Solving playback issues

[davidc502]

I prefer to use Roku because it just offers more than my LG does. Also, going from the Roku to my receiver means I get the best possible audio. However, reading your post, you have a sound bar, so should work either directly to TV or going through Roku. 

[JFS-63]

With regards to Atmos on Roku Stick 4k, after trying to troubleshoot this for over a week when Atmos stopped working all of a sudden:

1. Set all Roku audio settings to auto.

2. Do not enable volume/sound leveling: Play any movie in Netflix/Disney+, hit *, make sure sound leveling is not enabled.

3. Perform Roku System Restart.

Turns out wife turned on sound leveling one night because she didn't want to bother me one night-and ATMOS stopped working after that). The 3 steps above did it for me.

[lacarlson]

After using Roku as my primary and Chromecast as my backup for many many years, I have switched to Nvidia Shield.  Problem solved. 

[thejeffbrown]

That's because Dolby Atmos isn't 5.1. Dolby Atmos is designed specifically for taking advantage of height speakers.

It's X.X.X, as in say, 5.1.4, where the "4" is the number of speakers either installed in your ceiling or, upward facing drivers inside your existing satellite speakers and/or soundbar that are pointed at the ceiling at an angle (aka upward facing) which then bounces the sound back down so that your ears feel like the sound is coming from above. 

To say that Dolby Atmos "isn't all that" when you don't even have ceiling speakers or upward facing drivers, is like saying sushi is overrated when you've only ever tried it with grocery store imitation crab. You're missing the full experience. 

To enjoy and get the full benefit of Dolby Atmos requires the proper set up to begin with. Dolby Atmos is not supposed to be "making much difference for my 5.1 setup." There is no such thing as 5.1 Dolby Atmos. 

[thejeffbrown]

Your a genius! 

I've been without the ability to receive Dolby Atmos-encoded audio for months and couldn't figure out why. 

I went through your steps and was excited when I realized sound leveling was indeed on. "Could the solution be this easy," I thought? 

Turns out, the answer is "Yes!" 

I now again am receiving Dolby Atmos signals through my Roku 4670x again, at least for all DA content except for that coming from Netflix. I think I'll need one of the newer Roku devices for that. 

Thank you! 

[Ganeshraghav]

Without ceiling speakers or upward-facing drivers, dismissing Dolby Atmos is like criticizing sushi without trying the authentic version. You miss the intended immersive experience without the proper setup. The analogy emphasizes the importance of the right components for a full appreciation. In the grocery store context, it refers to a less authentic sushi experience with imitation crab, highlighting the difference between the genuine and compromised quality.