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Elva Stuller

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Aug 2, 2024, 12:20:52 AM8/2/24

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I use an HDMI switch with an SPDIF optical audio extractor to get the audio from the HDMI to my old surround amp which handles DD and DTS (not HD). This works well in surround sound with everything except for Netflix on Roku where I get 2.0 sound. The setup even gets DD surround with Netflix on a Fire Stick 2nd gen.

If your TV or A/V receiver isn't capable of playing Dolby Digital+ audio formats (as detected by the 'Auto' settings in Settings>Audio>Audio mode, you would only receive Stereo audio from the Netflix channel.

Plex is doing the transcoding, not the Roku. For what you are seeing, check to see of any of the audio processing functions are enabled. You can only access them when something is playing. Press the * button while the video is playing and look for any sound function and make sure it's turned off. It might be labeled volume leveling, or something different. But any audio processing must be turned off or you only get stereo sound.

Volume Leveling is turned off. The only other relevant setting I can see is Roku's main Audio Setting where I have tried all the options and none of them give surround sound with Netflix. Volume Leveling doesn't seem to stop surround sound on Plex.

On further investigation, it seems that if you set Volume Leveling before starting the video, then it does indeed set the sound to stereo. If you set Volume Leveling after starting the video it doesn't set the sound to stereo, however it doesn't seem to do any volume leveling either (until the video is restarted).

If I play a DTS movie via Plex, and the Roku setting it set to DD then it comes through as DD. If the Roku setting is set to either DD or DD & DTS then not surprisingly it comes through as DTS. So something is able to convert from DTS to DD, presumably the Roku since it is the Roku setting that determines the output format. I would have thought that same transcoder would convert from DD+ to DD if the Roku Audio setting is DD.

Seems like we have a similar setup. I never found a solution. Netflix has never worked for me in DD5.1 on Roku. I just use Netflix on my Firestick instead which does do DD5.1. However the Roku is much better when streaming movies from Windows via Plex and gets DD5.1, DTS5.1 and lip-sync much better.

I just bought a Roku Streaming Stick 4K (2021) connected directly to my LG OLED65E6P from 2016. My TV is connected to my receiver via optical cable. Through this cable, I am able to enjoy Dolby and DTS surround sound from the LG native apps (Netflix, Disney+, Vudu, etc.) as well as from my Blu-ray and DVD player connected to the TV via HDMI.

My new Roku Streaming Stick 4K is also connected directly via HDMI, but it will only output PCM stereo no matter what the setting. Right now, the audio output on the Roku is set to "Auto," but I have tried every combination to try to force the stick to output surround sound to the TV for pass-through to optical out, but nothing works. My older Roku model is able to output to the TV and pass-through surround sound via optical with no problem (as well as the devices/apps I mentioned earlier), but this new stick only outputs PCM stereo.

Does anyone know how to force the Roku Streaming Stick 4K to output 5.1 surround sound via HDMI for pass-through to the TV to optical to the receiver? This is extremely disappointing and makes me want to try another streaming device.

There are some streaming services/apps (e.g. YT/YTTV/HBOMax/Paramount+/Apple TV/The Roku Channel) which can either do both DD+ and DD or only DD (depending on device detection/configuration), in which case as long as a device can passthrough DD from HDMI to Optical you will be able to experience their content in 5.1.

I discovered something unusual while trying to solve this problem. All of the Roku apps that I tested would only output PCM stereo to the TV to pass on to the optical cable to the AVR with the notable exception of HBO Max. The latter was the only app that I found on Roku that still passes 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound through the TV to the optical out to the AVR. I kept the Roku audio settings the same (Auto/Custom: Dolby Digital and DTS on), and only HBO Max came through. So maybe the company behind each app has stopped supporting Dolby Digital and DTS... except for HBO Max? Not sure...

Some (many?) TVs will not pass 5.1 audio from external devices out via optical. Internal apps on the TV will pass 5.1 just fine, but not anything connected to an HDMI port. That doesn't explain why HBO Max snuck some surround in there, though. But it is a common complaint that I've heard from many users that connect to the TV and use the optical out to an AVR or soundbar. But it's not a Roku issue, it's the TV.

