Now tv from TalkTalk on EE box no HD or Dolby Digital

[Deanoscooterboy]

Just replaced my TalkTalk box with an EE box and when I open the Now app my Denon receiver Dolby Digital displays, but as soon as I play a programme it drops back to Dolby Prologic. 
According to TalkTalk I need one of their TV hubs but they couldn’t explain why Dolby Digital works with Netflix on the EE box.

[RoyB]

@Deanoscooterboy 

What do you mean by ‘box’?

In this context, you could mean router (hub) or you could mean YouView (TV) box.

What was your setup before (ISP, router, TV box, TV package), and what is it now?

Have you got Boost from Now, necessary for 5.1 audio? Otherwise, you only get stereo, no matter what your AV receiver says.

Netflix provide (lossy) DD no matter what, I believe.

[Deanoscooterboy]

@RoyB I am referring to the receiver/recorder.

Now comes with a free boost from TalkTalk. When the TalkTalk receiver was connected it worked fine. I contacted TT and they said I needed a TT hub, which is one of their TV receivers. To be honest I don’t think they knew what they were talking about as they kept referring to Now as a channel and not an app. Going to try phoning them instead of the long winded live chat.

[RoyB]

@Deanoscooterboy 

This is exactly like reporting a broadband problem to Now when you are not using your Now router. They won’t be interested (and in fairness, probably not even able to help) unless you put your Now router back and can reproduce it then.

With TalkTalk, you have the same situation; you say yourself it all works as it should when you use the TalkTalk receiver, and this is the advice TalkTalk are giving you; but you are choosing to use a ‘foreign’ piece of kit which doesn’t work like you want.

And it doesn’t sound like any of the problem stems from what is upstream of the EE box.

Nothing wrong with trying to use the EE box, but TalkTalk are the wrong people to ask here. Why not ask BT/EE about the box - after all, they are the originators of it?

Have a look at the BT Community; there are all sorts of posts on there about the vagaries of surround on the BT Pro box.

(Though I still don’t know if this is the box you are talking about; maybe it’s an earlier YouView box, or even the EE Apple TV box?)

[schnapps]

Hi @Deanoscooterboy 

So you subscribe to TalkTalk for all your TV NOW streaming Memberships (including Boost) but have managed to bag an EE TV streaming box.

Is that correct? 

Have you gone into the EE box on the NOW App under the My Account section and on the Boost Membership clicked on it to change from default Stereo to Surround Sound ?

https://help.nowtv.com/article/how-to-adjust-audio-settings 

If you have done the above, perhaps there is something on the EE box audio Settings not allowing Dolby Digital 5.1 when watching NOW content that is 5.1 supported.

[schnapps]

@Deanoscooterboy 

I missed the bit about HD in the title and thought it was only Surround Sound related 🤔.

So I doubt my above advice would have any bearing on the matter.

Out of curiosity what is the full model number of the EE box ?

[Deanoscooterboy]

@schnapps bought the EE box because the TT one was becoming unreliable. TT offered to swap it but not for one that has a HDD built in.

[Deanoscooterboy]

@schnapps can’t see on the app where to alter any settings. The EE box is on surround for the optical output.

[schnapps]

@Deanoscooterboy 

Have you tried clicking on the NOW App and from the home App screen click on the gear wheel icon very top line.

This should then take you into your My Account section of the App with your account login details.

Under your Memberships you should hopefully see the Boost Membership where it says Settings and if you click on this it should give you a choice of Stereo or Surround Sound.

Also my understanding is that Boost on the BT / EE Youview Pro Box should allow HD at 1080p and 5.1 Dolby Digital (it does for EE customers).

I don't own a BT /EE Pro Box and not a TalkTalk customer, but I would be also tempted has a test to try the EE Pro box over both Ethernet and WiFi to see if the results are the same with the NOW App with regards to picture and sound.

[RoyB]

@Deanoscooterboy 

Has the EE Box adopted the TalkTalk skin?