Any one successfully setup 5.1 using HDMI or optical out on any model Hisense TVs at all?

[sim_tcr]

Any one successfully setup 5.1 using HDMI or optical out on any model Hisense TVs at all?
Not by using any kind media streamer.

 

[juliuseizure]

Ya, I connected Hisense u6g to my Sony HT IV 300 through HDMI arc. It's working alright.

 

[sim_tcr]

Ya, I connected Hisense u6g to my Sony HT IV 300 through HDMI arc. It's working alright.

Is your audio settings similar to what you see in this post https://www.hifivision.com/threads/...oid-tv-hisense-a71f-55inch.89240/post-1004552 ?

And which setting you had to apply to make 5.1 work?

 

[juliuseizure]

Is your audio settings similar to what you see in this post https://www.hifivision.com/threads/...oid-tv-hisense-a71f-55inch.89240/post-1004552 ?

And which setting you had to apply to make 5.1 work?

I'm currently using passthrough for in built apps like Netflix, Apple tv +. The 5.1 works alright but Hotstar doesn't work. I also connected my Laptop to the TV via HDMI to play games. Since I can't connect my laptop to HT I'm using the TV's arc to get 5.1 surround sound. i.e., Laptop via HDMI to Tv to HT via arc. For that I had to change the audio output to Dolby Digital in tv and I can get 5.1 from games as well. Also to play my own library, I run Plex server on my laptop, the thing is my stupid HT doesn't support lossless codec like Dolby True HD, DTS MA via arc so the HT plays in 2.1. To solve I make sure I download files that has 5.1 AC3 as an additional audio stream. If at all I don't have AC3 audio stream in any of the movie I have downloaded. I just change Audio passthrough to Optical and set codec to AC3 or DTS (even though connected via arc) in Plex settings. It will transcode whatever lossless format to either one of those and HT can play 5.1.

 

[sim_tcr]

just change Audio passthrough to Optical and set codec to AC3 or DTS (even though connected via arc) in Plex settings. It will transcode whatever lossless format to either one of those and HT can play 5.1.

Are you able to try via optical ?
My model Hisense a71f 55 inch does not seems to output 5.1 via optical.
I don’t have receiver, rather tried an optical to 5.1 converter (model called RUSH)
I know for sure converter works fine (I tested it with connecting to pc optical output and playing a 5.1 test file on pc).
But with tv, sound kind of comes from all speakers together, no true 5.1.

 

[juliuseizure]

Are you able to try via optical ?
My model Hisense a71f 55 inch does not seems to output 5.1 via optical.
I don’t have receiver, rather tried an optical to 5.1 converter (model called RUSH)
I know for sure converter works fine (I tested it with connecting to pc optical output and playing a 5.1 test file on pc).
But with tv, sound kind of comes from all speakers together, no true 5.1.

No. Since both tv and receiver supports arc I didn't have need to try optical. Just curious does your Netflix shows 5.1 label when you connect the speakers?

 

[sim_tcr]

No. Since both tv and receiver supports arc I didn't have need to try optical. Just curious does your Netflix shows 5.1 label when you connect the speakers?

I have no netflix subscription.
But have prime, and yes some movies it shows 5.1, UHD, HDR etc.

 

[juliuseizure]

I have no netflix subscription.
But have prime, and yes some movies it shows 5.1, UHD, HDR etc.

Alright.. If connecting to PC gets you true 5.1, it should work on the TV as well. I'm not sure but it could be related to the codec problem. Can you install Plex server in the PC and stream a movie in your TV with plex app. Change the audio pass through to optical then check AC3 and DTS in the plex settings. Nothing to lose I guess.

 

[sim_tcr]

Alright.. If connecting to PC gets you true 5.1, it should work on the TV as well. I'm not sure but it could be related to the codec problem. Can you install Plex server in the PC and stream a movie in your TV with plex app. Change the audio pass through to optical then check AC3 and DTS in the plex settings. Nothing to lose I guess.

I had tried this using Kodi (With storage being openmediavault NAS)
I will try again using Plex.

 

[sim_tcr]

Alright.. If connecting to PC gets you true 5.1, it should work on the TV as well. I'm not sure but it could be related to the codec problem. Can you install Plex server in the PC and stream a movie in your TV with plex app. Change the audio pass through to optical then check AC3 and DTS in the plex settings. Nothing to lose I guess.

