Solving playback issues

[StreamerUser]

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@gerryex wrote:

Hi ALL,

OK, the more I look into this the more disappointed I get!

I did a system update and it said all were current.  I checked the versions and the Roku version is 9.4.1 Build 4236 and the HBO Max version is 50.9.31.  Both were posted here as the latest versions so the problem is not this.

The only other streaming service I have is Paramount Plus and they do not indicate whether their videos have Atmos or not so I have no way of testing if I'm getting true Atmos from them.

I then went into You Tube and found a few videos stated as having Atmos including one specifically as an Atmos demo.  Started it up and was shocked to see my AVR indicating that it was only 2.0 stereo.  And this was with the Ultra in Auto Detect which its supposed to convert any signal to Atmos.  I changed the Ultra to Passthrough and still got only 2.0 from YouTube.  In fact ANY video I tried in YouTube with either Auto Detect or Passthrough came up as 2.0!  Could someone try YouTube (search for Atmos) with that demo and post what their AVR is indicating.

I'm not sure what else to try and WELCOME any other suggestions!  THANKS!

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YT won't work, no matter how the videos were labelled, since it doesnt natively support any Dolby codecs (at best you may get some partial multichannel via device conversion/transcoding for output).

You'll need to test your Atmos output with one of the other services using DD+/Atmos.

[gerryex]

Hi ALL,  I don't believe it but I FIXED IT!!!

It had to do with a setting on my Denon AVR.  I have a cable DVR and a 4K Blu Ray also going to the DVR and most of the time the Denon is fed either 5.1 or maybe 7.1 surround, either Dolby or DTS.  The Denon has an optional post processing mode to send some audio to the height speakers and there are two flavors of the post processing:  Dolby or DTS.  I read in a video magazine that the DTS post processing is better than the Dolby so my default setting was to add the DTS post processing.  This way no matter what surround signal coming in all my speakers will be active.  Of course its not as good as native Atmos but better than nothing.  The exception is if I'm playing a Blu Ray that has Atmos the Denon detects it and switches to full native Atmos and would indicate that.

So I had a hunch that the default post processing might be screwing up the signal from the Denon back to the Ultra and not allow the Ultra to send native Atmos when on Passthrough.  So I set the Ultra to Passthrough and went back to Godzilla vs King Kong (I'm getting tired of that movie!) and the Denon displayed DD+ as expected.  Then I went into the Denon's Sound Mode setting and turned off the post processing and there was a pause in the audio and when it came backup I looked to see what the Denon was reporting and IT WAS ATMOS!!!!  Incredible!!

These systems are getting WAY too complicated.  I'm a retired engineer and although I did not work in the audio industry I've had audio and video setups ever since I was a kid and I'm pretty good at setting them up.  But this really had me stymied!

THANKS AGAIN to everyone for all your help and suggestions!

Gerry

[atc98092]

I had a gut feeling it was something in the AVR, but since I have no experience with that brand I would have never known about that setting. So glad you figured it out. You are right that these things just get more and more complicated all the time. 

[Chriswmcgee]

Problem with audio format on Roku Ultra 2020. I just purchased my second Roku Ultra for the sole purpose of achieving a Dolby Atmos surround sound experience with my Yamaha Dolby Atmos Reciever. I was able to get limited access to Dolby Atmos with my previous Roku Ultra 4K, however, it only worked on Disney Plus and VUDU (VUDU only streamed the Atmos track if hooked up to my 4K TV). Now that I have the 2020 Ultra I also get Netflix to stream the Atmos soundtrack. My problem is, from the advertising I have seen, Amazon Prime is also supposed to stream an Atmos soundtrack as well on the proper Atmos encoded movies/shows. I have been unable to achieve this as 5.1 surround is all I can get. My question is, does Amazon Prime have the same requirement as VUDU for properly streaming a Dolby Atmos soundtrack? This requirement being it must have a TV capable of displaying Dolby Vision/HDR10 as well to allow the Dolby Atmos soundtrack to pass. I have the Roku audio set to Auto passthrough.

