What audio does the Sonos app say you are getting? It sounds like you are only getting stereo. Be sure the TV settings are set to this:

Digital Audio Output: Passthrough

DTV Audio Setting: Auto

eARC: On

In addition to any hardware settings issues, the program director is in charge of what sort of audio is sent to the rear speakers. Some programs are very active in the rear while others are very subtle. For me, one of the more interesting use of surrounds is in the movie “Seven”. While you are never smacked in the back of the head, the street scene ambiance is very realistic. You are never overwhelmed, but you are subtly aware of sirens several blocks behind. 

I don’t know where you fall, but I find that new to surround users expect to be smacked in the back of the head. This is natural because they want to be sure that the surround is working. New surround users should raise the level of the surround speakers to smack the back of the head level and play some action movies. “Seven” is a bad choice for new to surround users. After a while, you’ll likely back off on the surround level. (Been there, done that)

The initial Trueplay setup might be too subtle for the new to surround viewer.

Thanks for the replies .

1. to the superstar - on my app indicated that I was getting Dolby digital.  I looked for a few movies that were rated as being made with Dolby digital.  
 

2.  I now have increased the sound on the app.  I’ll try it out when I have a few hours available to observe.  And yes I want more sound so I definitely hear the rear speakers and surround effects 

With your TV, you should be getting Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio from Netflix and Prime Video. If you have a premium Netflix subscription, you can also get Dolby Atmos audio. With these audio formats, you should clearly hear audio coming from the rear surround speakers especially the musical score and sound effects from heavy action scenes. But the majority of audio will come from the Arc especially dialog.

Thanks - I’m new at this .  
 

I’m not even sure what the difference is between receiving Dolby digital vs only getting 5.1.

if a movie has 5.1 should I be hearing from the surround rear speakers?  Such as when a plane is flying overhead will I hear it going from front speakers to rear speakers or is that only with Dolby digital?

Here’s a good article explaining the different surround sound audio formats:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/ultimate-surround-sound-guide-different-formats-explained/

5.1 just represents the number of audio channels being sent through your speakers. “Dolby Digital” most often refers to Dolby Digital 5.1. “5.1” consists of a center channel, left and right front channels, left and right rear surround channels, and a low frequency (bass) channel. If you are getting 5.1 audio, you will most definitely hear audio out of your surround speakers. An airplane flying by or any kind of action that is happening behind you will be heard from the surround speakers. You will oftentimes also hear the musical score or ambient sounds like birds, insects, and street sounds from the surrounds to give you a more immersive audio experience.

All of this is under the control of the director. Some movies have very active rear channels other movies are very tame. ‘Dolby’. ‘5.1’ and such are simply the mechanical format that is being used.

As a not so great analogy, there could be a large, well stocked spice cabinet in a kitchen, but this does not guarantee that any of this is used in the food prepared there.

Thanks .  
 

im hoping to hear something while watching a movie or tv show that let me know that my surround rear speakers do work as designed.  So far nothing.

I just have to give it time.   And if I continue to get no results I’ll keep posting here and maybe in the end I’ll figure it out.

Lol

“unsophisticated Sonos system owner “.

If you do not do anything, nothing will change. Just go in to the sound settings on your TV and look for Dolby Digital, or pass through or such. Change the setting and if you don't like it or it does not work, change it back.

Thanks for your comments.

however as I previously said above I have the TV sound out selected to eARC.  This is where the Sonos hdmi is .

my Sonos app indicates I’m receiving Dolby digital or 5.1 whichever is appropriate.

And on the app I have increased the volume in the surround SL ones .

but so far I haven’t hear them unless I pick them up and place next to my ear.  Then I do hear sound.

What are you playing on your TV when you’re attempting to “hear” the surrounds?

I’ve been trying different Amazon prime movies that list Dolby digital sound or 5.1 as the sound sources.  
 At the moment my granddaughter is here so we have on Aqua Marine. 
my Sonos app is showing receipt of “Dolby digital 5.1”

I don’t hear the rear speakers.  So I got up from my chair and picked up the right rear SL one ( which is about 3 feet behind my chair) and by my ear I do hear sound???

At that point it depends on the source. If the director/audio person for that particular movie doesn’t push sound to the surrounds, you wouldn’t hear anything. I’d suggest trying something a little more aggressive, like one of the Jurassic Park movies, or a Star Wars movie. One of my favorites for testing all of that is the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, when they’re storming the beach, and the bullets are flying from every direction, including under water. Those really exercise the surrounds.

What you’ll never get is the same sound for the surrounds that you’re getting from the center channel, i.e. the voices. It’s not the way surrounds are supposed to work.

And just to confirm, the room in the controller looks like “Beam +RS +LS”, or something like that, correct?

Mine is written a little different- like this and maybe this is athe problem 

Living room (+Sub+LS+RS)

Arc

note that inside the parentheses all the letters are in BOLDFACE 

Whereas Arc is unbold and listed below.

you have beam before the first + sign.  I wonder if that means something negative?

Aitgetlam. - I will try your suggested movies to see if that produces sufficient sound from the rear speakers 

No, it was just bad memory, I wasn’t at home to check in my controller. Yours is correct, and the way it should be (matches mine).

There are occasionally folks who set up the surrounds as a different Sonos ‘room’ with the same name, and they’re not really surrounds, their just stereo speakers grouped. 

Check those ‘better audio designed’ movies, and I suspect you’ll hear much more.

Important to note that just because a source is encoded in 5.1, it doesn’t mean they’re actually always using all the channels. When I lived in Texas, the pre-season games for the Cowboys were aeries by the local station using a 5.1 signal, but the originating feed was only in stereo, so while my Sonos was 5.1 active, only the front left and right speakers in the PLAYBAR or Arc were being utilized. It’s possible that movie you’re testing with, while encoded in 5.1, isn’t actually using the surrounds channels, or for that matter, the LFE for the Sub. 

Bruce:

thanks for your help .

im watching “Saving private Ryan” and the surrounds sound GREAT
 

I appreciate your time and advice. This is my first time getting help from a source like this .

Heh. You’re most welcome. That movie, at least in that beginning scene, really does show off the surrounds well. I’m sure there are others, too, but it was the first movie I tried after setting up mine Personal experience for the win!