Skip to main content
rubeo
Avid Contributor III
May 6, 2020
Answered

Multichannel PCM on Arc

Are you really not supporting multichannel PCM on the newly announced Arc?

Why? It’s not a licensing issue this time.

It seems like there is always something missing with your home theater products.

    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.
    Ditte
    DitteAnswer
    November 10, 2020

    Hi all,

    We hear you. With a software update today, Arc now supports multi-channel LPCM, bringing new immersive sound experiences for gaming, Blu-ray discs, and more. To get support for multi-channel LPCM on Arc, download the latest Sonos S2 update from the app store and then update your system in the Sonos S2 app. After updating the app, go to Settings > System > System Updates > Check for Updates.

    All the best,

    Ditte

    View in thread

    328 replies

    Show previous replies
    nahumgarcia
    Lyricist III
    November 11, 2020

    I can’t get surround to work with my PS4 or my Switch with the new update to the sonos Arc. I have a new LG 55’ NanoCell witch has eARC according to the specs in the web. I get Atmos perfectly when using Netflix etc.

    In the TV settings for the PS4, I have the HDMI input format to PCM and the output to Passthrough. In the PS4 I have set output to PCM. I only get stereo in the Arc.

    In the Switch, same story, I have selected surround in the console but only get stereo in the ARC. Same settings on the TV 😞

    I have tried rebooting everything with no effect. I don’t know what else to do.

    ledzep1
    Headliner II
    November 11, 2020

    Thanks for the update. It certainly has improved things. However, with my UHD 4k Blu-Ray Player (Panasonic UB 820), I have DTS set to PCM. It only still plays in Stereo PCM 2.0.

    My Nvidia shield and Apple TV pays DTS titles with PCM 7.1 which is great, but very disappointed that the Blu-ray player does not. Any ideas?

    I may be wrong but you are telling the player to output in plain old stereo 2.0, set the player to bitstream and see what you get.

    Danindub
    Trending Lyricist III
    November 11, 2020

    I can’t get surround to work with my PS4 or my Switch with the new update to the sonos Arc. I have a new LG 55’ NanoCell witch has eARC according to the specs in the web. I get Atmos perfectly when using Netflix etc.

    In the TV settings for the PS4, I have the HDMI input format to PCM and the output to Passthrough. In the PS4 I have set output to PCM. I only get stereo in the Arc.

    In the Switch, same story, I have selected surround in the console but only get stereo in the ARC. Same settings on the TV 😞

    I have tried rebooting everything with no effect. I don’t know what else to do.

    You want input to be bitstream, not PCM. Output Passthrough. 

    nahumgarcia
    Lyricist III
    November 11, 2020

    I can’t get surround to work with my PS4 or my Switch with the new update to the sonos Arc. I have a new LG 55’ NanoCell witch has eARC according to the specs in the web. I get Atmos perfectly when using Netflix etc.

    In the TV settings for the PS4, I have the HDMI input format to PCM and the output to Passthrough. In the PS4 I have set output to PCM. I only get stereo in the Arc.

    In the Switch, same story, I have selected surround in the console but only get stereo in the ARC. Same settings on the TV 😞

    I have tried rebooting everything with no effect. I don’t know what else to do.

    You want input to be bitstream, not PCM. Output Passthrough. 

    So the output of the PS4 should be Bitstream too? Maybe I’m not getting something, I understood that now that we have PCM multichannel support in the Arc, we’d want to have PCM all along, in the PS4 and in the Arc.

    Danindub
    Trending Lyricist III
    November 11, 2020

    I can’t get surround to work with my PS4 or my Switch with the new update to the sonos Arc. I have a new LG 55’ NanoCell witch has eARC according to the specs in the web. I get Atmos perfectly when using Netflix etc.

    In the TV settings for the PS4, I have the HDMI input format to PCM and the output to Passthrough. In the PS4 I have set output to PCM. I only get stereo in the Arc.

    In the Switch, same story, I have selected surround in the console but only get stereo in the ARC. Same settings on the TV 😞

    I have tried rebooting everything with no effect. I don’t know what else to do.

    You want input to be bitstream, not PCM. Output Passthrough. 

    So the output of the PS4 should be Bitstream too? Maybe I’m not getting something, I understood that now that we have PCM multichannel support in the Arc, we’d want to have PCM all along, in the PS4 and in the Arc.

