# Half stereo, half surround. What gives?



## dt2.0 (Mar 15, 2014)

First, I want to say that I am happy to have found and now joined this group! I am certainly a novice and am looking forward to learning more! I hope I can begin by figuring out what is currently going on with my home system. Here goes...

Components: Samsung 6300 LED 60 inch tv, Samsung 5.1 channel blu-ray home entertainment system ((HT-E5500W), Roamio TiVo, Roku 3.

TiVo and Roku are connected to Blu-ray/surround sound system via HDMI cables. Blue-ray/surround sound is connected to tv via HDMI to tv's ARC HDMI connection.

Here's what has me baffled: I get full surround sound on shows recorded on my TiVo and on Blu-ray discs, but stereo only on everything else. All shows coming thru Roku are stereo (and I have tried several different movies). When I change the audio setting to Dolby in the Roku settings, I get NO sound and have to revert to the stereo setting. If I use the Netflix or Amazon Video app from my tv's Smart apps, I get stereo only. If I play a DVD that is NOT Blu-ray, I get stereo sound only. So bizarre! I am completely confused at this point. I have tried numerous set-up/connection possibilities and checked every setting I can find in each device and nothing has worked. I have a basic level of audio/video knowledge, but nothing beyond that and I am completely stumped. Any help is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks.


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## dt2.0 (Mar 15, 2014)

Anyone? Suggestions? Am I just hooking something up wrong or is this a setting thing? Really hate to call out a service (Geekatoo, Geek Squad, etc.), but I'm getting desperate and out of ideas. Thanks again.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

dt2.0 said:


> Anyone? Suggestions? Am I just hooking something up wrong or is this a setting thing? Really hate to call out a service (Geekatoo, Geek Squad, etc.), but I'm getting desperate and out of ideas. Thanks again.


It is possible that ARC from your TV is only capable of stereo since, it appears, that sources sent directly to your audio system work OK and those that are relayed via ARC are not.


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## primetimeguy (Jun 3, 2006)

Check the settings in the TV apps, many of them have audio settings themselves. Or some TVs require you to turn off the TV speakers in order to get surround rather than stereo via ARC.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Sounds like an issue with your Samsung HTB. Check for a setting that enables Dolby Pro Logic. That wouldn’t explain the thing with blu ray vs. DVD, though, but there should be a setting for that, too. Is there no troubleshooting section in the manual?

Regards, 
Wayne


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## dt2.0 (Mar 15, 2014)

@Kal: the blu-ray/surround sound is the only device connected by ARC to my tv. The other two components (Roku & TiVo) are connected to the blu-ray. The weird thing is that one of those components (TiVo) gets full surround sound and one (Roku) only gets stereo. The apps on the tv (both Netflix and Amazon Video) also only work in stereo and of course the tv is connected directly to the blu-ray/surround sound via ARC HDMI. Just seems to be no logic to it.

@ primetimeguy: I did check the settings on Netflix. It is set to stereo, but when I switch it to surround, I get no sound at all. Crazy. Amazon Video has no audio settings (that I could find). On my tv, you have to switch to either tv speakers or AV speakers. Mine is set to AV speakers. Don't know of any option to completely "turn off" the tv speakers, but assume by using the aforementioned setting that this is essentially what is happening already.

@ Wayne: The only audio output that is available (not grayed out) on the audio settings for the tv or the blu-ray/surround sound receiver is PCM. All the different Dolby settings are grayed out. I have no idea why. Of course this is a cheaper blu-ray, surround sound receiver, all-speakers-included system so its not great. It is also 4 years old or so. I would not be surprised if its the source of the problem. The tv is brand new. Seems like a true AV receiver with a separate blu-ray would be better quality and would work better, but not what I can afford at the moment. With that said, seems like this set up should still be able to work somehow or another.

Anyway, thanks again so much for the help and I will remain open (and anxious) for further suggestions!


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## kay_rock (Mar 10, 2014)

Your story is very familiar! I just recently went through trying to unsuccessfully deal with a panasonic bluray/home theater all-in-one box and sound issues, control issues, etc. etc. etc. I'd owned it a few years and understood the system pretty well. I tried rewiring and re-hooking up 6 ways from sunday, and then hit the web with my tear-soaked keyboard and found this site. Everyone was very helpful giving me suggestions on how to make it work, but ultimately the best advice was "stop trying to turn a sows ear into a silk purse." OK, nobody actually said that, but it only took me a couple more days of spitting on my blu ray player and threatening the speakers with taking away their cell phone if they didn't behave before I gave up. I took the plunge and bought my first AVR. Being an absolute NOVICE I was nervous, but even as an old, addled person I was able to do the complete hookup (including speaker wiring...egads!) myself with far less trouble than I would have imagined, and all of my troubles went away. It was shockingly easy. More than half the posts at this site seem to be in a foreign language to me, so I was sure I could never manage the process (I even journaled it here step by step in case I fell on my face). But it was far more logical and straightforward than I anticipated. Each step I completed, I was sure the NEXT step would be insurmountable. But then the next step was done and voila, I look like one of the cool kids and nobody knows that I'm secretly the girl in the ill-fitting jeans who everyone laughs at in the cafeteria. 

