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Just hoping someone can help me sort out my sound issues.  I am new here and a bit of a beginner in this stuff so please bear with me.  My TV is a Samsung QR49Q7FAM.  I have recently bought a Beam 2 and two Sonos 1 as surrounds using the Sonos 2 App.  My TV doesn't have E-Arc (as far as I know) so I have a 3 way optical splitter and have connected my TV, Virgin Media 360 Box and a Samsung BluRay DVD player by optical cables as inputs with the output going by optical cable to the Beam 2, using the Sonos supplied adapter.  If I watch a movie or sport with 5.1 output from my Virgin Media 360 Box the surround sound is working as 5.1 and I can hear the rear speakers.  Its good!  Recently I watched some of the Rugby Internationals through the Amazon Prime App on my Virgin Media 360 Box and the sound was also 5.1.  I started watching The Rings of Power through the Amazon Prime App on my Virgin Media 360 Box and got no sound at all from the Virgin Media 360 Box output.  I switched to the TV input and got Stereo 2.0 pcm.  I noticed that Rings of Power's sound output is Dolby Atmos.  It seems my TV and connection by optical cables is incompatible with Dolby Atmos.

What I would like to fix is how I get Dolby Atmos from my Virgin Media 360 Box to the Beam 2.  I am thinking I need a new TV with Dolby Atmos and E-Arc capability but I would like to be sure before I go ahead and spend on a new TV. So I had two questions:

1. Can anyone recommend a currently available UK TV (about 48/50 inch) that would enable me to get Dolby Atmos from my Virgin Media 360 Box to the Beam 2?

2. Does anyone have a set up of Amazon Prime App on the Virgin Media 360 Box passing Dolby Atmos to the Beam 2 and surrounds with a compatible TV and if so which TV?

Thanks for reading

Rich Cooke

Dolby Atmos, either compressed or uncompressed, is not available over an optical connection you would need to switch to using an HDMI-ARC/eARC connection - preferable eARC as that supports uncompressed Atmos audio from Blu-ray Discs too.. Have you considered using an HDMI-ARC/eARC audio extractor instead?.. see the links below:

HDFury Arcana (needs splitter too):

https://www.hdfury.uk/product/hdfury-arcana/

Feintech VAX04101A (built in splitter):

https://feintech.eu/en/collections/hdmi-topseller/products/feintech-vax04101-hdmi-earc-pass-switch-4x1-for-soundbar

 

There is also the new OREI HDA-935. Check your local retailers for availability, or Amazon. You can also order from those links from the companies directly, I think.

Hi Ken

Thanks for the quick reply.  No, I haven’t heard of an  HDMI-ARC/eARC audio extractor before so I am now in study mode on the links you posted.

Rich Cooke

Thanks Bruce - some more research for me.

Rich Cooke

@Ken-Griffiths I can’t find the Feintech product as available in the UK.  Amazon have the VSW04202 (not the VAX 4101).  Would that do the same job?

Thanks, Rich Cooke

 

Moderator Note:  Removed link. Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

Just a quick update.  I bought the HDFury Arcana from The Media Factory in the UK.  (Great Service - next day delivery by 13:00)  I just wired it all up and Hey Presto.  I now have what I wanted -  Dolby Atmos from my Virgin Media 360 Box to the Beam 2.  Fantastic.

Thanks to everyone  for the suggestions  - and especially @Ken-Griffiths for the clear explanation.

Rich Cooke

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