Google Play Movies - PCM 5.1 to AC3

[indy70]

Folks, I have been looking around on this for a bit. Google play movies seems to be giving out PCM 5.1 instead of Dolby D + or DTS. While chromecast plays it as Multi In on my Receiver, my Android box (Amkette EVO TV 4K) just send it out of as Stereo PCM. I resolved this for movies in Kodi by selecting transcode to AC3. Is there a way to get around this for Google play movies ?

 

[sam9s]

Why do you want DD/DTS 5.1, maybe the move you playing does have PCM 5.1 only, if that is the case then infact its good that Google Play is not converting it to any other format, and delivering it uncompressed PCM 5.1. And if the movie does have DD/DTS and you still getting PCM 5.1 then it just means that the source where you playing the movie is decoding the sound track and not the reciever. You can select the option to "Bitstream" the audio from your source, to let the receiver do the decoding, then you will see DD/DTS on ur receiver, either way in both the cases, you are getting proper true 5.1 surround sound.

 

[indy70]

No the problem is, the Android Box is putting out PCM 5.1 downmixed to Stereo even though I had selected as HDMI Pass through. Not sure what else to select to get this right , I tried some other forums and no answer on those as well.

PS: I do understand what you are saying.

 

[sam9s]

Few Questions ...

1. Does Amkette EVO TV 4K has the ability to pass through (bitstream) over HDMI. I could not find anything on the website. All it says Digital Passthru over Coaxial (SPDIF).

2. Is downmixing is happening in all cases. I mean even if you play a locally stored file on the device itself. (or just on Google Play Movies or other online streaming content)

3. In Kodi, under settings - > Audio Out put do you see the option DD capable reciever available and selected along with ofcourse enable passthrough selected.

 

[indy70]

Hi Sam, Thanks for helping me out ... Let me try and answer below:

Few Questions ...

1. Does Amkette EVO TV 4K has the ability to pass through (bitstream) over HDMI. I could not find anything on the website. All it says Digital Passthru over Coaxial (SPDIF).

It detects HDMI Passthrough. I can play DD+, DTS through Kodi. In fact, their stock media player was able to bitstream a m2ts Dolby Atmos file (not DTS X though).

2. Is downmixing is happening in all cases. I mean even if you play a locally stored file on the device itself. (or just on Google Play Movies or other online streaming content)
Yes whichever file has PCM 5.1 , it is getting downmixed. For local file or remote file (not Google Play movies), I got Kodi to transcode PCM 5.1 to DD AC3.

3. In Kodi, under settings - > Audio Out put do you see the option DD capable reciever available and selected along with ofcourse enable passthrough selected.

Yes, I see both DD capable and DTS capable and I checked them both.

 

[indy70]

Hi Sam, Thanks for helping me out ... Let me try and answer below:


1. Does Amkette EVO TV 4K has the ability to pass through (bitstream) over HDMI. I could not find anything on the website. All it says Digital Passthru over Coaxial (SPDIF).

It detects HDMI Passthrough. I can play DD+, DTS through Kodi. In fact, their stock media player was able to bitstream a m2ts Dolby Atmos file (not DTS X though).

2. Is downmixing is happening in all cases. I mean even if you play a locally stored file on the device itself. (or just on Google Play Movies or other online streaming content)
Yes whichever file has PCM 5.1 , it is getting downmixed. For local file or remote file (not Google Play movies), I got Kodi to transcode PCM 5.1 to DD AC3.

3. In Kodi, under settings - > Audio Out put do you see the option DD capable reciever available and selected along with ofcourse enable passthrough selected.

Yes, I see both DD capable and DTS capable and I checked them both.

 

[sam9s]

Hi Sam, Thanks for helping me out ... Let me try and answer below:


1. Does Amkette EVO TV 4K has the ability to pass through (bitstream) over HDMI. I could not find anything on the website. All it says Digital Passthru over Coaxial (SPDIF).

It detects HDMI Passthrough. I can play DD+, DTS through Kodi. In fact, their stock media player was able to bitstream a m2ts Dolby Atmos file (not DTS X though).

2. Is downmixing is happening in all cases. I mean even if you play a locally stored file on the device itself. (or just on Google Play Movies or other online streaming content)
Yes whichever file has PCM 5.1 , it is getting downmixed. For local file or remote file (not Google Play movies), I got Kodi to transcode PCM 5.1 to DD AC3.

3. In Kodi, under settings - > Audio Out put do you see the option DD capable reciever available and selected along with ofcourse enable passthrough selected.

Yes, I see both DD capable and DTS capable and I checked them both.

Looks like your device is not capable to decode or Bitstream PCM output that is all I can think off right now, and if you are able to transcode PCM to DD via kodi, I am not sure what else would you want.