You can read about my experiences with the old system here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...ousewife-wires-her-own-system-then-cries.html 

and my experience setting up the new one here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...usewife-wires-new-system-hilarity-ensues.html

*NETFLIX SOUND ISSUES:* By the way - netflix itself has issues on the roku, particularly since the latest netflix upgrade. Actually, apparently it's always been a problem, but netflix was self-correcting until the latest upgrade. The netflix channel on the roku does not actually handle 5.1 surround on certain movies based on the way they're streaming the audio (I have no idea of the technical mumbo-jumbo behind that). On older versions of netflix (and on some of the older rokus) netflix automatically switches playback mode to stereo, and you get sound (but only through the front speakers). Newer netflix on newer rokus doesn't, so you simply get NO sound. You can change your audio mode to Stereo and get the sound, but obviously no surround sound. I've heard rumors that the Amazon Prime channel has some similar problems. I'm not one to spread gossip, though. At least not loud enough for everyone to hear.

Interestingly, since I switched to having the roku hooked up to the AVR, I am experiencing no troubles with Netflix. I haven't tried playing a lot of movies, so maybe I might run in to issues, but so far everything is great. Right now I'm obsessed with the fact that Showtime Anytime is finally available on Roku, so I'm kind of stuck until I'm done streaming four years worth of Shameless.

There are even cheaper systems than the one I purchased. I opted for a more mid-range unit (a lovely, feature rich, fancy-pants-but-reasonably-priced Onkyo TX-NR626), and my speakers were super cheap. I also had to invest in a stand-alone blu ray player, some speaker wire, and some banana plugs. I could have spent significantly more, I could have spent a bit less, but whatever the investment it was WAY worth it. Even with cheap speakers, my sound quality is immeasurably better. A hidden, additional cost was agreeing that my husband could buy some uber-ridiculous $600 motorcycle boots because he strangely thinks that his ankle safety is as important as my home theater viewing/listening experience. Some people have weird priorities. If you have a spouse or partner with a hankering for something fancy and not much interest in the world of audio/visuals, you might anticipate a similar "arrangement."

The all-in-one systems seem to be ok until you try adding additional devices (such as roku, apple TV, etc.) to the mix. Trying to use one as an audio-visual receiver exceeds its limits, even though it tries. It tries so hard! It really wants to be your receiver. It does. It has big dreams. Dreams that nobody should try to tear down! But unfortunately, its dreams are like the dreams of the little fat kid who wants to be a marathon runner; it might start out strong but there are donut shops along the path and it's hard to run with two fists full of glazed raised yumminess. Not to mention the remote control nightmare (even a universal struggles because most combo devices tend to use a scrolling or cycling method for choosing the input). Nothing drives me battier than pushing a button twelve times to listen to the audio on Lost Girl. Bo needs help and I can't hear it!

Your story plucks the empathy strings in my heart. It's a sad song, and nobody should have to sing it alone.

You might want to take the plunge and get an AVR. Come on in, the water is fine.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

kay rock: That is a wonderful post which, I hope, will influence many others to do likewise. Coming from someone who has been there and done that, the advice should carry more weight than it does from those of us more hardened cases.

Kal


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## kay_rock (Mar 10, 2014)

Why thank you. I feel a bit like a kid who just took up a naughty habit and now wants to pressure my peers to do the same. Except it's a really, really good naughty habit.

Some more info on the netflix 5.1 issues on Roku:

On Roku, the Netflix app isn't actually using Dolby Digital... they're using something called "Dolby Digital Plus." When you play that through one of the blu ray combo home theater systems, they generally are not capable of decoding dolby digital plus (except maybe through a disk in the player). So it just plays nothing, or it converts it to stereo (depends on your system).

AVRs are generally able to properly decode dolby digital plus, so it's not an issue.


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## dt2.0 (Mar 15, 2014)

Kay_rock,

Thanks so much for your post. It was really quite informative and confirmed what I expected. My all-in-one system just can't do it all. I suspected this after trying so many differing patterns of connections, adjustments to settings, and hours of research online with no success, but now I know and that is a relief in itself. I hate the not knowing.

Anyway, I will be stuck with it for a while as we also had to replace our refrigerator and kitchen faucet in the same week as the new tv. However, in six months I will begin upgrading my system, beginning with a separate receiver. Can't wait to see the difference this makes, esp. after suffering thru half stereo/half surround sound until then!

Thanks again to all for your help and I will be scouring the forum as I begin researching receivers, blu-rays and speaker systems!

Peace. 
DT


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