http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/3/7/14828738/sonos-playbase-tv-speaker-soundbar-announced
"But home theater enthusiasts might be disappointed with some of the technical details. For one, the Playbase doesn’t support DTS multichannel audio. Neither does the Playbar. Here’s what a company spokesperson had to say about that decision (emphasis ours):
For home entertainment, DTS content is only found on physical media such as DVD, Blu-ray and Laserdisc – no video streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu support DTS. Sonos is focused on modern listeners who predominantly stream and because most physical discs encode DTS at bitrates substantially similar to Dolby Digital, we have decided to not support DTS on PLAYBASE as we don’t believe it offers a better listening experience for the majority of owners."
I really love my SONOS system. The sound is indeed great, but I cannot understand how it comes that SONOS isn’t paying any attention to all the users that have been claiming for DTS support for years now.
Apparently, they don’t plan to support anytime soon because they are affirming that SONOS is made for the modern users that uses streaming and no streaming service offers DTS at the moment. Ah they also said on the interview that there is not much difference on DTS sound.
SONOS was one of the first speakers to support Hi-Fi and always have been on the vanguard for audiophiles. I really think that these comments are discrepant and are at least conflicting with the company’s past. I really hope that SONOS reconsider.
There is also a segment about HDMI support on the article.
“While newer HDMI standards such as HDMI ARC and CEC promise increased control functionality, they are unlikely to be found on TVs that are several years old and are still implemented in a fragmented way across newer TV models,” the Sonos spokesperson said. “We continue to monitor the state of HDMI audio implementations in the market for future roadmap products.”
Apparently, we cannot expect SONOS to be on the vanguard anymore.
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Userlevel 1
Plex is a streaming service. Plex uses DTS. Please support DTS.
According to Wikipedia , TOSLink does support DD+, just not the uncompressed version of DD+. I find it highly unlikely Netfilx streams uncompressed DD+
I love my playbarand other Sonos devices i have, i'm kinda early adaptor, but i'm disappointed in the fact that there is no DTS support. I was looking for some workaround but apperantly there is none available..
in my search i found on youtube an explanation from a Sonos employee why there is no DTS support...For those who can understand german ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBUQGqRcdmw
in my search i found on youtube an explanation from a Sonos employee why there is no DTS support...For those who can understand german ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBUQGqRcdmw
I own various Play 3 and Play 5 Gen 2 speakers around my home and are very happy with them. I have been reading all these posts about the DTS problem and i agree with most people, why on earth would sonos come out with a Playbar or Playbase that does not support DTS? A high end home cinema product with a high price tag that is very limited regarding what it can decode.
I have a denon AVR amp that im using that has all the Codecs you need paired with the Q Acoustics 7000i speaker package, which is cheaper in cost and offers better connectivity. I was looking to downsize to just use a soundbar, wireless sub and a couple of wireless speakers. After reading this about the Playbar and this DTS problem im now looking at the Bose Soundtouch 300 as it is better value for money for what you get overall. The Bose Soundtouch accepts DTS signals, has HDMI and is similar priced.
From reading the posts it looks to me that sonos dont care what people think and are only doing what they want to do. Come on Sonos listen to your existing customers. All i can say is Sonos you have lost a sale from me.
I have a denon AVR amp that im using that has all the Codecs you need paired with the Q Acoustics 7000i speaker package, which is cheaper in cost and offers better connectivity. I was looking to downsize to just use a soundbar, wireless sub and a couple of wireless speakers. After reading this about the Playbar and this DTS problem im now looking at the Bose Soundtouch 300 as it is better value for money for what you get overall. The Bose Soundtouch accepts DTS signals, has HDMI and is similar priced.
From reading the posts it looks to me that sonos dont care what people think and are only doing what they want to do. Come on Sonos listen to your existing customers. All i can say is Sonos you have lost a sale from me.