    I’m not sure about output on PS4, but you want bitstream on input on tv and pass through on output. Otherwise it will flat it down to stereo. I believe PS outputs LPCM in bitstream.

    starlan
    Enthusiast I
    November 11, 2020

    This is how I’ve got it setup:

     

    LG CX: HDMI in Bitstream (I tried PCM too, makes no difference since the passthrough on the audio out may make this selection irrelevant anyways?). EARC on. Audio Out passthrough.

     

    PS4: HDMI audio. Linear PCM. 
     

    Sonos app reports in getting Multichannel PCM 7.1. However it sounds off. Surround and certain environmental effects are very quiet but certain other sounds like dialogue or gunfire in a game right in front from center channel is very loud. It’s almost like it is missing certain channels or something. I’ve gone back to DD 5.1 which sounds great. Change PS4 output to Bitsream (Dolby) to get DD 5.1 which sounds much better balanced to me with the surround effect. 

      nahumgarcia
      Lyricist III
      November 11, 2020

      I can’t get surround to work with my PS4 or my Switch with the new update to the sonos Arc. I have a new LG 55’ NanoCell witch has eARC according to the specs in the web. I get Atmos perfectly when using Netflix etc.

      In the TV settings for the PS4, I have the HDMI input format to PCM and the output to Passthrough. In the PS4 I have set output to PCM. I only get stereo in the Arc.

      In the Switch, same story, I have selected surround in the console but only get stereo in the ARC. Same settings on the TV 😞

      I have tried rebooting everything with no effect. I don’t know what else to do.

      You want input to be bitstream, not PCM. Output Passthrough. 

      So the output of the PS4 should be Bitstream too? Maybe I’m not getting something, I understood that now that we have PCM multichannel support in the Arc, we’d want to have PCM all along, in the PS4 and in the Arc.

      I’m not sure about output on PS4, but you want bitstream on input on tv and pass through on output. Otherwise it will flat it down to stereo. I believe PS outputs LPCM in bitstream.

      If I select bitstream in the PS4, I have to select bitstream in the TV as input format, and doing so gets surround working with the Arc but I get the painful audio delay this update was supposed to solve. My perception was that with this update, being now the Arc compatible with multichannel LPCM we could have LPCM all along the signal chain to have surround sound and no delay, but somehow this is not working for me. Selecting LPCM on the PS4 and the TV only gets stereo signal.

      nahumgarcia
      Lyricist III
      November 11, 2020

      LG CX: HDMI in Bitstream (I tried PCM too, makes no difference since the passthrough on the audio out may make this selection irrelevant anyways?). EARC on. Audio Out passthrough.

       

      PS4: HDMI audio. Linear PCM. 

      If I do what you said and put the LG NanoCell HDMI input in Bitstream, the PS4 automatically changes the output to bitstream. And again, that gives surround sound but with delay 😞 

      starlan
      Enthusiast I
      November 11, 2020

      LG CX: HDMI in Bitstream (I tried PCM too, makes no difference since the passthrough on the audio out may make this selection irrelevant anyways?). EARC on. Audio Out passthrough.

       

      PS4: HDMI audio. Linear PCM. 

      If I do what you said and put the LG NanoCell HDMI input in Bitstream, the PS4 automatically changes the output to bitstream. And again, that gives surround sound but with delay 😞 

      That's odd. Selecting the HDMI Input on my CX has no effect on what I choose on my PS4. And either way for me it is not changing anything when I switch HDMI Input on the TV from Bitstream to PCM. The only thing that it making it change is the Audio Out on the PS4 itself with Linear PCM giving me Multichannel PCM 7.1 and Bitstream (Dolby) giving me Dolby Digital 5.1. I don’t have any delay issues with DD 5.1 though so I went back to that since something seems wrong with the LPCM sound. Not sure what else you can try. It may be an issue with your specific TV model?

      Danindub
      Trending Lyricist III
      November 11, 2020

      LG CX: HDMI in Bitstream (I tried PCM too, makes no difference since the passthrough on the audio out may make this selection irrelevant anyways?). EARC on. Audio Out passthrough.

       

      PS4: HDMI audio. Linear PCM. 

      If I do what you said and put the LG NanoCell HDMI input in Bitstream, the PS4 automatically changes the output to bitstream. And again, that gives surround sound but with delay 😞 

      Is your output set to passthrough on the tv? 

      Show more replies
      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement