Solving playback issues

[jobobhowdy]

Today I verified again that I can get Dolby Digital 5.1 sound from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Plex from my AppleTV 4K and from my older Sony BluRay player.  My various Roku units now do not even present Dolby Digital from Plex.  I have repeatedly adjusted the settings to force DD and to auto select, but still nothing but stereo.  Are there any Roku units that will play Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.  I have always been a promoter of Roku because they worked so well. Not what is happening, but they just aren’t working for me any more. I want to watch my movies and shows in 5.1 not in stereo. Just really need some help.

[RokuJohnB · Accepted solution]

Hi @jobobhowdy,

Thank you for keeping us updated!

We'd love to assist you further with this concern that you have with Dolby Digital since you can't get these on your Roku streaming devices. All the movies and TV shows accessible through your Roku streaming player are available in stereo; however, some are also available in surround sound. Although most Roku streaming players do not decode surround sound formats such as Dolby Digital Plus or DTS, they can pass through the signal to an audio/video receiver (AVR), soundbar, or TV, that is capable of decoding surround sound.

• Note:
  • Surround sound pass-through is only available when your Roku streaming player is connected via HDMI or optical (when available).
  • Although some Roku players can decode Dolby Digital, the audio will be output in stereo unless your player is connected to an AVR or soundbar as described in this article.

You may also want to check out this support article here.

We hope that's helpful, Happy Streaming!

Regards,
John

[rikazkhan]

 have repeatedly adjusted the settings to force DD and to auto select, but still nothing but stereo.  Are there any Roku units that will play Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.  I have always been a promoter of R

[jobobhowdy]

The Roku devices I tested are all connected via HDMI cable.  I reached out to Netflix to find out from them if there were any issues with my Roku devices.  They indicated all of their programming was presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital unless noted and they were not aware of any problems.  In the description of the program it would show [5.1] if the device was able to receive said audio.  Again, none of the models of Roku I own showed this designation.  Both the old Sony Blu-Ray player and the AppleTV 4K showed the designation.  Similar designations are available for both Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.  Obviously, my Sony AV receiver is able to output 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound.  I have tested various audio selection methods within the settings of the Roku devices all output only stereo.  I have owned multiple models of Roku devices and have always been able to produce 5.1 audio.  There have been multiple software updates from Roku and somewhere along the way 5.1 has disappeared.  That leaves me to believe, like other users, that the Roku software is the problem.  My Sony AV receiver can produce Dolby Digital and DTS, but not Dolby Digital Plus.  As demonstrated by the other devices the receiver is able to decode the audio signal and produce 5.1 audio.  Unless AppleTV 4K and the blu-ray player have a different decoding ability, I cannot understand why only the Roku units will not do the same.  I am willing to try just about any change in settings to get it to work.  Just let me know. Thanks…

[RokuERey]

@jobobhowdy,

Thank you for the extra details!

In this case, we'll be moving this case to the appropriate Roku team for additional investigation, and we'll need your help. Please share with us the details below.

• Roku device model, serial number, device ID, and software OS/version (these can all be found in Settings > System > About)
• Tracker ID when this issue occurs (when you see this issue occur, press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times, and provide us with this ID).
• Audio receiver model

We'll be looking for to your update!

Best regards,
Rey

[jobobhowdy]

Sorry for the delayed response:

Device Model:  4801RW - Roku Ultra

Serial Number:  X010000G09CKY

Device ID:  S0DD32809CKY

Software OS/Version:  13.0.0 - build 24056-DE

Tracker ID:  KY-209-251

Audio Receiver Model:  Sony Multi Channel AV Receiver STR-DH520

Thanks in advance for your assistance...