" in the Samsung TV Audio Settings>SPDIF Ouput>" the Dolby Digital option will be grayed out unless the TV is getting a Dolby Digital signal. Make sure whatever you're watching when you're in that setting is carrying a Dolby Digital signal.



- in the Apple TV settings.... that would be what I've done, and it works fine through my Vizio and to the PLAYBAR.



Purchased a Monoprice HDX-401TA What is this device for? Ah, I see by a quick google search that it's an HDMI switcher with audio out. As with all of these things, you need to be sure to set the audio settings for each device that is sending an signal to it is sending a Dolby Digital signal. For instance, if you were using a bluray player that would be sending a DTS signal, then that Monoprice device would be attempting to send that DTS signal out through the optical to your PLAYBAR, which wouldn't be able to interpret it. But it sounds like this is no longer part of the equation....but don't toss it yet, there are some Samsungs that have issues with syncing up the optical output with the video signal.



Samsung TV connected to the Apple TV from the HDMI DVI port I'm going to assume that you mean HDMI only, there's no DVI port on an Apple TV (nor should there be, I think, on your Samsung. DVI tends to be used by computers, HDMI by home theater (neither exclusively, but I'm taking a guess here)



Sonos Playbar is connected to Samsung TV's optical port. For now, this is best, until we get the system working. Later on, you might want to go back to that monoprice device, but let's deal with as few variables as possible.



Now, when you're streaming YouTube TV, Netflix, and Amazon TV, where are the applications running? Are these apps on your Apple TV, or are they possibly on your TV? If they're on your Apple TV, they might (and I'm not at home to double check) have individual audio settings that needs to be adjusted within each app in order to tell it to send the correct format out.



I think you're really close on this, just a few things to tidy up, and you'll be very happy.

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To add to what Bruce stated already..most of youtube will be recorded in stereo, so there is no way you're going to get DD 5.1 from a stereo source. There are exceptions thoug. If you search in google for "Dobly Digital" you shoud find some fideos that are recorded in dolby digital, sending audio to each of your speakers separately. It's a good way to be confident that you are (or are not) getting dolby digital.



As for Amazon Prime, again, it depends on whethe the content is recorded in DD or not. I would be confident though that if netflix, youtube, and prime are all coming from Apple TV, and you get DD on some content from there, that you do have everything set up optimally.

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Samsung TV connected to the Apple TV from the HDMI DVI port I'm going to assume that you mean HDMI only, there's no DVI port on an Apple TV (nor should there be, I think, on your Samsung. DVI tends to be used by computers, HDMI by home theater (neither exclusively, but I'm taking a guess here)



yes sorry, I meant to say just DVI on the Samsung. 2nd HDMI slot says ARC - does that make a difference if I were to select that port and plug into the Apple TV?



Now, when you're streaming YouTube TV, Netflix, and Amazon TV, where are the applications running? Are these apps on your Apple TV, or are they possibly on your TV? If they're on your Apple TV, they might (and I'm not at home to double check) have individual audio settings that needs to be adjusted within each app in order to tell it to send the correct format out.



yes so I'd just like to use the best streaming stick, again doesn't have to be Apple TV, to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube TV. This is where I'm getting confused....I mean I LOVE my Playbar and my Samsung TV....I really have no need to upgrade TV. That said, I'd really like to get the most (DD 5.1) of my system.

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To add to what Bruce stated already..most of youtube will be recorded in stereo, so there is no way you're going to get DD 5.1 from a stereo source. There are exceptions thoug. If you search in google for "Dobly Digital" you shoud find some fideos that are recorded in dolby digital, sending audio to each of your speakers separately. It's a good way to be confident that you are (or are not) getting dolby digital.



thank you for the reply! so re. Youtube TV, bummer I had no clue that it would be in Stereo. Are there any streaming services that always offer DD 5.1? Or is this common, even for those guys with brand new Samsung TV's that receive a Stereo signal?



As for Amazon Prime, again, it depends on whethe the content is recorded in DD or not. I would be confident though that if netflix, youtube, and prime are all coming from Apple TV, and you get DD on some content from there, that you do have everything set up optimally.



again please excuse me for my lack of understanding....so is there no way to ALWAYS have DD 5.1 when streaming? even with today's newer TV's and streaming sticks? Or, given my current set-up is there a switch of some sort that can get me there? something like this guy mentioned in this thread: https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/my-work-around-5-1-via-hdmi-playbar-6790794/index2.html





was also having an issue with not getting Dolby 5.1 with new hook up...only getting "stereo". After doing research I ended up going with this product below (see link) from Amazon that solved my problems. Once you connect, go to TV settings and select Dolby for the Audio option then once you check Sonos settings/about the Dolby 5.1 shows up...for optimal audio quality.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SB2TQM2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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thank you for the reply! so re. Youtube TV, bummer I had no clue that it would be in Stereo. Are there any streaming services that always offer DD 5.1? Or is this common, even for those guys with brand new Samsung TV's that receive a Stereo signal?



I'm not aware of any streaming service that will simulate DD 5.1 when the source material was recorded in stereo.





again please excuse me for my lack of understanding....so is there no way to ALWAYS have DD 5.1 when streaming? even with today's newer TV's and streaming sticks? Or, given my current set-up is there a switch of some sort that can get me there? something like this guy mentioned in this thread: https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/my-work-around-5-1-via-hdmi-playbar-6790794/index2.html





Your linked thread isn't talking about getting DD 5.1 when the source is in stereo There are blu ray players and such that can convert a DTS signal to DD 5.1, but they do not typically convert stereo to 5.1. I think some receivers will simulate 5.1 from a stereo source, but Sonos does not.



My personal opinion, I don't want to simulate DD 5.1 from a stereo source. I'd rather hear the audio in stereo the way it was recorded. I've never really been impressed with any kind of artificial changes made to audio programmatically. To look at another way, I'd rather watch "It's a Wonderful Life" or "The Wizard of Oz" in black and white than in a color version.

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Ummm... The Wizard of Oz moves from Black & White to Color when Dorothy gets to Oz.



But I get your meaning. Colorized movies (and interpolated music) are not my preference, either.



To the OP: Your TV doesn't appear to have a DVI input, at least according to the data here:



https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/2011-led-smart-tv-7-series



So I think you're just connecting an HDMI cable between your TV and whatever device you're using to feed it data. The connector would be exactly the same on either end of the cable, which would not be the case if you're using HDMI to DVI.



In your case, you don't need to worry about the HDMI ARC port, use it or not, shouldn't make any difference. If you were using a Beam, rather than a PLAYBAR, this is the port you'd want to connect the Beam to.



But melvimbe is correct. If the source that's being fed to the TV and then out to the PLAYBAR isn't Dolby Digital 5.1, you probably don't want it to be. As he says, if the stream is in stereo, then you probably want to listen to it in stereo. What you want to do is optimize for content that's properly encoded, and make sure your system handles that. But if you're watching an old movie, it's not going to have surround and a lot of LFE in it, but if you're watching the latest Jurassic Park movie, it will. One of my local TV news broadcasts just started pushing a Dolby Digital signal....it's kind of funny, because it's almost totally inactive until the do a music zoom to keep me glued to my seat during the commercials. When they're actually reporting the news, there's just nothing in the "back" to listen to.

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