cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Anonymous User
Not applicable

5.1 Audio output ??

Hi there ....

Having had a lengthy 'web chat' with one of The NOW help persons, they assured me that the Black Now box should output a 5.1 Dolby signal .... Which I was failing to get, so .... After several hours of fiddling with settings on both my AV amp & resetting the Now box a couple of times, I'm still not convinced a 5.1 output is happening.

Within the settings/audio menu I've tried both the 'auto detect' ..... Which did as it said & recognised the HDMI could carry DD and DTS .... And also manually set the audio at DD (along with all the other settings) but alas all that is being fed from the Now box appears to be stereo.

 

Has anyone out there managed to configure a 5.1 output & inform if I'm missing something really simple & stupid !

Thanks in advance for any info

Cheers

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

 

NOW TV only supply stereo audio.  Hopefully 5.1 is something on their list for the future, especially moviesSmiley Happy

View solution in original post

173 REPLIES 173
ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User

 

Well guy, you are as passionate as ever about better visuals and Dolby Digital sound, and although I do not feel the same way I wish you luck with your campaign.

 

 

UK Bob

Anonymous User
Not applicable

1080p you can make a case for as most have TVs that will benefit but 5.1 sound is a niche that only a small fraction of households have so if it's a cost thing then I'd rather not pay more personally, my TVs do an amazing job of up scaling the now tv picture and I got rid of my surround set up so not fussed about that either.  As stated above I do wish you luck though in your campaign.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

>@commanda6 said, "I don't think the lack of 5.1 audio is necessarily an issue because you only get any real benefit from five point audio and certain types of content , mainly action and horror outside of that there is very little benefit to having 5.1 audio."  And I totally agree with him because I think you guys have over played the point about this clamour for better sound and visuals, etc. Simply because there are a lot of NowTV users who do not have the latest TV sets and do not care for 5.1 surround sound.

 

The ONLY thing that stops me getting Sky Movies on NowTV is the LACK of 5.1 sound and 1080p resolution. I'm about to go to Netflix / Amazon for my movies as I've waited long enough for Sky to "catch up". I also think it's false advertising to suggest the box has 5.1 and 7.1 audio when none of the content being streamed through it is anything more than 2.0. Especially as they say this on the NEW boxes! It should be EXPLICIT that NowTV's content is only 2.0. Misleading otherwise, as I and several others have found.

 

And as for saying you only get any real benefit through certain types of content, you're wrong. Lots of programs have another dimension as a result of 5.1 sound. Even soaps and documentaries and comedies! Certainly the drama on television benefits from it. Sky really are [well] behind the curve on this one.

 

My original NowTV box has never "worked" like I believed it should. BBC iPlayer on it is rubbish. It is unresponsive to pausing, selecting next episode, etc. If a program ends, the ONLY way I can get back to the iPlayer menu is to go back to the NowTV home page and select the iPlayer app again. And yes, I contacted Sky who asked if I'd updated the app. It updates itself, but I checked anyway. No different.

 

I did get better audio through the XBOX NowTV app, which seemed to be in 5.1 at least. Though I'm told the content absolutely isn't, I am experiencing surround sound etc through my amp.

 

I dropped Sky after they continually upped their prices without changing much of the content month after month. I offered them £16.00 pm to keep me sweet and they said I could have that but only on SD. Mad. Now they get £6.99 a month. No wonder their profits/subscriptions are down. They'll be losing that shortly once I move to Amazon/Netflix.

David.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Come on, bro; Surely the omission of Dolby Digital sound on new films must irk you? This service is a movie service with no 5:1 sound! What the heck.

 

Any movie buff worth his salt will balk at that reality. It is shameful.

SeeMoreDigital
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User wrote:

Surely the omission of Dolby Digital sound on new films must irk you?


Actually, the thing that's currently irking me is that you are submitting posts on this forum using different identities!

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Geezers and Countrymen,

 

We're getting off on the wrong toe here.

 

The whole premise of Sky Cinema remains as a hub of movie brilliance. Judging by the panoply of movies on offer, Now TV's acquisitions team is stellar; their technical team, however, ought to be sacked. They suck.

 

Sky has the resources to upscale both the sound and picture on offer on Now TV's Sky Cinema package. Dolby Digital and 1080p should be the least it can offer. It's almost 2017, darn it.

 

I care about cinema.

ukbobboy
Legend

@SeeMoreDigital @4268

 

Hi SMD

 

You said, "Actually, the thing that's currently irking me is that you are submitting posts on this forum using different identities!".

 

If you are right and this guy is conducting a self serving FAKE campaign then he should be closed down, he is not helping anyone but himself and as such should take his annoying self somewhere else.

 

UK Bob

SeeMoreDigital
Legend 5
Legend 5

@ukbobboy wrote:

If you are right and this guy is conducting a self serving FAKE campaign then he should be closed down, he is not helping anyone but himself and as such should take his annoying self somewhere else.


Provided they've been granted the required privilages, it should be easy enough for the NOW TV Team Members check (or anybody else who has access to forums 'control panel') as all posters IP address should be displayed within their posts and in the forums data-base. A cross check of any given IP address will reveal how many forum identities are registered to it 😉

 

This function has been available on every forum I've moderated. I remember one guy having several identities, which he/she used to ask and answer their own questions, increase poll counts and like their own posts Smiley Surprised

 

How sad do you have to be to do something like that 😉

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Brothers, I am no fake. I'm just technically inept and may have mistakenly doubled my identity.

 

I just want Now TV to fulfill its potentials. I shall not stop campaigning till 5:1 Dolby Digital sound and 1080p is delivered. I deftest mediocrity.

 

Is that a crime?

Jason-C
Community Administrator

Hi @Anonymous User@SeeMoreDigital@ukbobboy@4268

 

Just thought I better pop in and say hello. I'm sure it was an honest mistake that an extra profile got created - and I'm sure there was no malicious intent, as that would breach our lovely "Rules of the Road". 🙂 I'm glad we have people who are passionate about the experience! 

 

Regarding 5.1 surround sound, NOW TV have no announced plans to support this as of yet. This may change in the future. It would depend on a number of factors - I imagine popularity in the marketplace would be high on the list. I've not personally seen any market research on the extent of 5.1 compatible households in the UK; does anyone have any stats?

 

Thanks,

Jason