Please add support for DTS for the Sonos Playbar.


Userlevel 2
A hifi homecinema soundbar without dts support seems not up to date for me. Are there any plans to add dts support?

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I think i'll bye the saber 35 from Harman Kardon with DTS 🙂
Kokki K, you do not seem to understand what XBMC is, google it..it has nothing to do with an xbox! I have XBMC installed on a not so cheap Mac mini and it's the perfect media center for everything including live tv, movies, spotify etc et . Yes we shouldn't need to use this workaround, but before you dismiss suggestions do a bit more research.
Userlevel 1
User661400... But that's NOT the point I'm angry about in the first place. I know what XMBC is becasue I've used it. I just don't want such a workaround as you stated and that's the point. When I wanna watch a blu ray or my Apple TV, i don't want to switch on several devices and bother with workarounds. I am no McGyer and my wife even less. And i don't want to beome a McGyver and this one of the the reasosn i bought the Playbar as it is so easy to set up. Now, playing with workarounds just defeats one of the more important purposes of buying a Sonos and I don't freakin like to switch on my BR player, set the optical switch to the right device. switch on the TV and now the XMBC, too? You don't buy a car and put in a better engine right away. And I don't want to care about workarounds, I just want Sonos to tell us whether it is possible to install DTS and if so when it will happen!
I share your frustration, it just doesn't look like Sonos is doing much to provide any decent feedback...they are well aware we want it..I just wouldn't hold my breath awaiting their solution..it's been way over 6 months now and still not even an indication that they will try and implement it!! I can also see what your saying about adding another device...but honestly this one device replaces the need for your others..rip your blu rays to hd/nas, watch whatever you were on Apple TV via XBMC instead, watch your live tv via XBMC, view your family photos via XBMC, listen to Spotify via XBMC...the point I'm making and my wife can back me up here is that she's happy using only one device for everything..,no switching to blu ray player for movies, then Apple TV to watch a tv show etc etc Anyway, like I said my wife and family love that they can access everything without needing to switch device and indeed the icing on the cake here is that when they select a DTS movie to watch they can hear it in surround sound..so for me it means I do not need to explain to my wife why that expensive playbar I bought will not play certain formats...saying all this it's your choice, let's hope Sonos does implement it soon..but unfortunately I cannot see this happening this year..maybe not ever
Userlevel 2
If you're using XBMC, you will be interested in the fact that October's build of their next release (GOTHAM) fixes one of their broken feature which transcodes DTS to AC3...
It works perfectly. This is not an excuse for Sonos' lack of response but at least, it's a working solution for anyone who uses a HTPC with XBMC on it.
I would buy two Sonos 1/3 if you make DTS possible. So please think about it.
I was seconds away from ordering a playbar when I stumbled upon this thread.

Seems like a deal breaker. Shame.
Userlevel 1
I'm more confused than disappointed at this thread.  I just don't get how you could possibly leave DTS off.  I'm astounded.
For a company with high regard, the time they take to post a response is unacceptable.
I didn't realise the size of this problem until I sat down to watch Skyfall on Blu Ray last night using my new wireless HD projector and Sonos Playbar/Sub/2xPlay1 system. The image quality was fantastic but I could not get any sound due to the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Yes, the disc has several DD 5.1 soundtracks for French, Spanish, Russian, etc but the English soundtrack is DTS only.

I managed to set the Blu Ray player to convert the soundtrack to PCM but it is nowhere near the expected quality. It's not an issue of going via a TV as I'm using optical cable straight from the Blu Ray player to the Playbar.

I had naively thought this wasn't a big issue as you could always switch to DD 5.1 instead of DTS but had not realised on some Blu Ray discs this is not an option. Please fix this issue so we can get the sound experience we thought we were going to get.
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Add me to the chorus.  I just dropped $1800 on a Playbar, two Play:1s, and a Sub without ever even thinking that in 2013, high end kit like Sonos wouldn't support DTS.  I have everything flowing through an AV receiver to avoid the whole TV hassle and tried watching a couple Blu-rays and noticed I wasn't getting true 5.1.  The receiver at leasts decodes DTS-HD and sends it as LPCM so I get stereo, which is better then nothing, but still sounds like crap.  Then I tried playing some DVDs with only a DTS track, which the receiver doesn't decode and just passes through so I get nothing.  This would all be resolved if Sonos just supported the DTS codec.

