new models TVs do support the 5.1 surround sound, but it has to be a 5.1 content and to be outputted to compatible sound system using either HDMI or an optical cable.

Can anyone confirm if the new Vizio P-series will pass 5.1 to the Playbar?

Just out of curiosity:

My ht-setup until recently was receiver with multiple hdmi-sources (apple-tv/dvd-player/ps3/satbox) connected to panasonic plasma (P42G20)
Until I recently decided to change into Sonos 5.1 setup with playbar/sub and play3's.
To quickly find out about the problem this thread was started for...
The tv cannot send true 5.1 DD out to the playbar...

I read through this thread and stumbled uppon the hdmi switches. Which seem a nonlogical solution since I don't want to use an extra setting in this new setup, I was really looking forward to having just one source and sound setting: let the tv do the work for me!

Then I realised that my setup so far worked with hdmi as well: the receiver was hooked up to the tv with hdmi as well, using the arc-channel.
So the receiver took all sound and video from different sources, including the tv sound and would send video to the tv and audio to the speakers.

Then I started to wonder: would it be a solution to use a hdmi to toslink adapter. I imagine that connecting all of my sources to the tv and adding an adapter like this to the arc-hdmi channel of the tv and from that a toslink cable to the soundbar I would be back in business?
I would seem logical that the tv sends audio through that hdmi connector which would be converted to the adapter to light and into the sonos soundbar?

I found a couple on ebay for like $20 so ordering one of those would be not really a problem.

I'll keep you posted on trying out this solution.
When it works I might have to open a store:-)

pajako,

First post! Welcome to the forums.

Please keep us posted on the results of your experiment.

In the meantime I have encountered several posts concerning this issue. On this board as well on places all over the web.

I also ordered and returned an hdmi audio extractor. I connected it to my Panasonic P42G20 (hdmi-arc-port) and no sound at all. Straight from the Apple-tv the extractor did send audio to the Sonos so the unit worked.

Seems it would be good if Sonos would develop an hdmi(arc)-adapter that anyone could use which would 'tell' the tv 'I am here, send me the audio' and connect to the optical input of the Playbar…

Hi jlogo, I contacted Samsung today to know if their H6400 series TVs support 5.1 through the Digital Audio Out output. Their email reply (translated from French):

[indent]When sound comes out directly from the TV, the "Digital Audio Out" output supports Dolby Digital 5.1.

When you use an HDMI device and wish to use the "Digital Audio Out" output from your TV, sound will only be capable of supportig Dolby Surround and won't support Dolby 5.1.

• Example 1: USB stick plugged in the TV: Digital Audio Out -> Dolby 5.1 (for content supporting 5.1)
• Example 2: Decoder plugged with HDMI: Digital Audio Out -> Dolby Surround (stereo)

[/indent]

I think they (Samsung) may be misleading us here. I think they may only be referring to they behavior of digital out using ARC over HDMI. I have a Samsung H6700 and am watching this thread with interest as I want a playbar, but am trying to get conclusive proof it will pass 5.1 and not watered down dolby surround or PCM stereo. In my searches I am yet to conclude this, but there is definitely evidence that Samsung only support dolby surround (2 channel) via ARC on HDMI.
Just tried my TV tonight with various sources, it difinetily will not decode dolby digital sound from the HDMI on the TV i.e. playing a DD source into the TV via the HMDI. I still haven't tried the pass through (as I have nothing ot pass into) but I do get the dolby digital option on the digital output menu when I play a DD soruce via HDMI.

I was able to use the service menu option discussed previously (change EDID from PCM to AC3) to get Dolby Digital 5.1 passthrough working from HDMI sources, through the 2013 LG Smart TV (55LA6200), and to the Playbar.

Specifics on how to do this can be pieced together from various online sources. In my case, I was able to access the service menu easily using the Universal remote that came with my UVerse service. When programmed to control my TV (using a code that is common to Vizio as well), the enter button on the Uverse remote calls up the service menu. Once you're on there, I found the EDID_TYPE option under "Tool Option 7" and set it to AC3. Voila!

My windows PC connected via HDMI to the TV now sees Dolby Digital as supported, and I can verify in the Sonos controller that it's receiving 5.1 from all of my HDMI connected devices, both the PC and my UVerse set top box. (I had to change the audio settings in the set top box to output surround first, as it does not seem to auto detect based on EDID.)

It seems most LG TVs are amenable to this (easy) hack, as long as you have a remote control that can pull up the service menu.

I am seriously considering a Sony right now since I want to change my tv for interior styling reasons anyway:-)

Further to my post above I can confrim exactly the situation on Samsung, or at least the H6700. As with the post regarding LG TVs above its related to the EDID. When you connect a device to the TV with HDMI it reports that it only supoprts PCM 2.0.
So, if the connected device changes its output format based on the EDID ie PCM 2.0 then the optical pass thru gets exactly that.
However, if the connected device has the option to fix the output format (and effectively ignore the EDID, SKy HD boxes in the UK are an example of this ) then the full dolby 5.1 signal gets passed through the optical output.

I picked up a Sony 40w600b for my bedroom on a discount. The hdmi to optical 5.1 passthrough to the playbar works without issue. I am using an Apple TV plugged into the tv via hdmi and an optical out to the playbar. Also, as with any other TV that I know of the built in TV apps and over the air HD programming sends 5.1 to the playbar as well.

On a different note, I noticed the when using the built in tv apps on the old Panasonic TV I had in the bedroom the signal to the playbar said stereo when watching non 5.1 content. Now when watching the same non 5.1 content with built in apps (as well as non 5.1 content from the apple tv) the Sony TV is actually sending Dolby 2.0.

Hope this helps. Considering this Sony TV is one of the cheapest of their 2014 lineup I thinks its safe to say anyone can get a new Sony TV to solve their 5.1 passthrough concerns.