[StreamerUser]

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@Chriswmcgee wrote:

Problem with audio format on Roku Ultra 2020. I just purchased my second Roku Ultra for the sole purpose of achieving a Dolby Atmos surround sound experience with my Yamaha Dolby Atmos Reciever. I was able to get limited access to Dolby Atmos with my previous Roku Ultra 4K, however, it only worked on Disney Plus and VUDU (VUDU only streamed the Atmos track if hooked up to my 4K TV). Now that I have the 2020 Ultra I also get Netflix to stream the Atmos soundtrack. My problem is, from the advertising I have seen, Amazon Prime is also supposed to stream an Atmos soundtrack as well on the proper Atmos encoded movies/shows. I have been unable to achieve this as 5.1 surround is all I can get. My question is, does Amazon Prime have the same requirement as VUDU for properly streaming a Dolby Atmos soundtrack? This requirement being it must have a TV capable of displaying Dolby Vision/HDR10 as well to allow the Dolby Atmos soundtrack to pass. I have the Roku audio set to Auto passthrough.

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What does Settings/Audio/HDMI/Auto passthrough indicate as detected? (highlight it)

What titles are you testing for Atmos in Prime? 

Prime has terrible tagging, and Atmos tagging is utterly absent.  Generally speaking, UHD/HDR tagged titles that DONT have 5.1 tagging have Atmos.  If the UHD/HDR title has a 5.1 tag, it doesnt have Atmos.

Have you verified working Atmos in other apps? (NetFlix/Disney+/HBO Max/Apple TV/Vudu/Movies Anywhere/etc)

[Chriswmcgee]

Auto passthrough is selected, Stereo, DD, DD+, Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD etc. are detected. 

I tested Dolby Presents "Escape," John Wick 3, Mad Max, Jack Ryan. All were listed under a search for "Dolby Atmos movies 4K Prime" within the Prime App.  I was only able to find 5.1 surround sound. No other formats were listed.

Netflix, Disney+, and VUDU all pass Atmos DD+ track to my AV Reciever. VUDU only does so if it is hook up to my 4K TV instead of my projector.

[StreamerUser]

As I said, if you see a 5.1 tag with the UHD/HDR tag, you wont get Atmos.

If the the listing has a UHD/HDR tag, but no 5.1 tag, it delivers Atmos.

Prime only delivers Atmos with UHD/HDR, so If your Roku display is detected/configured as 1080, you wont get the UHD (4K) stream with Atmos.

[Novarider]

@gerryex 

Do you remember where this setting is in the menu? I'm having the exact same issue you had with my denon X3700h.

Also my Roku doesn't have "auto passthrough" it has auto and passthrough as two separate options. 

[gerryex]

I believe the setting on the remote is under Sound Mode (near the bottom) and specifically Movie.  Press it and it should show the various post processing modes available.  Pressing it again will cycle through the different processing modes and just stop when you get to the Atmos or the DTS modes and it should switch over to it.

As far as the Roku I would assume the Passthrough should be ok.

Gerry 

[Davejwalk]

@gerryex wrote:

Hi ALL,  I don't believe it but I FIXED IT!!!

It had to do with a setting on my Denon AVR.  I have a cable DVR and a 4K Blu Ray also going to the DVR and most of the time the Denon is fed either 5.1 or maybe 7.1 surround, either Dolby or DTS.  The Denon has an optional post processing mode to send some audio to the height speakers and there are two flavors of the post processing:  Dolby or DTS.  I read in a video magazine that the DTS post processing is better than the Dolby so my default setting was to add the DTS post processing.  This way no matter what surround signal coming in all my speakers will be active.  Of course its not as good as native Atmos but better than nothing.  The exception is if I'm playing a Blu Ray that has Atmos the Denon detects it and switches to full native Atmos and would indicate that.

So I had a hunch that the default post processing might be screwing up the signal from the Denon back to the Ultra and not allow the Ultra to send native Atmos when on Passthrough.  So I set the Ultra to Passthrough and went back to Godzilla vs King Kong (I'm getting tired of that movie!) and the Denon displayed DD+ as expected.  Then I went into the Denon's Sound Mode setting and turned off the post processing and there was a pause in the audio and when it came backup I looked to see what the Denon was reporting and IT WAS ATMOS!!!!  Incredible!!

These systems are getting WAY too complicated.  I'm a retired engineer and although I did not work in the audio industry I've had audio and video setups ever since I was a kid and I'm pretty good at setting them up.  But this really had me stymied!

THANKS AGAIN to everyone for all your help and suggestions!

Gerry

Gerry,

I read this thread all the way through to this point as I am having the EXACT same issue with my roku ultra and Denon AVR. Same connection, same issue with detection etc. 

can you please explain further what you did to your Denon AVR to correct the issue?

thanks! David