I was going to recommend Sonos to my father-in-law but won't now.  No way I'm going to try remotely supporting, troubleshooting, and explaining why some of his sources and media produce great sound, some crappy sound, and some no sound at all.  I'm seriously debating returning everything.  I'm still in shock.  The receiver I'm using was a crappy HTIB from SEVEN years ago and it supports DTS.  The whole 5.1 HTIB with receiver was less then the Playbar.  Unbelievable.
Userlevel 1
It would be great if they at least provided a more recent update on where we stand on this issue.  Sonos, you're seriously distancing your playbar customers.  I'm glad that other manufactures like Samsung are coming into the market with similar tech which hopefully should give sonos a little push to be more competitive and in line with certain consumer requirements.
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Legrand JF - great suggestion the Sabre 35 looks great and does support DTS and DTS-HD (which Sonos can't support with the only optical option).  For $800 it's a great deal. I might have to consider that.
Userlevel 7
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I thought perhaps that wireless surround speakers with DTS was a technical impossibility but it seems the chaps at Vizio have done it with the Vizio S4251w-B4. The sub is wirelessly paired with the sound bar then the surrounds plug into the sub - all for $299 ! Come on Sonos - keep up !
Userlevel 2
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These morons (I don't regret using this language) do not even have courtesy to tell their customers who have invested so much in their company about their plans for almost a year now. Such a shame!! Will make sure no one within my friend/ family circle gets sonos. What's the point of this forum when the communication is only ONE way??
The annoying silence from sonos on this subject reminds me of a blu ray playing through my £1700 surround sound system!
Userlevel 7
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why do they call it 'Ask Sonos' ?
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What I find most problematic (borderline unethical) about this issue is that Sonos is a consumer product meant for the broad public. That's how they market their products (simplicity, easy set up, no tangled wires etc). I am, as more or less everyone else on this forum, way more into (AV) technology than the average consumer. If say my father were to buy a Sonos "surround" system, how would he know he probably wouldn't get that, he has no clue what DTS or True HD Dolby or optcal toslink or even HDMI means, they're just cables to be inserted in the hole they fit.

I read a bunch of reviews, and they only tested the playbar, not the playbar in 5.1 set up (how could they, they get one test unit). 

When Sonos market this as a surround package: ("You can easily add two SONOS PLAY:1 or PLAY:3 speakers to function as left and right surround channels in your Sonos surround sound experience. Follow the instructions below to add surround speakers") it should be exactly that; plug and play, no digging through techie terms in forums. 

The marketing that Sonos now does, would break the marketing law in Norway simply because in order to market the term 5.1/surround they would have to list all exceptions where this would not be applicable, and as we know, that list would be ridiculously long..

I have added my vote in this forum, as should everyone else who is annoyed/disappointed. But I think Sonos owe to their loyal customers who has helped build their brand to give an official reply to this issue, not just the arrogant, wait and see, maybe it will get "planned" status, maybe not.
If they cannot make a commitment to this, they should change the marketing of the Playbar, I can't speak for the US but in many european countries this is illegal. 
Are there any news or should I return my system to the shop?
Userlevel 1
1000 people who like this idea - and that's propably only the tip of the iceberg!

We (your customers) and you (Sonos) have a problem with the missing DTS support for the playbar!

Let's hope 2013 will not be the year of missing DTS support for the playbar - not even the well done Play:1 could make amends for that.

Your customers hope to hear from you soon.
The comment from Sonos (a long way back) that there's no point adding DTS because TV optical outputs won't pass it through is a specious argument as well. This may be the case, but in fact most TVs don't even pass DD5.1 from a HDMI source - the only way to use the Playbar as a 5.1 source, as Sonos advertise it to be used, is for the optical input to be taken from the source, not the TV. So Sonos, you need to be honest here - recognise the audio source as a Sonos-supported input for the Playbar, not just the TV output, and add DTS. Make the Playbar work the way your customers are in reality having to use it, and give it that missing functionality!
Userlevel 2
OK, My vote and the reason for why im venting is because for £1550 + £50 for a switch I do not have a 5.1 home cinema system with 80% of my favourite movies. And for that kind of money that is poor. I feel let down by Sonos, almost duped. I should not have these problems, although I am to blame for not checking thoroughly first. I feel for that sort of price and how they are advertising a 5.1 system i'v been let down. I feel if you are advertising a 5.1 home cinema system that is exactly what you should be getting all ends up. This is not what I have purchased. The simplicity has gone out the window in this aspect also. Sonos has an excellent reputation for wireless HIFI and I love this part of the system also. But, this topic is home cinema and right now the system is flawed. This is a fact. DTS has to be supported in a home cinema, with this option all my troubles will be resolved. I do not want to send my purchases back, but if I can't watch my favourite movies in quality 5.1 then what is the point? What choice do I have? It's a huge amount of money for me and what I thought I was purchasing to begin with. Come on Sonos. You know it makes sence.
It's so sad to read all the comments on the missing DTS support and realizing that the last statement of the official rep was 2 months ago. I really would love to buy the playbar and and 1 or 2 play, but unfortunately without dts it doesn't make sense for me. I would love to use on play1 in my kitchen and 1 in my bedroom but if i don not buy the playbar i won't buy the play1 speakers. please SONOS tell us what your plans are. Many people will start buying their xmas presents in the next few weeks, your chance to be part of it!
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SONOS Are your teams actually looking into how to resolve this issue or are you completely ignoring your customers ? Is the decision a technical one or a commercial one ? Are you going to provide an update that actually tells us something ? I was told that a message I wrote a couple of weeks ago would be escalated but there has been no reply since, which I assume means your management do not give a s*** This situation is beyond a joke now, and the number of people liking this request is increasing at a exponential rate. This will only get worse as you continue to promote incorrect expectations to an unsuspecting public. Maybe there should be a collective complaint from everyone on this forum to advertising standard authorities to investigate. It may not get anywhere but your customers are getting more and more frustrated by the lack of any information. Stop spending money on TV advertising and sort out your problems !!
maybe we should use the sonos facebook page to ask the same question?