Solving playback issues

Find troubleshooting tips and resources for Roku playback speed issues, HDCP messages, power issues, and more. Join the community discussion for assistance.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
maons
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

I also have  problems with no DD on apps.  Except the Roku channel which does display DD.  Something not quite right with the  apps (like Pluto, Spectrum, etc only has PCM audio 2.1.)

This has been broke for a long time.   

0 Kudos
ryeguy_24
Binge Watcher

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

Same issue here.  I have Audio set to "Dolby Digital" in Roku Audio Settings and Netflix is not showing "5.1" audio as an option for any show.  I've noticed that when in Netflix, the audio signal that is being pumped to my receiver (via ARC) is showing Dolby Digital 5.1. However, I get no sound out of Center Channel which leads me to believe that the audio signal is always in 5.1 but Netflix is not providing 5.1 through this conduit.  

Separately, I think I'm getting real 5.1 through Plex App (because I get center channel output) but seems like no other apps are getting 5.1.  

No 5.1 sound is a pretty big deal.  This is a top priority bug.  

ryeguy_24
Binge Watcher

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

Ok, so update from previous post above. I have updated the Audio settings to “Dolby Digital Plus, DTS”. When doing so, Netflix now shows “5.1” in title descriptions and successfully plays 5.1 sound. Maybe it requires it? But either way, it should still be able to use “Dolby Digital” setting or at least downsample to make it compatible. 

Gbjeffrey71
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

Is your receiver able to decoded Dolby Digital plus? Or, just Dolby Digital? I tried this during my initial setup, by changing my audio settings to DD+, and when I went to Netflix I also saw the 5.1 appear, but I received silence when I tried playing a movie.

0 Kudos
maons
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

I plugged it in my receiver and even the dolby digital plus wouldn't work.   Even though the Roku detected DD+, it played only PCM 2.1.   If you play Roku channel, it does detect DD 5.1.  None of the other apps will play in DD 5.1 but instead PCM 2.1.  I have pretty much given up on this unit (and other ones I have).   

0 Kudos
Justinto
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

When the sound is off, try rewinding the video to the start. I do this and I get DD+. It isn't a permanent fix but it works. 

0 Kudos
ryeguy_24
Binge Watcher

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

My receiver decodes DD+ but DD+ is backwards compatible to DD so it should work. I noticed that this setting breaks YouTube 5.1. It really sounds like Roku is not handling the audio properly.  Sounds like each app has its own finicky behavior with each audio setting. 

 

Full disclosure: the new setting I’m using yields a scratching sound before each audio clip starts (like a quick vinl record scratch). Lovely. 

0 Kudos
Justinto
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

I could not get it to detect dd+ or anything else except 2.1 in the auto detect under settings.  I had to change the HDMI to dd+/dts. I still have to rewind the video to the beginning to get dd+ to activate. 

0 Kudos
maons
Channel Surfer

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

I can watch the apps through my Samsung 4k tv (2015)   The only app that doesn't work right is Pluto which I watch through Roku.  I would like Roku to work properly so its just a wait game.   Hooking it up to my AVR does show DD+ through Roku, but the receiver only detects PCM when I try playing various apps.

Thanks for any ideas that may have worked for you.  I'll be trying later as time permits...

0 Kudos
sgmfish
Streaming Star

Re: Update 9.2 broke dolby digital

Jump to solution

This is NOT a problem of settings or the user's configuration, it is a ROKU problem.....period.

Yesterday I spent most of the day doing extensive testing with my Roku 4200 (Roku 3). My TV and receiver are just a couple of years old, and they support all the formats discussed in this thread......so none of that is an issue on my system.  IMO, my testing has "proved" that this is a Roku problem: either firmware or a contractual change with Roku's providers (e.g., Netflix).

Here's the "proof". I only get PCM 2.1 (or 2.0) from nearly all services on my Roku even though the source material is some version of 5.1. However, I have 2 services that *do* play 5.1 surround on the Roku 4200: my purchased movies on VUDU, and anything in 5.1 on the Roku Free channel. So the problem has to be with how the Roku is providing an AV stream from these services (other than Roku Free and VUDU).

As further "proof", nothing in my Netflix account (including recent movies with surround audio) plays surround if I use the Roku; it is ALL being inputted to my receiver as PCM. The proof? Well, I have an old Western Digital LiveTV (WDTV) media server that I used years ago before I got the Roku. So I hooked it up to my system in precisely the same way as the Roku is hooked up. This old WDTV doesn't support most streaming services anymore, but it does support Netflix. So I signed into my Netflix account on this old WDTV. Voila...everything in my Netflix account that should play as 5.1 *does* play 5.1 on the WDTV, whereas these same videos only play with PCM 2.1 on the Roku.

An example is the new movie "The 2 Popes". I get beautiful Dolby Plus 5.1 on the WDTV, but only PCM 2.1 on the Roku under the same Netflix account, via the same AV system, with both media players hooked up in the exactly same fashion.

So something is wrong with Roku at the moment.