No Dolby Digital 5.1 with Netflix through Chromecast

K
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  • kiur
  • Contributor I
  • 17 replies

This is some sort of post-topic to this: 

 

I got myself a splitter as suggested in the above topic and have a partial success as I’m getting 5.1 sound on the optical output of the splitter for my cable box. However I’m not getting 5.1 when I plug in my Chromecast and cast Nextflix on it. Per this: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23924 for proper 5.1 sound from Netflix I should be getting 5.1 from Chromecast which is not happening, at least when I use it with the splitter. Do you guys think this is a Chromecast issue, Netflix issue, splitter issue or a combination of those? Any ideas appreciated, thanks!

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41 replies

J

What 'splitter' do you have?

Please would you explain how you have connected the various devices.

 

K
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I got myselft this one: https://allegro.pl/oferta/switch-hdmi-4k-hdmi2-0-4-wejsciowy-z-arc-dac-pilo-9505080805 .Apologies for polish, but it has for 4 HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, one optical output  and one analog output. It also has the possibility to turm on/off the ARC as well we select 2.0  5.1 sound for the optical output via its remote.

The way I made the connection was I plugged in the Chromecast to HDMI, my old plazma Panasoniic to the HDMI output (I tried both ARC and non-ARC HDMI of my tv) and Sonos Beam to the optical output. I also set 5.1 sound through that remote. The S2 app was claiming Sonos is getting 2.0 sound. Again, when I plugged in my cable box to the other HDMI output the sound on the optical output was 5.1, so the splitter seems to be fine (I think)

J

Is the Chromecast plugged into the TV HDMI or directly into an HDMI input on the switch?

K
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Chromecast is plugged into the input HDMI on the switch. When I plug it to my tv I’m not getting 5.1 either (see the other topic)

G
Userlevel 7

@kiur Are you sure your older TV can pass through Dolby Digital 5.1 audio from an external media device? I have an older Panasonic plasma ST60 from 2013 and it can only play stereo 2.0 audio from any device connected to the TV’s HDMI ports.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
K
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@GuitarSuperstar no it can’t. That’s the point. This is why I previously asked this question: 

and per the suggestions I got this HDMI switch

G
Userlevel 7

Yes, I remember now. Let’s bring @Ken_Griffiths into the conversation since he made the original suggestion. Maybe he can provide some assistance.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
Ken_Griffiths

The TV obviously isn’t playing a role here in the sound out to the Beam, so no need to consider that. The fact the TV cable box is working perfectly with the switch/extractor to give 5.1 Dolby Digital audio shows that the switch/extractor is doing it’s job correctly.
 

I would therefore look closer at the Chromecast sound-out settings and even try powering down that device completely for a minute or so and power it back on to renew its HDMI handshake. Also ensure the App in use on the device supports DD 5.1.
 

A simple power off/on of chromecast may sort it, hopefully, but ensure its audio-out settings are set correctly before doing that. 

K
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Chromecast does not really have any sound-out settings. Nor has Netflix app (other than selecttion of a sound track for a particular movie)

Anyway, I powered Chromecast down for a few minutes, plugged it in to the switch, ran a movie from the Netflix app from both iPhone and Android mobiles, still 2.0 sound. Also, I’m not able to select a 5.1 track for this movie from the app - all the available options show Stereo. For sure this is a 5.1 movie as I’m able to select 5.1 from the Windows app for this movie. The problem is the Windows app does not allow to cast the movie to Chromecast. BTW, when I connect my laptop with the app directly through HDMI to the switch I’m getting the surround sound. This lets me think the problem is either with the Netflix mobile apps or the Chromecast or the combination of both

Any other ideas, guys? BTW, I appreciate all the help so far

Ken_Griffiths

kiur,

I reckon it’s down to the App and/or chromecast device as you mention. Just the fact your cable TV box works fine, shows it’s most likely going to be the issue. I will take a guess that the Chromecast device supports Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 rather than the older Dolby Digital 5.1. Unfortunately the Beam does not support the ‘Plus’ codec. I’m surprised however that there is no way to switch the audio-out to the DD5.1 codec in its settings. 

One answer would be to try a different device altogether, like a Nvidia Shield TV box, or Apple TV - maybe even borrow one from a friend or colleague, just for testing purposes… you need a device that supports DD 5.1.

J

Here is a link that covers Chromecast sound settings 

https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/7575098?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en-AU

 

J

FWIW I have just tried playing a 5.1 film from the Netflix app using the built-in Chromecast on my nVidea Shield. 

My Arc showed DD+ being played. If it had been a Beam, I would have expected the handshake between Chromecast and Beam to result in DD5.1 being passed. But maybe that handshake isn't working properly?

