No 5.1 Surround sound with Now TV Boost

[expectingtofly]

I cannot get any Now content 5.1 surround sound to work on any Now tv content from the older black Now TV box.  It's driving me potty!

I have :

• An active Now TV Boost with cinema, entertainment and sport  (through BT VIP)
• An older now tv black box
• The now tv box connected to a Sony DN1080 AV Receiver that supports Dolby Digital Plus

I have configured as follows :

• settings->audio->audio mode->"Auto (DD+)"
• settings->audio->HDMI->"Dolby Digital Plus"

I've rebooted, factory reset, logged out, logged in, tried every setting in "settings->audio" and pulled my hair out.  Whatever happens, whatever I select, when I play Now tv content that is marked as 5.1,  only "linear PCM Stereo" is played through my AV receiver.   Everything else played through the receiver plays fine including other Dolby Digital Plus content.

Bizarrely, if I play 5.1 content through the Netflix app on the now tv box, 5.1 surround sound works perfectly (and it is Dolby Digital Plus just like the Now tv content) !!! 

So, the box is capable of sending Dolby Digital Plus content, it just won't do it for Now content (sky cinema or sky entertainment).  Has anyone any ideas how I can get this working?

Many thanks

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly

From the NOW home screen page on the NOW box did you go to the My Account section on the box and forced Surround Sound?

The only other thing I can think of is when playing a NOW movie or TV show is to press the star button on the NOW remote and make sure the pop up sound menu Volume is set to Off. 

[expectingtofly]

Thank you for your reply @schnapps 

I've tried both of those, as I've seen them from trawling the forums for a solution.  Alas, no luck:

• If I go to the "My Account" sections and select and select "settings" on the Now TV Boost option, it simply states to go to the "settings->audio" section to set the audio.
• I've tried pressing * when a programme is playing, as suggested. However, I'm a bit confused by that, as I all I get is an options to navigate and set the subtitles. There is no options for "noise levelling" as I've seen suggested.  Is this something available on the newer boxes/stick?

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly

I haven't set up Surround Sound on my devices in a while and it looks like under My Account on the NOW Boxes or Now Stick there is no need to go into this section to force Surround Sound where its on applicable to other devices.

With regards to the star button Sound Leveling feature I can't remember if it was on the older NOW boxes or not.

I can check my NOW Stick to see if this feature is still available or has been removed since the NOW rebrand software roll out. 

I can dig out my old NOW black box, but I haven't got any spare registered device slots available left on my account, but I believe this feature was also available on the Netflix App which I can see if its there or not.

Would it be too much trouble to temporary test your BT Youview box or another NOW supported device if you have one with your Sony AV Receiver? 

[expectingtofly]

@schnapps   Thank you for the suggestion, I'll temporarily try the BT youview box to confirm that 5.1 work from that.

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Unfortunately i haven't got enough registered device slots on my NOW account to test out the old NOW Black Box or my NOW Stick (thought the NOW Stick was one of my devices on my account but it wasn't 😡).

I did try my older NOW Freeview Smart box which is one of my registered devices and found the star button on the remote doesn't offer the pop up Volume Levelling Mode on either NOW or Netflix (i am sure it did in the past before the latest NOW rebrand software rollout).

I did manage to try my NOW Stick on the Netflix App and by pressing the star button on the NOW Stick gave me the Volume Levelling pop up menu feature.

If your BT Youview box is working over 5.1 surround sound on your other Surround System in the other room then it sounds like an issue with the NOW black box (maybe or maybe not a full factory reset is required on the NOW Black box ?).

Edit - I can see from your first post that you have already done a full factory reset 😡.

Would it be possible to temporary test the old NOW Black box on the other Surround System in the other room that is working fine with your BT Youview box ?

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Interestingly i have just checked the Volume Levelling feature on my newer NOW 4K box and this function is available when pressing the star button when watching a NOW movie for example.

I might be wrong but i am pretty sure the Volume Levelling feature was available across all the NOW boxes before the latest NOW rebrand software (might be wrong where if i have time i might have to look back on some previous threads on the forum to see if this was the case or not).

I am going to check my NOW Freeview box next to see if this feature is hidden in the box menu settings instead of using the star button (unless it was never a feature or has been removed on older NOW boxes since a recent software rollout).

Doesn't help with your sound problem, but i am curious why the Volume Levelling feature now seems not to be available across all NOW branded devices.

[expectingtofly]

Hi @schnapps   Thank you for your help.

I have now tried the BT youview box in the AV receiver, and can confirm that 5.1 works find both from the app and from selecting sky cinema on the multicast.

So it appears it just is not working from the old black now box.

