Solving playback issues

[FMoB]

Let’s start with a confession - I’m a dinosaur and a cheapskate! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix (or replace…) it is my mantra. So, for years, I’ve been happy playing DVDs and Blu-rays on my 2012 Samsung UE40ES6540 TV with Dolby Digital/DTS processed via an even older (1999!) Yamaha RX-V595a receiver. I have a great 5.1 speaker setup in a small room.

With streaming meaning less and less films get a release on physical media, I’ve had to move with the times and embrace movies via fibre broadband from Sky Cinema (via Now TV) and Disney+. So I bought a Roku Express and expected to be able to get surround sound having added Boost to Now TV. What a pain… Yes, a new AV amp would help but I’m trying to avoid that if I at all can.

After lots of research, and the discovery of this post on the forum: https://community.roku.com/t5/Solving-playback-issues/No-Dolby-or-DTS-Surround-Sound-Output-Via-Opti...  - I realised I’d need to change my approach if I was going to succeed.

I bought an EZ Coo EX11PRO that can spoof EDID settings and have that configured to 5.1 audio. The same device provides audio extraction from the HDMI input and has a toslink output to connect to my old amp. On the advice of @UserOfStreamers, I went in search of a 4800 or 4802 on eBay. I found a 4801 (box says 4801RW but label on device say 4801X) and further research suggested that only differed by virtue of a missing USB port and a different remote. Surely if the 4800 and 4802 supported transcoding of DD+ to DD, then the 4801 would too…?

So, having it got all wired up, I was really disappointed to see my AV amp not finding a Dolby Digital signal from one of its optical inputs. I’ve tried all the various combinations of the audio settings to no avail. I know the EDID spoofing is working as the Roku is reporting ‘Dolby Audio-DD’ and ‘DTS Digital Surround’ as available formats on the HDMI.

If anyone can help, I’d be extremely grateful.

[StreamerUser · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately you didn't follow the advice of @UserOfStreamers or do enough research - he very specifically mentioned a model 4800 or 4802 (Roku Ultra 2020 or Roku Ultra 2022): these models have Dolby (Atmos-level) decoders. 

The Roku Ultra LT (4801) does NOT have a Dolby decoder (and why it very specifically wasn't mentioned)

You need to get a 4800 (Ultra 2020), 4802 (Ultra 2022) or a (just released) 4850 (Ultra 2024) - these all have Dolby (Atmos-level) decoders that can transcode/convert DD+ to DD even in Passthrough mode when connected to a detected DD-only device.

So you need to get a 4800/4802/4850 and change Digital Output Format = Passthrough (assuming DD-only EDID; Custom = Dolby Digital or Auto will also work but will transcode all audio to DD assuming DD EDID), set the splitter/audio extractor's EDID to DD5.1 , and enjoy 5.1 audio from all 5.1 content.

Also, make sure you disable any sound modes as these disable multichannel output:  During playback - Options(*)/Sound Settings/Customize Sound modes/Volume Leveling or Dialogue Enhancement = Off

[FMoB]

@StreamerUser, thanks so much for your reply. I was kind of expecting that would be the explanation but it's great to get it confirmed by an expert. I have to say that I really struggled to find clear, technical specs that could have prevented me buying the 4801 in the hope that it matched 4800/4802 in the DD+ to DD department.

I've kicked off an ebay return and will be buying a 4802 once I get my refund. Then I will report back once everything is delivered and tested. Thanks again!

[FMoB]

Wahey! 5.1 Dolby Digital is now coming from my Now TV (with Boost) and Disney+ streams!

Thanks again to @StreamerUser for pointing me in the right direction (and pointing out my schoolboy error of not paying closer attention to the original advice of @UserOfStreamers).

If anyone else has a similar need to extract Dolby Digital via toslink to an aging AV amp, I can certainly recommend the EZ Coo EX11PRO to accompany the correct model of Roku Ultra (4800/4802/4850).

The only downside of all this..? Being a UK based user, I can't access BBC iPlayer as the 4802 was never available in the UK. A small price to pay 🙂