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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
SeeMoreDigital
Legend 5
Legend 5

Yes it's a shame. But unfortunately the Roku built devices don't support multi-channel HE-AAC to multi-channel Dolby Digital transcoding. For any streaming service...

 

Many of us would like NOW TV to offer discrete multi-channel surround sound, as currently we're all having to use a Prologic type processor. I'm sure at some time in the future NOW TV will offer this feature. And, with any luck it will most probably commence with their on-demand 'Cinema' service. But for now, it is what it is.

 

 

Cheers

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I've subscribed to the movies part of Now TV, just for a while so I can broaden my range of movies over the holiday. Having being an entertainment pass subscriber on and off for a good while, I knew all too well the severe limitations of Now TV's picture and sound quality. While watching TVs with sub standard PQ/AQ is a poor experience, movies really, really demand top tier quality. 

 

When Now TV launced 720p with 2.0 channel audio was already poor, but now, years later, it's just comical. The competition has had 1080p with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus for years already, and is now moving to 4K HDR.The difference is bigger than the gulf between VHS and blu-ray.  Needless to say, watching movies on Now TV is a very underwhelming experience. I find the sound quality especially awful, and it's not just the total lack of any surround sound. Even the raw quality is just brutal, it sounds extremely compressed and course, and is prone to skipping too. It's miserable stuff.

 

I suspect the problem is simply one of Sky not wanted to make it's absurdly expensive legacy satellite offering look dated. A conflict of intererests which cripples Now TV and allows Netflix and Amazon a stunning degree of technical superiority. 

 

In an ideal world Now TV would not exist and all of those studio contracts would go to Netflix and Amazon.

Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User

 

Couldn't agree more. I've often said on the forum in the past that I suspect it's nothing to do with demand or technical requirements but simply that Sky TV need as many ways to differentiate their subscription service as a premium product as they can, and being able to offer 5.1 on movies is one of them. That works well for people looking for a cheaper alternative to a Sky TV subscription, but as you point out NOW TV is also in the difficult position of being compared to other streaming subscription services like Netflix and Amazon and, even disregarding the surround issue, the sound quality is way behind those, particularly when it comes to the clarity of dialogue. If there's a movie on NOW TV that I also have on DVD I always watch on DVD as I find the experience more enjoyable despite the lower picture resolution.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Very interesting topic,i signed up for Now tv movie service again after quite some time and totally forgot that the films are in Pro logic needless to say i cancelled straight away but still have 10 days left,as i have watched Jurasic World in bloody pro logic which totally ruined the spectacle,i wont be watching any more of their Blockbusters,indeed i bought The Martian,Force Awakens,Deadpool,on Blu-Ray on special offer at HMV with brilliant Sound codecs and upscalled picture,i know not every one is in this position to buy Movies but if your prepared to wait Channel 4 ,channel 5 ,E4,Film 4 seem to show most big films in Dolby Digital,Like wise Netflix,Amazon,interestingly Sky are doing a great deal on their movie channels half price i think for 6 months.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Yep, totally agree Andy. 

crashcris
Scholar

Let me be the first of 2017 to also bemoan the lack of 5.1 and 1080p.

It's all been said before so I've nothing much to add.

Other than, still no subtitles either. Just cancelled subscription.

commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

@crashcris wrote:

 

Other than, still no subtitles either. Just cancelled subscription.


Hi @crashcris

 

@Karl-F put out a request on the forum yesterday for a subtitle testers

 

https://community.nowtv.com/t5/NOW-TV-Box-black/Try-subtitles-on-your-NOW-TV-or-Roku-Box/m-p/414390#...

 


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
crashcris
Scholar

Thank you for that, I'll cross my fingers they let me try it out. Won't be able to discuss it though due to their terms and conditions.

ukbobboy
Legend

@SeeMoreDigital @Anonymous User

 

Hi SMD

 

I guess IP is one of those guys that has bought a giant beast but did not work out how he was going to feed it, then blames everyone else because there is no appropriate "food" available.

 

 

UK Bob

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Thanks for reminding me UK Bob 🙂