This kinda news make me wanna sell all my Sonos stuff...
https://www.whathifi.com/news/samsungs-dolby-atmos-soundbars-get-dts-51-update
https://www.whathifi.com/news/samsungs-dolby-atmos-soundbars-get-dts-51-update
I just hope they will do something about it. Its simply annoying I have a lot of digital files that I stream to my tv that have DTS and none of them produce sound... I agree with some of the other comments that I should have known this and read through the specs before buying but its such a big minus point. Makes the playbar a lot less enjoyable
I rarely count on CSRs who answer the phones to know and give necessary corporate strategy information. The simple fact is, we don't know what Sonos is planning, nor is it likely that we will know until they have some sort of announcement. It would equally be questionable if the CEO would be to announce their company's roadmap for other competitors to copy.
Userlevel 2
+4
It seems to me that moving with the times and utilising the latest technology is not one of SONOS' strong suits; neither is listening to their customers.
If you contact them in regards to a Playbar 2 with multiple HDMI ports instead of an optical only cable and DTS compatibility, they will deny that their customers have ever requested this and tell you that an 'optical cable is the future because of streaming content like Netflix' - both of which are simply not true. I can only speak for myself, but my Netflix and Amazon accounts stream from my player via an HDMI connection to my TV, and it's the output that is then limited by the use of the stupid optical cable!
HDMI is the standard, optical cables are archaic - there's not a huge range of TVs which even support a basic 5.1 input/output through an optical cable (most only do 2.0) and even then it's often compressed.
You also only have to spend 5 minutes searching the boards to realise HDMI ports and DTS compatibility are two of the most requested features.
Unfortunately SONOS are a bit like Apple: they're not interested in what their customers want, they hear what they want to, and they prefer to dictate. Their customer service has always been pretty lamentable in my experience.
If you contact them in regards to a Playbar 2 with multiple HDMI ports instead of an optical only cable and DTS compatibility, they will deny that their customers have ever requested this and tell you that an 'optical cable is the future because of streaming content like Netflix' - both of which are simply not true. I can only speak for myself, but my Netflix and Amazon accounts stream from my player via an HDMI connection to my TV, and it's the output that is then limited by the use of the stupid optical cable!
HDMI is the standard, optical cables are archaic - there's not a huge range of TVs which even support a basic 5.1 input/output through an optical cable (most only do 2.0) and even then it's often compressed.
You also only have to spend 5 minutes searching the boards to realise HDMI ports and DTS compatibility are two of the most requested features.
Unfortunately SONOS are a bit like Apple: they're not interested in what their customers want, they hear what they want to, and they prefer to dictate. Their customer service has always been pretty lamentable in my experience.
I bought the Playbar recently to accompany my new Sony 4K TV, admittedly enjoying the sound, but cannot get away from the fact that as a premium product it should have DTS; having already found a few things that steadfastly refuse to play, because of course, they’re DTS. I really want to know, if it’s possible for them to just add this at a later date to current hardware (via software)? As things stand I will be returning it and sticking with my ageing Pioneer LX03 that many years ago, supported DTS and every known format at the time!
I am moving into a new place in a few months, and was strongly considering Sonos 5.1 surround for my new 4K TV and 4K Blu-Ray. After discovering that Sonos will not support DTS, it is extremely unlikely that I'll be able to purchase this product. Hopefully Sonos will change course and introduce DTS into its Playbar.
Ditto. Just found this out as my playbar just would not produce sound from a movie file with dts audio while my TV speakers do. Super disappointed
Wake up Sonos - Add DTS and you’ll sell a whole bunch more units - the ROI will be a no- brainer.
Userlevel 1
sonos saying they support modern customers with 1979 dolby digital support. I paid for a premium product that they cant be bothered to update to allow increased functionality. money grabbing bastards.
Lack of DTS is a worry. I was of a mind to finally upgrade my TV next year and get a blu-Ray player as well. A play base would have come after that.
