Skip to main content
Charles A
Contributor I
November 23, 2016

Playbar drawbacks

  • November 23, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 729 views
If you are considering buying a Playbar, keep in mind that in most cases, despite the advertisements, you will most likely not get true surround sound, even if you add rear speakers and sub. This is because most TV's can't output Dolby 5.1 through the optical port. Therefore, all you end up getting is better amplified stereo sound. Very little sound will even be transmitted through the rear speakers. Only way around this is to buy a digital optical switch which allows you to bypass the TV: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7974.

WHY DOESN'T THE PLAYBAR SUPPORT HDMI ARC INPUT? THIS WOULD ALLOW TRANSMISSION OF DOLBY 5.1 SOUND FROM THE TV TO THE PLAYBAR.
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.

2 replies

jgatie
jgatie
November 23, 2016
Gee, you couldn't have put this in the half dozen threads already discussing this point? Instead you had to create a completely off-topic thread in the sub-forum used for discussing the new Support Community?
Paulw123
Paulw123
Virtuoso
November 23, 2016
You might as well add that there is no DTS, true HD etc support.
So if your blue ray player/xbox/PS4 outputs anything other than DD5.1 you will get no sound at all.
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement