Optical Audio Out Not Giving 5.1 Channels on my XBR65A8H

[bilgirami]

Folks, this is a bit of a funny situation. I just received my brand spanking new Sony XBR65A8H. Up until now, I have been doing all my audio video streaming through my PS4. My setup was PS4 - HDMI -> Yamaha RX-V863 - HDMI -> TV (Samsung LED). With my Sony OLED showing up yesterday, I replaced my Samsung TV with the Sony. Now this Sony being a smart TV, I have hardwired it to my modem because there is no need to put the video through PS4, through Yamaha receiver to the TV. For best picture quality, ethernet is bringing both Audio and Video straight into my TV first. Now the receiver I have does not support ARC or eARC. So I have connected my Sony TV to my Yamaha receiver using an optical/Toslink cable. In theory, this should carry 5.1 channel audio from the TV to the receiver (without processing it) so my receiver can play the audio out of my 7.1 channel surround sound system. Where I am stuck is that the audio from the TV's optical out, into my Yamaha receiver over optical is only coming through as 2 channel. I have fiddled with all the settings I could on the TV but I have failed to get the TV to send 5.1 channel to the receiver over optical cable. What am I missing here. I know that ARC would carry multi channel audio from TV to the receiver and eARC will even carry lossless audio but my receiver has neither. I am willing to settle for 5.1 coming from the TV to the receiver but even that isn't happening. Does anyone else have this issue. Has anyone dealt with this problem. Do I need to adjust anything in the receiver? Please help. This is very frustrating. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, I contacted Sony Tech Support too. Now they have the ability to connect to your TV directly over internet. The guy could not understand my issue. kept telling me that since I have audio going from my TV to the receiver, all is good. I kept saying that audio is indeed coming through from the TV optical out to my receiver, but as 2 channel stereo, not multi-channel, but he could not get it at all.
If there is value in me posting my TV audio settings or AV receiver audio settings, just ask for that. I did not want to make this a long thread right from get go..

Thanks
B

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes I'd say post up the audio settings you're using/adjusting in the tv. If you're getting audio from the optical the avr input assignment sounds like it's okay. Now, some older tvs sometimes did not output more than 2.0 over optical or ARC (mine could only do over-the-air multich), but thought that now almost all the tvs could do that. I wouldn't use a tv as a hub for audio, tho (nor do I use my smart tv apps).

 

[Teetertotter?]

In your AVR audio settings, is it set to Dolby Digital??

 

[bilgirami]

Hi lovinthehd, Thanks for your quick note back. The Sony XBR65A8H is actually a 2021 model, got it a week ago. Here are the settings
SPEAKER
TV Speakers
Audio System (Selected)

AUDIO SYNC PRIORITIZATION
On

HOME THEATER CONTROL
None selected as my RX-V863 is not on the list of what I can control with the TV remote

SOUND MODE SYNC
On

AV SYNC
Auto (Selected)
On
Off

eARC MODE
Auto
Off (Selected), tried it before with Auto but no benefit.

DIGITAL AUDIO OUT
Auto-1 (description on TV says 'Output compressed audio without change)
Auto-2 (Description on TV says 'Output only compressed audio for multi channel content without change)
PCM (Selected - Description on TV says 'Always output in PCM)

Dolby Digital Plus Output (greyed out)

PASS THROUGH MODE
Auto (Selected - Description on TV says pass through intended audio signals automatically, Select this option when you want to output signals like DTS etc.)
Off

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm assuming he tried all sound mode settings related to multich on his avr already.....but wouldn't hurt!

 

[lovinthehd]

Hi lovinthehd, Thanks for your quick note back. The Sony XBR65A8H is actually a 2021 model, got it a week ago. Here are the settings
SPEAKER
TV Speakers
Audio System (Selected)

AUDIO SYNC PRIORITIZATION
On

HOME THEATER CONTROL
None selected as my RX-V863 is not on the list of what I can control with the TV remote

SOUND MODE SYNC
On

AV SYNC
Auto (Selected)
On
Off

eARC MODE
Auto
Off (Selected), tried it before with Auto but no benefit.

DIGITAL AUDIO OUT
Auto-1 (description on TV says 'Output compressed audio without change)
Auto-2 (Description on TV says 'Output only compressed audio for multi channel content without change)
PCM (Selected - Description on TV says 'Always output in PCM)

Dolby Digital Plus Output (greyed out)

PASS THROUGH MODE
Auto (Selected - Description on TV says pass through intended audio signals automatically, Select this option when you want to output signals like DTS etc.)
Off

Might only output 2.0 over pcm, change to Output compressed ....for multich content.

 

[bilgirami]

Tried switching to Output Compressed for multichannel, my AVR still telling me I am getting 2 channels over the optical cable. RX-V863 does not have eARC/ARC.

Is there anything at all that I nee to change in my AVR. I'd be surprised but maybe I am missing something here..

 

[lovinthehd]

Tried switching to Output Compressed for multichannel, my AVR still telling me I am getting 2 channels over the optical cable. RX-V863 does not have eARC/ARC.

Is there anything at all that I nee to change in my AVR. I'd be surprised but maybe I am missing something here..

You are cycling thru the various sound modes? Did you look at information as to what signal it is receiving? I don't speak Yamaha but @Trebdp83 can!

 

[Trebdp83]

Turn all of the sync features off as they do not apply to your setup. I see that DIGITAL AUDIO OUT is set to PCM. Switch to AUTO-1. Make sure to test with content you know to be 5.1 and see if the Yamaha displays it as such.

 

[lovinthehd]

Turn all of the sync features off as they do not apply to your setup. I see that DIGITAL AUDIO OUT is set to PCM. Switch to AUTO-1. Make sure to test with content you know to be 5.1 and see if the Yamaha displays it as such.

What might it filter between auto 1 and auto 2 ?

 

[Trebdp83]

Seems to be saying it will pass all compressed audio unchanged in Auto-1 regardless of channels and will change everything but multi channel compressed audio in auto-2. Maybe? The thing to remember about TV PCM is that they do not simply decode multi channel dolby signals and send out multi channel PCM like disc players or even the Apple TV. They will take a dolby 2.0 and 5.1 signal and convert them to PCM 2.0. So, when somebody tries to stream a Netflix show that is labeled 5.1, their AVR will report a PCM 2.0 signal if the TV is set to output PCM over optical/coaxial even if the content is Dolby Digital 5.1.

 

[lovinthehd]

Seems to be saying it will pass all compressed audio unchanged in Auto-1 regardless of channels and will change everything but multi channel compressed audio in auto-2. Maybe? The thing to remember about TV PCM is that they do not simply decode multi channel dolby signals and send out multi channel PCM like disc players or even the Apple TV. They will take a dolby 2.0 and 5.1 signal and convert them to PCM 2.0. So, when somebody tries to stream a Netflix show that is labeled 5.1, their AVR will report a PCM 2.0 signal if the TV is set to output PCM over optical/coaxial even if the content is Dolby Digital 5.1.

I figured as much on the pcm. Sometimes those gui descriptions are oddly worded so not sure what that choice actually means but didn't look at the manual....

 

[bilgirami]

Thank you @lovinthehd and @Trebdp83 . So sounds like no matter what I do, unless I am pulling audio from eARC/ARC HDMI, I would not be getting multi channel audio from the TV to my receiver. I was thinking I could pull digital multi channel audio from my TV to the receiver using an optical cable..but alas that is not to be. I will have to live with this setup until I am ready to upgrade my receiver that has an eARC/ARC HDMI.

 

[Trebdp83]

No, you should be getting DD 5.1 sent over optical from DD+/atmos content if the TV is not set to PCM.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, per your manual: "DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL)Digital optical jack (Two channel linear PCM: 48 kHz 16 bits, Dolby Audio, DTS)" just have to figure out why you're not getting it.

You do use other DD or DTS sources fine with your avr? What are the settings in your avr for testing with? Using the info button using auto 1 or auto 2 setting on the tv, what does the avr say the signal is?

 

[panteragstk]

Yes, per your manual: "DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL)Digital optical jack (Two channel linear PCM: 48 kHz 16 bits, Dolby Audio, DTS)" just have to figure out why you're not getting it.

You do use other DD or DTS sources fine with your avr? What are the settings in your avr for testing with? Using the info button using auto 1 or auto 2 setting on the tv, what does the avr say the signal is?

I've got a Sony TV and don't have this issue. It supports DTS and DD+ just fine. It doesn't support multichannel PCM, but 2.0 is fine. Granted, I used ARC. I'm using optical now, but it's a soundbar so no clue if more than 2.0 is supported. It should be, like you said. I'll check some settings.

 

[Txfox]

Thank you @lovinthehd and @Trebdp83 . So sounds like no matter what I do, unless I am pulling audio from eARC/ARC HDMI, I would not be getting multi channel audio from the TV to my receiver. I was thinking I could pull digital multi channel audio from my TV to the receiver using an optical cable..but alas that is not to be. I will have to live with this setup until I am ready to upgrade my receiver that has an eARC/ARC HDMI.

can you change thetv speakers to “audio system” and not “tv speakers”
I found that make the grayed out at the bottom available.
im trying to learn this all as well. I however have a Alexa cube directly arc/hemi in my Sony xbr 65x900f
Then Yamaha ats-1520 directly to tv using the optical audio cable port.