I agree, it sucks that there is no DTS support. I have looked up and down for a good sound bar for my bedroom.. I can’t find anything that has a sub that looks like it will hold a candle to the SONOS sub, which is a huge deal with TV/Movies. The 14# Denon sub woundnt stand a chance in my large room. I will likely never connect a DVD to my bedroom, everything will be streamed with Apple TV or cable. Down to Sonos, Samsung Atmos(I get they steaming would be unlikely to use Atmos but curious about it) and Klipsch 3.1 systems.
SONOS was one of the first speakers to support Hi-Fi...
No, certainly not.
I have invested heavily in Sonos equipment over the years. New Play5, 4 Play1’s and my 5.1 set up. The lack of DTS support has frustrated me for years. Now with more and more BluRays only supporting DTS I’m no longer able to put up with the lack of DTS support. I’m in the process of selling it all!
Sonos lack of foresight and giving the customer what it wants means they are losing potential customers. Friends, colleagues and family come to me all the time asking for my advice on technology. 4 have asked me about the Sonos Playbar and I’ve had to steer them to alternative brands because playing a simple BluRay is becoming harder to achieve. It is just downright disappointing.
Sonos lack of foresight and giving the customer what it wants means they are losing potential customers. Friends, colleagues and family come to me all the time asking for my advice on technology. 4 have asked me about the Sonos Playbar and I’ve had to steer them to alternative brands because playing a simple BluRay is becoming harder to achieve. It is just downright disappointing.
I am not defending Sonos at all. I love their products for playing music but their home theater offering doesn't exist in my mind. This is why I have never purchased a Play Bar. I'm sorry your friend invested and is disappointed but this problem has been present for many years and it is no a secret. At some level, there should be some personal responsibility to know what you are buying BEFORE you spend the money. Returning products because you were too lazy to understand what you were buying is unethical. Sonos deciding not to support a specific feature is not. FWIW, some people do real-time conversion of DTS to DD and others go through their TV's and output to the Play Bar. As I understand it, most TVs won't output DTS (another one of Sonos's excuses).
As for why Sonos isn't supporting DTS, I heard somewhere there were issues supporting DTS using wireless transmissions. I have no idea if this is a technical reason, something in DTS's spec requirements, or just an excuse not to pay the royalties. Whatever the reason, like you, DTS is important to me and the lack of support is why Sonos is not a home theater company (in my mind). Sonos is a premium brand, not supporting standard audio formats is a bit embarrassing if you ask me. From what I understand, they don't handle high bit-rate FLAC files either...if that is important to you.
All we can do is voice our opinion and hope someone listens. Sonos is by no means required to be what you or I want them to be. Although, personally, I would buy more of their products if they were. I can be disappointed but I am not going to be mad at them. That doesn't help anyone.
As for why Sonos isn't supporting DTS, I heard somewhere there were issues supporting DTS using wireless transmissions. I have no idea if this is a technical reason, something in DTS's spec requirements, or just an excuse not to pay the royalties. Whatever the reason, like you, DTS is important to me and the lack of support is why Sonos is not a home theater company (in my mind). Sonos is a premium brand, not supporting standard audio formats is a bit embarrassing if you ask me. From what I understand, they don't handle high bit-rate FLAC files either...if that is important to you.
All we can do is voice our opinion and hope someone listens. Sonos is by no means required to be what you or I want them to be. Although, personally, I would buy more of their products if they were. I can be disappointed but I am not going to be mad at them. That doesn't help anyone.
PS. I am pretty sure they could release a Firmware update to include DTS support ...this is not complicated - in fact, they could probably sell the License for DTS separately for a fee, as they would know your Serial number and it could be bound to your specific Play Bar (some older Audio manufacturers used to do this, you could buy options later if you required them)!