Wow. It worked.
Added the same 5.1 test file (which worked on PC) to plex video library.
Did plex app audio settings as you described.
And 5.1 worked correctly.

So wonder, how to get this settings on amazon prime

 

[juliuseizure]

Wow. It worked.
Added the same 5.1 test file (which worked on PC) to plex video library.
Did plex app audio settings as you described.
And 5.1 worked correctly.

So wonder, how to get this settings on amazon prime

Glad it worked. Like I said I had no problem with Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV plus. Since all this output AC3 or EAC3 which seems to working in Hisense. But have problem with Hotstar, and the TV shows UNKNOWN format. You can check these on Signal Information on the TV menu. So try fiddling with DD, DD+ in the settings. You might get lucky.

 

[juliuseizure]

I just discovered a stupid bug. Apart from my HT, I connected my two bookshelf speakers to my TV via 3.5mm jack. Whenever I open Netflix with 3.5mm plugged in, even though audio is set to ARC, Netflix doesn't enable 5.1 but once I remove the jack, it enables the 5.1. It's freaking weird. May be make sure you connected just the optical.

 

[sim_tcr]

I just discovered a stupid bug. Apart from my HT, I connected my two bookshelf speakers to my TV via 3.5mm jack. Whenever I open Netflix with 3.5mm plugged in, even though audio is set to ARC, Netflix doesn't enable 5.1 but once I remove the jack, it enables the 5.1. It's freaking weird. May be make sure you connected just the optical.

I did spend some time today to learn more about audio codecs.
What I did is, I downloaded various 5.1 format test files encoded with different codecs such as,

A52 Audio aka AC3 a52 (Dolby Digital)
DTS Audio dts
ec-3 (Dolby Digital Plus)
FLAC Free Lossless Audio Codec flac
MPEG AAC Audio mp4a
PCM S16 LE s16l
TrueHD Audio trhd

And tried playing them in Plex app (via plex server running on Raspberry Pi) as well Kodi (directly from the NAS) and here are the results,

In all case for Plex,
Passthrough and Optical Encodings for AC3 and DTS are enabled.
And for Kodi,
Passthrough and AC3, E-AC3, DTS and DTS-HD enabled.


A52 Audio aka AC3 a52 (Dolby Digital)

Played correctly in plex app without needing transcoding.
Played correctly in Kodi.

TV Audio Digital Audio Out set to Dolby Digital (Passthrough option works too)

DTS Audio dts

Played correctly in plex app without needing transcoding.
Played correctly in Kodi.

TV Audio Digital Audio Out set to Passthrough

ec-3 (Dolby Digital Plus)

Played correctly in plex app with transcoding (EAC3 - AC3)
Played correctly in Kodi.

TV Audio Digital Audio Out set to Dolby Digital Plus (Passthrough option works too)

FLAC Free Lossless Audio Codec flac

Plex did not show the file at all
Kodi did not show the file at all

MPEG AAC Audio mp4a

Played correctly in plex app with transcoding (AAC - AC3)
Kodi did not play 5.1 correctly.

TV Audio Digital Audio Out set to Passthrough

PCM S16 LE s16l

Plex did not show the file at all
Kodi did not show the file at all

TrueHD Audio trhd

Played correctly in plex app with transcoding (TRUEHD - AC3)
Kodi did not play 5.1 correctly.

TV Audio Digital Audio Out set to Passthrough.

---------------------------------------------------------------

So what I understand is, codecs which TV natively cannot understand, my Plex media server (raspberry pi) transcoded and hence it played correctly with plex app.

And Kodi support AC3, E-AC3, DTS and DTS-HD and NOT AAC and TRUEHD, hence it could not play files MPEG AAC Audio mp4a (My original test file) and TrueHD Audio trhd correctly.
Whatever codec it don't understand, it simply throws the sound to all speakers together.

With Primevideo (I only have prime), There is no way I can check what codec it use for 5.1.
It probably something TV cannot natively support, and hence it will not work correctly.
It may very well be working as well, but since no test audio available in prime app its hard to confirm. Simply sound comes from all speakers means its not true 5.1 I believe.

So in this case, only an ARC supported receiver may be the only option (Which will decode 5.1 audio correctly and send to speakers)