topic How To Set Dolby Digital Plus? in Audio & Video

How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

cliffflip — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 18:15:02 GMT

Hi, I'm new to Home Theater world so I'm sorry if my question sounds silly or stupid. I have Samsung 40MU6100 TV and Samsung HT-J5100K Home Theater, and afaik both support Dolby Digital Plus. I've spent hours trying to figure out if DD+ is configured properly but I haven't found an exact answer. I have updated both unit firmware to the latest version, and Home Theater unit is connected to TV through HDMI ARC and optical cable.

From the TV sound settings (Expert Settings), HDMI Input Audio Format gives me 2 options (PCM and Bitstream), while Digital Output Audio Format gives 5 options (PCM, DD, DD+, DTS and DTS Neo 2:5), but except for PCM and Neo, other options are greyed out. I'm a little bit confused because from what I read on Internet, optical / digital audio doesn't support DD+, and HDMI input supposedly supports that. Is that true? please cmiiw for this one.

From Home Theater unit sound settings, there's a couple options (including Speaker Selection, Audio Return Channel and Digital Output). First, I selected Audio Return Channel to "On". On the other hand, with Speaker Selection selected to "Home theater speakers", the Digital Output setting is greyed out, I have to change the Speaker Selection to "TV Speaker" so I can set it to PCM or 3 Bitstream options (Unprocessed / Re-encoded DTS / Re-encoded Dolby D), Hence my 2nd question, which should I choose?

I've watched some Dolby 5.1 test videos from Youtube, and from what I can hear, all speakers function normally. When testing center speaker, both surround speakers also has audio. With front right speaker tested, I can hear audio coming out from right surround (but not from left surround), and pretty much the same for the left speakers. This maybe nothing but while watching some movies from cable TV channels that supports 5.1 Dolby, I can't hear sound from surround speakers, I have to change the EQ to Cinema, Game, or S-Master to get them working.

Am I missing something? Please help and TIA!
Rangga

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

SjorsK — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 18:53:27 GMT

Honestly, it is more complex than I want it to be, even if you go all Samsung with your hardware. As a tech myself I tend to be confused as well...

Can you explain how your setup looks. For me it is for example:
TV Reciever -> Samsung TV -> Samsung Soundbar.

For a setup like this PCM/Bitstream is the best setting, considering it will transfer the signal unmodified (Modification is usually a bad thing for quality ). If the TV is one any other setting, the TV will modify the signal itself.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

Missmack — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:14:20 GMT

I am trying to connect to my Sonos Playbase and the option for Dolby Digital is grayed so I cannot select, so I cannot get sound to my playbase. Is there a device I can purchase that will allow for the digital optical toslionk cables the Playbase came with? Thanks in advance.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

Writer — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:52:25 GMT

I recently set up my Vizio soundbar to my Samsung Smart TV. The TV has the Dolby Digital Plus selection and Soundbar has it as well. It states to connect the cables to the HDMI ARC ports on TV and Soundbar to work. But when I look at the settings and the Dolby Digital Plus. It is greyed out. Why isn't this highlighted to set this up.

I don't see why it is grayed out if this tv offers it.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

Pinballguy66 — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 02:19:31 GMT

I have a similar setup as you. Samsung TV hooked up to a Vizio soundbar through the HDMI ARC port. Dolby Digital plus is grayed out. Hopefully someone will have an explanation for why this is.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

cliffflip — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 04:51:45 GMT

Make sure you choose 'Bitstream' as HDMI input audio format on the TV, the rest of it depends on whether the playing media supports DD (or even DTS). It got me confused at first but I think I figured it out now.

When playing movie files from my PC (Windows) with VLC, I enable 'HDMI/SPDIF audio passthrough' from VLC's preferences. If that file supports DD, 'Dolby Digital' is no longer grayed out and can be selected from the TV settings. Same thing can be said for DTS encoded files.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

denodan — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 06:51:49 GMT

The tv basically sets the right sound mode if you have the set right.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

JaciReed — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 04:10:39 GMT

Hi I have a Samsung Smart Tv and sound bar with subwoofer but the sound coming out of the Soundbar isn't that loud sometimes and it's still hard to hear. I saw on another post that I should make sure my tv sound is set to Dolby sound but when I go to switch it from PM it says Dolby isn't available. Can you help me understand why?

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

denodan — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 09:28:32 GMT

Its greyed out as your in atmos. Netflix is only 5.1 atmos and not 7.4. If the moive or series says it's in atmos then you have it.

TV will still say TV arc. The way to tell is if in atmos. Click sound mode and if in atmos will say not available.

If you turn off soundbar and back on while the movie is on will scroll Dolby atmos. When dolby digtial + is greyed out mean tv has selected this automatically and if you have switched on atmos compaitabilry then going through sound bar will be definitely atmos but will still show tv arc.

As I said turn off and turn on soundbar will see it displays atmos.

Dont expect decent atmos with Netflix.

For this you will need an Xbox One X plugged in directly into the soundbar itself or atmos bluray 4k player.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

denodan — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 09:30:33 GMT

Is the vizo soundbar got atmos or simulated atmos as most soundbars simulate atmos.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

denodan — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 09:39:30 GMT

I have the Samsunf q90r soundbar and playing atmos and still says tv arc. Go into my sound and dolby digtial plus is greyed out as in atmos its automatically set to atmos if you have the tv set to atmos comparability.

If Netfilx movie your watching the info says atmos then your in atmos.

If atmos is not available then you wont see the atmos logo shown in movie info.

I know in with the Samsung q90r mine still says tv arc.

If I switch the soundbar off and then on it scrolls dolby atmos.

If I go to sound mode it says not available. As its because it has selected atmos.

With Samsung tvs basically sets things automatically and often get no feedback and this is the case.

You most likely are getting atmos if your soundbar is true atmos. Else you wont see atmos scrolling or showing its atmos if it's not true atmos.

The way to test it is turn off and on soundbar while playing an atmos movie and will most likely then tell you its playing in atmos.

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

AndyC2 — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 03:53:17 GMT

Would love a solution: I'm having a similar problem not being able to select dolby digital or DTS.

I'm not great with model numbers but here's what I got:

Input: roku 4k or sony blu ray

Optical connection to an onkyo receiver.

Receiver picks up a PCM signal but runs prologic2...

The twist:

The receiver picks it up as DolbyD when content is played from the built in streaming apps on the tv...

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

netrrhexis — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 23:39:36 GMT

**NOTE** Samsung TVs will not convert HDMI DolbyD to Optical Dolbly D

Here is what I did to make Dolby D or DTS work: Plug all your devices into a 4K splitter (tons on Amazon), run the HDMI out from the 4K splitter to an HDMI in of an audio extractor (J-Tech Digital 4K60Hz HDMI 2.0 Audio Extractor on Amazon), run the Optical out of the Audio Extractor to your Receiver optical in, lastly run the HDMI out of the Audio Extractor to your Samsung TV. The Audio Extractor will send the audio to the Receiver and video to the TV (4k, 1080). Dolby Digital, DTS, and multi-channel (5.1) will work flawlessly. You have to spend a little bit more money if you want to use optical for DolbyD from external input devices, unfortunately. Hopefully, someone from Samsung tech support will see this comment and address this compatibility issue.

Regards

Re: How To Set Dolby Digital Plus?

Samuel Sung — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 21:55:52 GMT

I’ve got a Sonos beam and play3 speaker set up and the sound constantly drops out. Tonight I stumbled on a solution. I turned off the digital+ and the sound no longer drops out. A year of misery resolved.