This thread stopped cold so let's warm it up. This is gonna' be a long one so go pee now.
The Xbox Series S might be a hard sell for hardcore videophiles and audiophiles. I swore I'd not get into this current generation of consoles after watching the HDMI 2.1 fiasco. But, enter my LG C1. How could I not try to game on it with a new console? To try and avoid being labeled a complete hypocrite, I opted for the Series S. The Series X is pricey with a ridiculous form factor and not exactly readily available for purchase anyway. I thought I could return the Series S and get an X if I thought I needed native 4K and optical disc support.
I could go on about how great the XBOX Series S performs playing games but this thread concerns streaming movies and music. It is certainly a consideration for those who like to tinker with settings. Frankly, there are too many of them in too many places. I had read that the XBOX supports Atmos delivery via Dolby MAT and thought it would work similarly to the Apple TV 4K with everything BUT Atmos tracks coming over as PCM. This is not the case depending on the selected settings and could be a nightmare for those completely unfamiliar with how the XBOX works. "Give me bitstream or give me death!" I've said as much at one time or another and hate having to dig deep for the preferred settings.
Many in this forum prefer "same out as in" concerning their media as well but might have warmed up to the new up mixers from Dolby, DTS and even Auro 3-D. If one has upgraded to a Dolby Atmos capable setup, they would certainly want Atmos tracks to play accordingly on their new processor or receiver and be able to up mix anything else if they choose to do so. So, for straight up audio codec delivery, just set it to bitstream and be done with it, right? Well, no. Microsoft thought they'd f#%k with everybody familiar with what bitstream is and does and removed it in an update. Look for it in the list of output formats and it will not be there. One needs to explore a bit and find Additional Options and Advanced settings. Here is where the "Passthrough" feature is located and one can check the box to allow passthrough of an app's audio codec to a sound system for decoding regardless of the format . Yikes, ok, so all should work properly now, right?
Ok, so, let's download the Disney+ app and select an IMAX Enhanced Marvel movie. They look great and support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Disney+ and Microsoft couldn't f#%k this one up, could they? Yes, they could and yes, they did f#%k it up. You see, "Passthrough" does not work for dolby Atmos. DD+ will be displayed and Atmos metadata gone using "Passthrough" unless one downloads the f#%kin' Dolby Access app!
Now, the app is free for download and free for HDMI output but one will have to pay to use Atmos for Headphones.
I s#%t you not folks. You must download the Dolby Access app for Atmos. Oh, and you also need to download the DTS app for DTS, but one crock of s#%t at a time! Downloading the app makes "Dolby Atmos for home theater(HDMI only) appear in the list of selectable formats.
Now, here is where things get interesting concerning Atmos. If one wants passthrough of various Dolby tracks, they must select "Dolby Atmos for home theater(HDMI only) AND check the box for passthrough so that DD+ 5.1 tracks are not up mixed and only real Atmos tracks signal Atmos in a TV or receiver. Leave the passthrough box unchecked with Dolby Atmos for home theater(HDMI) selected and everything gets up mixed. I couldn't understand why my receiver was displaying Dolby Surround for up mixed tracks. While using eARC, the TV reported an Atmos signal but the receiver reported Dolby Surround. No, it was not just displaying the Dolby Surround mode, it was displaying Dolby Surround as the input signal as well and limiting the selectable sound modes just like real Atmos tracks do.
So, what was going on? Well, the XBOX doesn't convert dolby audio signals to Atmos but up mixes Dolby tracks. Look into the Dolby Access app and it says as much. So, while some devices will recognize the up mix as Atmos, my receiver sees it for what it is. It is an already up mixed Dolby audio track. Microsoft seems to think they can do it better than receivers by the likes of say Anthem, Denon/Marantz, Onkyo/Pioneer or Yamaha. My Onkyo treats the incoming up mix like real Atmos signals and locks out DTS modes. You know how much Dolby likes cross up mixing these days.
Some receivers may report Atmos. It bugged me that mine did not do so but then I warmed up to it as Dolby Surround tells me that the track in play has been up mixed by the XBOX and is not really an Atmos track at all. Leave a DD+ 5.1 track alone with no up mixing in the XBOX and DTS Neural:X mode can be applied to it in the receiver since the Atmos up mixing will not lock it out.
The inclusion of so many different output settings for audio and video will be welcomed by those trying to incorporate the XBOX into systems containing TVs and receivers with varying abilities. Of course, Microsoft could have made it easier on themselves if they had just included a second HDMI port for audio.
I won't go into DTS:X too much. It is a non issue if using eARC and a TV that does not support DTS at all. Going through the receiver, the DTS:X conversion works but was not as good as Dolby Atmos when playing a game that supported both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. DTS likes to come in hot but louder doesn't necessarily mean better regarding processing of the audio. Everybody will have their own preferences for streaming movies and music and there are lots of ways to output them with the XBOX Series S. Oh, and while the XBOX Series X includes a disc drive, Dolby Vision is supported for streaming apps and games BUT NOT FOR DISCS!
The XBOX video streaming service apps are comparable to other streamers BUT some do not support 24Hz playback. There is a 24Hz playback box to check in the settings but it matters not when the app only supports 60Hz playback on the device. This is the case with Disney+ and Netflix on the XBOX Series S. If you like 24Hz playback and like seeing 24Hz output being displayed on your receiver or TV, those apps will drive you crazy based on the selected output of the XBOX. Select 120Hz output for gaming and that is what will be displayed when bringing up signal playback info for some video streams. It may show 60Hz for Dolby Vision material. Setting the XBOX to 60Hz effectively sets it up for HDMI 2.0 rather than HDMI 2.1 when using the 120Hz setting. But, that's another can of worms. I didn't bother with music streaming service apps because there are pitifully few available on the XBOX.
Everybody has their favorite streamer based on their preferred eco system. There are a great many streamers out there. I've tried using a few of them. The XBOX Series S hits above its weight in the gaming department and is very impressive there. Gears 5: Hivebusters in Dolby Vision or HDR10 @120Hz with VRR is jaw dropping in detail and smoothness on the Series S considering it only supports 1440p natively and upscales. But, that is for a gaming thread. All things considered concerning movie and music apps, I would not call the XBOX Series S the best streamer. It may fit the bill for those who just want to send rips to another device in their network but those folks probably already use a device for that purpose. It is first and foremost a next gen gaming console and that is where it really shines for the price. There are better dedicated streamers for less money out there and there still isn't any one device that does it all. There can't be one as there are too many different licensing deals among different manufacturers for any one device to do it all. It is what it is. Points go to the XBOX for having a remote controller within the XBOX iOS app. With HDMI-CEC enabled in everything, I can power up the console with my iPhone which in turn powers on my TV and receiver and I can control the XBOX functions with the iPhone. But, subtract some points for not allowing control by the LG Magic Remote using HDMI-CEC.
Now, go pee again.
