Channels & viewing

[Obelix27]

The OP was about getting the Roku to output DD (and not DD+) for use with an old SPDIF receiver (via an audio extractor that gets the audio from HDMI to SPDIF). The Roku Streaming Stick+ I bought a year ago does not do this, despite having a setting in Audio settings that would suggest it does. I have found two solutions:

1) use a Firestick! This will output DD (instead of DD+) with Netflix etc.

2) I find streaming movies from my PC via Plex also works. As I understand, Plex itself (not the Roku) converts the sound to whatever format is set in Audio settings. E.g. it will even convert from DTS to DD if that is what is specified. I am not sure if the processing is done on the PC or the Roku stick. Anyway it works. 

So I now use Firestick for Netflix etc., and Roku for Plex. Then I always get full DD 5.1.

The Roku also has a volume levelling feature which can be handy, but that is always 2.0 sound.

[Fdegueure]

thanks a lot I was going crazy. I followed the recommendation and got it to work

[Liang]

If you connect your TCL Roku TV through HDMI ARC to AV receiver which is capable of decoding DD+, go to settings-audio-speakers, and set TV Speakers to off. 

This is how I got it to work and also works for amazon prime.

TV: TCL 55S533-CA

Received: Onkyo TX-SR608

[HomeTheaterGuy]

If you are running a projector, this solution will not work.  To be honest, we just got our XBox One X back from repair and that unit has now become our main streaming device as it allows Dolby Digital, DTS to be decoded without issue.  The best that the Roku will do is mixed stereo for Dolby Pro Logic sound stages and others.  We are going to move the Roku to our small tv due to these limitations.

[HomeTheaterGuy]

My solution is similar, move on from the Roku and use something that can actually interpret the information properly.  We are using our XBox One X instead and voila, it works without issue.  

Just a quick rant here as well.  

I had the idiots of Roku try, try and try to tell me, the owner of an audio video company, that it was the limitation of my gear that was prohibiting the sound to come out properly.  I countered with that for many years, consumers have been purchasing low, middle and high end AV receivers and separates to produce phenomenal (DD/DTS/DD EX/ DTS ES and so on) sound stages while using Digital Coax or Toslink.  Was I to tell a customer that had Krell, Parasound or Denon high end gear that they had to get rid of their gear because it didn't have HDMI inputs to it just to support this dinky Roku streamer?  Certainly not, this completely lands on Roku and their inferior product.  As a consumer and AV Company owner, I cannot and will not recommend Roku as a reliable streaming product.

[Obelix27]

My FireTV outputs DD with Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. so it works well in surround sound with my old Toslink processor. And it's a lot cheaper than getting an Xbox etc. But I agree that the Roku is pretty rubbish in this regard. Especially as I thought one of the points of DD+ is that it is very easy to down covert it to DD.

[atc98092]

The one and only point of DD+ is to reduce the bandwidth used for streaming, plus it supports a version of Atmos. It’s not like DTS that has a core stream that can be easily used instead of the more advanced stream. DD+ cannot be easily converted to DD. That requires an encoder added to the player, along with an additional license from Dolby. It all adds cost to the player. 

[cimmeriian]

First of RokuTannerD hits the nail on the head. Read their message first, if you want to read my deeper dive before finding RokuTannerD's comment, read on.

Read on for details.

At first, I wasn't sure because again, I know how Netflix works across everything else, including old laptops and my Apple TV 2 which is older than every Roku device I have. Netflix on those devices does surround just fine but not on the Roku.

I have a 6 channel receiver that can receive analog, digital optical and digital co-ax for DD and DTS. It cannot do DD+ or DTS+/DTS-HD/True or anything past a 6 channel (i.e. 5.1) setup.

The receiver goes through a 4k HDMI audio extractor that allows me to use LPCM or Bitstream, I can also just send audio through to my TV.

Netflix changed something actually as DD / DTS was fine a while ago on Roku.  The specifics I don't know.

I have the following devices going through a switch, to the extractor, to the receiver and TV.

Basically:

PS3 ----\                                                                  /----- TV
PS4 -----\                                                               /
X360 ---( HDMI Switch ) ---> HDMI extractor ----
Switch --/                                                               \
XB1X ---/                                                                  \----- Receiver (optical and analog)

The X360 is the only device that is limited to Dolby Digital.  All the others can do LPCM, Dolby Digital and or DTS.  I default them all to LPCM as that's what the Switch does anyway and I only have to change the input for the XBOX 360.

Regardless the XBOX 360 handles 5.1 off of applications, games, etc just fine.  Now if I send  the Roku direct to the TV (which can do optical and will pass through Dolby Digital) or through the HDMI switch, it doesn't work for Netflix and or VuDu and various other apps.

Now with the Apple TV 2, it again works.  So then I used the Roku and used their own Roku app and had Dolby Digital / DTS pass through just fine.  That said, the Roku auto-detected and is sending DD / DTS just fine, so what's the issue?

Long story short, the developers of the apps on the Roku made their choice as to which format to work with. The app devs may do their own downconversion or they may leave it to the device.  Basically if you have 5.1, unfortunately there are many applications which just won't do 5.1 / 6ch surround and I believe the older Roku's don't have the chops to decode and or downconvert it to any other output format. No DD/DTS/6ch LPCM, so yeah, you can probably find a converter or get a new receiver. A receiver not being cost-effective obviously.

So if you really want surround, you won't get it with a Roku streaming device for many famous apps. You would be better of finding a PS3, PS4, XBOX One, or XBOX 360 for cheap. They are going to use a lot more power than a Roku so not as energy efficient but it'll work and it'll probably consume less juice than a new AVR that drives two more speakers and possibly an additional subwoofer.

Ultimately I'm upset with Netflix, Vudu, etc.  How many people are rocking DD+ / DTS+,DTS-HD, etc etc setups that they made that the default without a downconversion option?! Like the app should know, "Hey, this Roku is set for DD, DTS, let's down convert then send, it's less data for us to send too, win-win". Nope, they say, "We're sending DD+ bro!"

So gotta ask as I do love my Roku devices and buy them for others, the UI is perfect ... Roku, any plans of having a more beefy player that could perhaps determine what to output such as DD, DTS, LPCM even? The HDMI spec can handle all of those and I know the XB1, PS3 and PS4 all convert whatever they can to LPCM as that's my preference the downstream receiver can handle whatever you're sending but increasing the options helps a lot environmentally, economically, and your profits 🙂

[jd47]

Netflix movies from the app on my 6 yo Vizio all are labeled as 5.1 sound, and that is what comes out of my Onkyo receiver. The exact same movies from the app on a new (Feb 2022) Roku stick do not have the 5.1 label on them and, no surprise, my receiver identifies the signal as pcm2.0. My guess is the problem is with the app supplied by Roku. All the labels under the movie title are the same for both systems except that the Roku system does not show the 5.1 label. 

[atc98092]

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@jd47 wrote:

 My guess is the problem is with the app supplied by Roku. All the labels under the movie title are the same for both systems except that the Roku system does not show the 5.1 label. 

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Roku does not provide the app. With the exception of The Roku Channel and Roku Media Player, all channels on Roku devices are developed by other providers. In this case, Netflix is the company responsible for the functionality of the channel. I just checked Netflix on my Premiere 3920 (nearest to me at the moment) and the Netflix channel displays 5.1 audio on the title I checked. Since it's connected to a Samsung TV, there's no 5.1 support for this player. But the channel still says 5.1 audio.

You might try removing the Netflix channel, rebooting the Stick (critical step, don't skip), then adding it back in again. That's always the first step when troubleshooting a channel.