I'm presuming the sound levelling feature would be obvious when pressing * ? 

This is all I see :

https://photos.app.goo.gl/usLAwQNp7VcfuAv6A

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

From what i can tell the Volume Levelling feature is missing from both the older NOW black box and NOW Freeview Smart box when pressing the star button on the NOW remote.

I am sure this feature was available previously on both of them.

I did have a quick look in the NOW Freeview Smart box menu settings and couldn't find an option for Volume Levelling instead of using the star button on the remote.

To be honest i am out of ideas, apart from maybe play around each of the Audio settings on the box, from memory when i used my old NOW box i had it set to either Auto or D+ and maybe try forcing 1080p in the box Display settings if you was using Auto.

I doubt this will help because you mentioned you are getting 5.1 on the Netflix App from the NOW black box.

[expectingtofly]

Hi @schnapps   Many thanks for your help.

Yes, I've tried everything I can think of.  As you say, 5.1 is working fine from the Netflix app on the same device.  So there is something specific to the now tv app aspect preventing it from working.

I'm loathed to buy another device, even though they are cheap as chips.  I'm not a big fan of electronic waste.   This should work!   (the bt youview now app works find for 5.1 connected to the same av receiver with the same hdmi lead)

The big difference with the BT youview box is that you can go to Manage account and go to the boost settings and select "Dolby Digital Surround".  That is not available on the black now tv box, it just states "go to settings->audio".   So I am guessing that there is a bug somewhere preventing from selecting the dolby digital plus audio stream.

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

I haven't got access to my television at the moment with a camera, but this Roku Guide where there is a attached video will show you about the Volume Levelling to give you a general idea.

The pop up display on my NOW 4K box is slightly different and doesn't offer all the same features has a full blown Roku Player.

In theory the Volume Levelling feature shouldn't have any bearing on the NOW surround sound, but the only reason i mentioned it on my first reply was because in the past a couple of customers couldn't get 5.1 surround sound on their AV Receivers until they played around with the Volume Levelling where i am sure Off was the pre-set that seemed to work for them.

https://support.roku.com/en-gb/article/226802507 

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

If you can live with Dolby Digital rather DD+ on Apps such has Netflix, Amazon Prime Video then does your television offer optical out ?

Because i don't know your system layout and configuration and if you have an optical cable lying around the house of sufficient length, then maybe try that instead with your Sony AV Receiver and plug your Now Box into the HDMI port on your television.

This is not ideal rather than using HDMI or HDMI ARC and just a test to see if you can somehow force 5.1 out of the NOW black box when watching NOW 5.1 content.

If it was me and nobody can come up with the solution, then i would bite the bullet and get a newer NOW playback device that supports 5.1 surround sound.

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Don't know if there is anything in this linked thread below discussing 5.1 surround sound on NOW Boost helps or not ?

https://community.nowtv.com/t5/NOW-Stick/NOW-TV-Boost-no-5-1/td-p/512800/page/4 

[expectingtofly]

This is nuts.   I've bought a brand new Roku Express.  I may have made the wrong choice 😞

The exact same problem exists!!

I got suspicious when all the menu appeared the same (even down to the "go to settings->audio" when you go into the settings of boost on the manage account)

I set the settings to output Dolby Digital plus.  All works fine on every other app on the box apart from Now TV,  whatever device dolby digital plus supporting device I attach it to. 

Now tv refuses to output Dolby Digital Plus 5.1.  I have an av receiver that supports DD+ and a television (in a seperate room) that supports DD+.   If I play netflix from the box DD+ works.  If I play movie from Now tv it outputs linear pcm stereo.  aaaargh!

I just don't believe these boxes support 5.1  .  Please can someone, for my sanity, confirm that they have 5.1 working from either the Roku express or the old black now tv box?

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly

My Roku Stick Plus runs Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound perfectly fine on the NOW App on my Pioneer AV Receiver.

Would have thought the Roku Express would work the same.

Is there an option for Volume Levelling on the Roku Express and if so is it set to Off.

Have you tried all the different Audio Settings on the Roku Express.

From memory my Roku Stick Plus was set to Auto.

What happens if you use the Roku Express on your second Surround System in your other Room is the result the same? 

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly

One thing I forgot to mention in my above post is that I haven't run or tested my Roku Stick Plus out on my AV Reciever in my back Projector Cinema Room in a while.

So I haven't tested the 5.1 surround sound since the latest NOW App new look refresh layout on my Roku Stick Plus and Pioneer AV Reciever. 

Though I doubt the new look NOW App would have broken the 5.1 DD audio.

I could fire up the projector tonight to double check if you wish by playing a 5.1 NOW movie with Boost.