K
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@John B, thanks! This looked like it could help, but… with the same configuration when I set the surround settings for my Chromecast device to AC3 (or AC3/EAC3, doesn’t matter), still S2 app shows I’m getting stereo :( And yes, I did turned off Chromecast for some time before plugging it in again to the switch. Not sure what else I can try and I’m starting to give up on this frankly speaking

nVidia Shield looks promising, still this is quite expensive if I’d like to use it only for Netflix. So you think it should be able to decode the DD+ or Dolby Atmos sound from Netflix build-in app to DD on its outpical output I could use with Beam?

 

J

Hi. No I am not suggesting that the Shield would decode anything.  I only referred to the Shield because it is my only way of using Chromecast. 

Possibly there isn't an effective 'handshake' between Chromecast and the Beam because you are using optical.

I doubt that a Shield is the answer to your problem.

Ken_Griffiths

@John B, thanks! This looked like it could help, but… with the same configuration when I set the surround settings for my Chromecast device to AC3 (or AC3/EAC3, doesn’t matter), still S2 app shows I’m getting stereo 😞 And yes, I did turned off Chromecast for some time before plugging it in again to the switch. Not sure what else I can try and I’m starting to give up on this frankly speaking

nVidia Shield looks promising, still this is quite expensive if I’d like to use it only for Netflix. So you think it should be able to decode the DD+ or Dolby Atmos sound from Netflix build-in app to DD on its outpical output I could use with Beam?

Does your cable TV box not have a Netflix App? If not. you just need a TV ‘stick’ with the Netflix App that supports DD 5.1 - maybe check out FireTV, Roku Stick, Apple-TV4HD etc.

You have several HDMI ports to fill on your chosen audio extractor/switch, so perhaps look into that option. 

K
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Just off the chats with both Nexflix and Google supports. The first one was completely useless, the Google one was actually not. The official statement from them is:

“ Netflix will emit 5.1 surround sound if Chromecast is connected to an AVR that supports Dolby Digital Plus (DD+).”

Looks like I need to give up on Sonos Beam. It’s so disappointing it does not support anything newer than DD 5.1

Ken_Griffiths

Just off the chats with both Nexflix and Google supports. The first one was completely useless, the Google one was actually not. The official statement from them is:

“ Netflix will emit 5.1 surround sound if Chromecast is connected to an AVR that supports Dolby Digital Plus (DD+).”

Looks like I need to give up on Sonos Beam. It’s so disappointing it does not support anything newer than DD 5.1

The Beam was around before the streaming services switched from DD5.1 to DD+ and then the picture changed quickly with Atmos audio. Most services though (and most A/V systems) still widely support the DD5.1 codec … the file size is smaller with DD+  but personally speaking it’s hard to hear any difference between the two, without any atmos metadata included in the stream.

I think DD+ is supposed to be backward compatible to DD anyway, but it appears that Google may not have implemented their device to operate in that way. The fact the Nvidia shield is able to transcode/output the DD+ signal as DD5.1 is some evidence that simple transcoding is doable, it’s just Google haven’t done it to perhaps help keep the costs down.

J

For the avoidance of doubt I have NOT established that the Shield outputs DD5.1 in this situation.

The Google Support claim that Chromecast will output DD5.1 if that is what the AVR will handle may depend on an HDMI handshake that does not apply when optical is used. 

J

Is it not possible to install Netflix on the TV?

K
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No it’s not possible on my TV. Also I don’t have Netflix app on my cable box

K
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I really like Beam and would not like to return it (still can), It plays music great, I love the way it intergrates with streaming services like Spotify or plays internet radio stations. But if I’m not able to get surround sound from Netflix I’d have to consider this. Would love to replace it with Arc but this is a very costly option. So I’m looking for something that would work with it like sticks. Do you think Amazon Fire TV Lite would work for me?

https://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick-lite/dp/B07YNLBS7R/

Do you think it’s able to transcode DD+ to DD 5.1?

Ken_Griffiths

I really like Beam and would not like to return it (still can), It plays music great, I love the way it intergrates with streaming services like Spotify or plays internet radio stations. But if I’m not able to get surround sound from Netflix I’d have to consider this. Would love to replace it with Arc but this is a very costly option. So I’m looking for something that would work with it like sticks. Do you think Amazon Fire TV Lite would work for me?

https://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick-lite/dp/B07YNLBS7R/

Do you think it’s able to transcode DD+ to DD 5.1?

I think it would work.

K
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Unfortunately… it doesn’t :( I plugged my brand new Fire TV Lite to one on the HDMI ports on the switch and connected the digital output to the Beam played a 5.1 movie and… still getting stereo only. And yes - I did set Passthrough Dolby Digital in the Fire TV  audio surround options

 

I think I give up on Sonos Beam, this is a complete letdown for me...

Ken_Griffiths

So on the fire-stick if you goto "settings/display & sound/audio/surround sound” have you chosen ‘Always Dolby digital’ - or ‘Dolby Digital over HDMI’ or do you have it set to something else?

K
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The available sound options on the stick are: BestAvailable, PCM, Passthrough Dolby Digital and Passthrough Dolby Digital Plus. All the options but the last one result in Stereo sound, the last one results in no sound (which is probably expected)

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