This argument from SONOS and the few Fan-boys above saying DTS is not required is pathetic - DTS (standard format) has been found on cheap £20 DVD players and on just about everything for at least the past decade! This is simply a Licensing issue that SONOS don't want to pay for so they can make more profit. Those who argue that SONOS dont want to be affiliated with Home Cinema, then why the hell do they have DolbyDigital and sell hardware that is for this purpose in the furst place? The DTS Code/Algorithm is supplied by Vendor so its not difficult to implement and per device or input, this is auto-sensing, so nothing difficult for the End User whatsoever to concern over...sound will just work without worrying about some stupid format compatibility issue!
I still cannot believe some people defend SONOS when most of us have DVD and Bluray Players, often with with significant collections of Discs, also Gaming Consoles that do DVD or Bluray Discs, and Streaming Devices like WDTV (and Popcorn Hour, Zappiti, Zidoo etc.) that play MKVs with DTS - when I look, the majority of my Blurays are DTS and far fewer in my collection have DolbyDigital!
The reason I have come across this thread was seeking some answers as my un-techno-savvy neighbour just invested in the (expensive) PLAY Bar with PLAY:1 Surrounds and the SUB thinking he was all set to enjoy his new system, only for me to pop over and discover this massive flaw ...I don't care how people in this thread try to defend SONOS, to me it's like Hippies trying to promote Marijuana for its health benefits (futile lol)
SONOS - WAKE UP!!! SIGNIFICANT CONSUMERS ARE ASKING FOR SIMPLE DTS SUPPORT ...this is not even an HD format requirement, just the industry defaults which are present on all 'Core' tracks on Discs
Sincerely
I still cannot believe some people defend SONOS when most of us have DVD and Bluray Players, often with with significant collections of Discs, also Gaming Consoles that do DVD or Bluray Discs, and Streaming Devices like WDTV (and Popcorn Hour, Zappiti, Zidoo etc.) that play MKVs with DTS - when I look, the majority of my Blurays are DTS and far fewer in my collection have DolbyDigital!
The reason I have come across this thread was seeking some answers as my un-techno-savvy neighbour just invested in the (expensive) PLAY Bar with PLAY:1 Surrounds and the SUB thinking he was all set to enjoy his new system, only for me to pop over and discover this massive flaw ...I don't care how people in this thread try to defend SONOS, to me it's like Hippies trying to promote Marijuana for its health benefits (futile lol)
SONOS - WAKE UP!!! SIGNIFICANT CONSUMERS ARE ASKING FOR SIMPLE DTS SUPPORT ...this is not even an HD format requirement, just the industry defaults which are present on all 'Core' tracks on Discs
Sincerely
Sonos is just not a home theater company. Period. Lack of DTS support is not a statement of relying on old or new tech it is purely a statement that Sonos doesn't want to be a home theater company. This has always surprised me as I know personally I own a number of speakers from Sonos for music but would own twice as many (if not more) if they supported DTS. Sure, there are ways around this issue but I don't like spending the money on a premium product that requires me to implement workarounds to use it. I still love Sonos for music but they re-affirm over and over that is the only market they are interested in.
The main reason it is not on sonos, is that sonos do not want to pay dolby for the license.
Dolby? :8
2nd time around it makes no sense at all to not support DTS via optical - even just to offset the negative press !
We were all queue up to replace our PlayBar with the new PlayBase when it came out just to get this "missing" functionality. We had even worked out were the PlayBar was going. But oh no Sonos shot themselves in the foot and release the PlayBase as effectively the same product as the PlayBar just with a different shaped box to house it in!
Not sure it's ever been confirmed it's a payment issue (must be a tiny price given all others support it - inc. £20 DVD players) but it forces all manner of convoluted workarounds either way.
It's DTS btw, not Dolby.
It's DTS btw, not Dolby.
Userlevel 7
+17
Optical does support DTS.
The main reason it is not on sonos, is that sonos do not want to pay dolby for the license.
The main reason it is not on sonos, is that sonos do not want to pay dolby for the license.
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