The only for certain solution is to either send the sound to the AVR via ARC, or connect the Roku directly to an HDMI port in the AVR. Of course, either solution requires an AVR/soundbar with HDMI connections.

Thank you so much for this info. I am going to return my Roku Streaming Stick 4K to Amazon and replace it with a Roku Ultra 2022 4K, which will decode the sound into Dolby Digital for me to passthrough to the AVR via optical.

I configured the audio pretty much as you described for my Roku Ultra. I noticed that if you try to force the Roku to send Dolby Digital to the TV when only a PCM stereo source is available (like the Spectrum TV app), the AVR will display a Dolby Digital 5.1 light indicator but if you check your rear speakers there is no sound whatsoever. So it may say Dolby Digital 5.1, but people should be wary and not be fooled. If you select "Passthrough," as you said, most programming on Hulu, Netflix, Disney, etc. will be transmitted to the AVR in 5.1 sound if the original source had it. Spectrum and older programming on other services comes through as PCM stereo with "Passthrough" selected, but that's fine because it sounds better than the "fake" 5.1 signal if you force the Roku to do so.

As a general rule, you want the last/best device in the HDMI/digital/signal chain to the decoding, since its usually the most capable, and can apply any desired surround/upmixing/processing that the user wants (there are exceptions to this rule, especially when using a newer TV and an older legacy DD-only/Optical-only AVR, as you discovered), so that means using a passthrough/bitstream setting as much as possible in source and intermediate devices.

Netflix comes in a variety of sound formats, depending on which subscription plan you pay for. The streaming service's premium tier supports 4K streaming on all the best 4K TVs and Dolby Atmos sound. Meanwhile, their standard plan allows for HD streaming and up to 5.1 surround sound.

But not everyone has a surround sound system, although more of the best soundbars are able to emulate and pass through surround sound. But, if you find yourself without, the below fix could instantly improve the audio you get from Netflix.

James is the TV Hardware Staff Writer at TechRadar. Before joining the team, he worked at a major UK based AV retailer selling TV and audio equipment, where he was either telling customers the difference between OLED and QLED or being wowed by watching a PS5 run on the LG 65G2. When not writing about the latest TV tech, James can be found gaming, reading, watching rugby or coming up with another idea for a novel. "}), " -0-11/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); James DavidsonSocial Links NavigationTV Hardware Staff Writer, Home Entertainment James is the TV Hardware Staff Writer at TechRadar. Before joining the team, he worked at a major UK based AV retailer selling TV and audio equipment, where he was either telling customers the difference between OLED and QLED or being wowed by watching a PS5 run on the LG 65G2. When not writing about the latest TV tech, James can be found gaming, reading, watching rugby or coming up with another idea for a novel.

I recently bought a Samsung UHD TV Smart TV and am using Yamaha receiver with 5.1 surround.
I had to install the optical cable from TV to Yamaha receiver and then set your receiver to
Audio-1 so you can then hear Netflix ! Good Luck

I cannot get any sound through my receiver when using netflix app from my samsung un55f6300. I am using ARC HDMI input and I tried an optical cable to the receiver. Do I need to change any settings on the tv, app or stereo? If anyone can help let me know. My receiver is a denon X400

Great article Eric, I learned a lot, and it was very clear. Method 2 works for me, but I tried method 4 with the ARC capability (tv, receiver, and hdmi cable have the capability), I activated ARC on both the tv and the receiver through the set up menus, kept my receiver on the hdmi channel, and it does not work: I still get the sound from the directv, with the image of the tv app (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) I have no idea why this does not work ?

Also, for other components (cable box, media player and blu ray player), I have a conventional setup where the components are connected to the receiver via HDMI and one HDMI cable goes from the receiver to the video in of the TV. This works well and I want to keep it the same way while being able to do the items above (Netflix and Chromecase on surround sound).