Hopefully a Roku Express or NOW black box owner will confirm that they are getting DD 5.1 from their Roku Express or NOW box when watching NOW content with the 5.1 icon with NOW Boost to save me firing up my projector this evening. 

[expectingtofly]

Hi @schnapps   Thank you for your continued help.

Your configuration is the same as I am trying to achieve.  I am adding the now tv box / roku express to an av receiver that is connected to a projector (and an older tv in this room when I don't want to use the projector.  To recap :

• I have the audio settings set to "Audio mode" : "Auto" and "HDMI" : Dolby Digital + as per instructions
• There is no noise levelling feature on the now box or roku express.
• On the same device with the above audio settings I get DD+ on netflix on the av receiver, as expected.
• If I play a Now TV Movie from the library or from the live guide I never get DD+ on the AV Receiver only "Linear PCM stereo".  Every time.

There is something wrong that I just don't understand.  I'm not naive at this stuff.  And as I say, Netflix DD+ just works, on the same devices.

To confirm, if I use my BT youview box Now tv app in the same set up, DD+ works fine, so there is nothing wrong with my account. 

I am also out of ideas.  Please don't fire up your projector on my account, but next time you use it, I would be very grateful if you would report back to confirm it is still working for you on your Roku stick  (I'm sure it will, else I'm sure there would be more people complaining, not just me!)

(edit:  Forgot to mention, I have a sony tv that is DD+ compatible in a different room, I've connected both devices to that tv.  Same result, I get DD+ on Netflix, but not on Now TV)

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

I just dug out my old Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and connected it to my Philips TV (save me firing up the projector with my Pioneer AV Receiver).

I had no problems getting DD+ 5.1 on both the Netflix App and NOW App from my Roku Stick Plus when the Roku Stick was plugged directly into one of the HDMI ports on the Onkyo.

Because my Onkyo doesn't support ARC or 4K i had to make some adjustments on my Philips 4K TV under the Sound menu and change the HDMI profile for 1.4 instead of  HDMI profile 2.0 Enhanced mode.

The Audio Settings on my Roku Stick Plus was HDMI Auto Detect.

I do own a Roku Express, but haven't used it in two or three years because i bought the Roku Stick Plus.

Give me an hour and i will dig out my Roku Express and delete one of my registered devices to see if i can get DD 5.1 with the NOW App on my Onkyo Receiver.

i may has well do the exercise because i want to check the surround sound NOW output from it.

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Just played 2 minutes of Mad Max Fury Rd on my NOW Cinema Membership on my Roku Express and again no problems with 5.1 DD+ on the Roku Express NOW App directly connected to my Onkyo AV Receiver.

Also my Roku Express model is 3900EU (which you can find in the About information Settings).

My Roku Express offers the Volume Listening level feature when you press the star button on the Roku Remote when for example Mad Max was playing and was available for me which was set to Off.

Under About the Roku software version is 9.4.0 build 4200-51.

The NOW App software version is 6.4.3 which you can find under My Account on the bottom of the NOW home screen page layout.

I don't know why there is an issue with NOW 5.1 DD on your setup if running Boost and everything is setup properly on both your AV Receiver and Display.

I am guessing you have tried another logout and log back in on the Roku Express NOW App under My Account to see if it triggers the Boost 5.1 sound ?

Because you mentioned you are a BT TV customer, there was a person on the NOW Forum a few months back who couldn't get surround sound out of the Chromecast when watching NOW with Boost (where i had no problem using my Chromecast with DD 5.1).

Apparently the person was a BT TV customer and also posted on the BT TV Community and if my memory serves me right there was some sort of issues with surround sound on certain devices when watching NOW if you are a BT TV customer.

Apparently BT are looking into it.

i can't remember the outcome or if it was resolved.

If you haven't already maybe pop over to the BT TV Community Forum if you are a BT Customer with the NOW bolt on package to see if anybody over there has any ideas or have encountered something similar.

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Here's the thread i was talking about with regards to Chromecast and a BT TV customer with a NOW bolt on package.

I haven't read it yet to refresh my memory.

https://community.nowtv.com/t5/Mobile/Chromecast-5-1-issue/td-p/531531 

[schnapps]

Hi @expectingtofly 

Another exercise that i just tried for my curiosity was to try the three different Volume Levelling modes when you press the star button on the remote.

Where on my set-up using my Onkyo TX-SR605 App i had no problems using Off, Levelling or Night, and on all three modes DD+ 5.1 was showing on my Onkyo Display.

Though it must effect certain setups and AV Receivers because a few people mentioned that they had to use Volume Mode off to get the NOW App to output DD 5.1.