How Do I Configure My System for Best Possible Audio?

[sumitkpandit]

So I generally watch movie on streaming platforms and also sometimes download one and stream it from my media server. I believe watching from streaming platform would be simple to configure for best audio but there are lot more variables when comes to streaming from media server. Would like to see your suggestions and confirm if my current setup is all good or I need to switch few settings here and there. Below is how my signal chain looks like.

For streaming:
Streaming Apps on Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite > Media Input on Denon AVR-X250BT

For Downloaded Content:
Media Server on Archer C5 > Kodi on Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite > Media Input on Denon AVR-X250BT

 

[ankitbhargava]

So I generally watch movie on streaming platforms and also sometimes download one and stream it from my media server. I believe watching from streaming platform would be simple to configure for best audio but there are lot more variables when comes to streaming from media server. Would like to see your suggestions and confirm if my current setup is all good or I need to switch few settings here and there. Below is how my signal chain looks like.

For streaming:
Streaming Apps on Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite > Media Input on Denon AVR-X250BT

For Downloaded Content:
Media Server on Archer C5 > Kodi on Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite > Media Input on Denon AVR-X250BT

did you mean best possible audio format or best possible audio quality in available audio format?
also, is your setup 5.1?

 

[sumitkpandit]

did you mean best possible audio format or best possible audio quality in available audio format?
also, is your setup 5.1?

I am restricted on format because of my AVR. It's a 5.1 surround sound system supporting upto Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD codec. So, I guess, I meant best possible format within available options.

Problem is that most of the time AVR would play in Dolby Pro Logic II Movies mode and streaming apps doesn't display DD5.1 logo beside titles. I expect apps to be able to detect that the system is capable of DD5.1 playback and during playback AVR display should display appropriate codec like DD, DD+, DDTHD, DTS or DTSHD.

 

[ankitbhargava]

I am restricted on format because of my AVR. It's a 5.1 surround sound system supporting upto Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD codec. So, I guess, I meant best possible format within available options.

Problem is that most of the time AVR would play in Dolby Pro Logic II Movies mode and streaming apps doesn't display DD5.1 logo beside titles. I expect apps to be able to detect that the system is capable of DD5.1 playback and during playback AVR display should display appropriate codec like DD, DD+, DDTHD, DTS or DTSHD.

Amazon Fire TV lite is the culprit,
most of streamed content from Netflix should straight show DD+

Apple TV 4K may be an overkill but would ensure the best available sound format on streaming Apps.
Probably best sound quality as well for a 5.1

 

[sumitkpandit]

Amazon Fire TV lite is the culprit,
most of streamed content from Netflix should straight show DD+

Apple TV 4K may be an overkill but would ensure the best available sound format on streaming Apps.
Probably best sound quality as well for a 5.1

Checked it.

For streaming when I put Amazon Fire TV Stick audio on Best Available, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar starts showing up DD5.1 logo beside titles, except Prime Video, and during playback, AVR display shows DD+ for all three apps.

For playing downloaded content, I need to keep Amazon Fire TV Stick audio on PCM to let all other formats like DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master, Dolby TrueHD to pass through, however my AVR does not detect accurate codec and displays Multi Channel Input on display during playback with accurate surround sound reproduction.

This may be because Amazon Fire TV Stick does not tell the AVR what is being played. But should AVR itself not detect the accurate codec. Maybe the media player is messing up with the codec.

 

[mbhangui]

nal dac and have a computer or a streamer to which a good dac can be connected. There are plenty of solutions based on Raspberry PI, etc.

This may be because Amazon Fire TV Stick does not tell the AVR what is being played. But should AVR itself not detect the accurate codec. Maybe the media player is messing up with the codec.

Yes. There is no issue with firestick. I use it all the time and get Dolby without any issue. The so called 'media server'on archer c5 is just a file server. Which is the actual media server that you are using? e.g. I use Kodi and in Kodi, I select 'passthrough' and turn on options for codecs supported by my AVR. Once I do that, even for the downloaded media, i get the AVR displaying Dolby Digital, DTS, etc even on my 2011 AVR. So whichever media server you are using, check the settings for passthrough.

 

[ankitbhargava]

Checked it.

For streaming when I put Amazon Fire TV Stick audio on Best Available, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar starts showing up DD5.1 logo beside titles, except Prime Video, and during playback, AVR display shows DD+ for all three apps.

For playing downloaded content, I need to keep Amazon Fire TV Stick audio on PCM to let all other formats like DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master, Dolby TrueHD to pass through, however my AVR does not detect accurate codec and displays Multi Channel Input on display during playback with accurate surround sound reproduction.

This may be because Amazon Fire TV Stick does not tell the AVR what is being played. But should AVR itself not detect the accurate codec. Maybe the media player is messing up with the codec.

Good
So at least OTT streaming on all 3 Apps is sorted as far as having best available format goes.

 

[HormusPeston]

How to configure *your* system?
Rum. Or whisky.
Cheers,
~hp

 

[sumitkpandit]

Yes. There is no issue with firestick. I use it all the time and get Dolby without any issue. The so called 'media server'on archer c5 is just a file server. Which is the actual media server that you are using? e.g. I use Kodi and in Kodi, I select 'passthrough' and turn on options for codecs supported by my AVR. Once I do that, even for the downloaded media, i get the AVR displaying Dolby Digital, DTS, etc even on my 2011 AVR. So whichever media server you are using, check the settings for passthrough.

View attachment 64976

I tried running an 'actual' media server on my laptop using Kodi and then play videos on my home theater system and figured out that the router it behaves exactly like my router based media server.

The reason why my receiver doesn't recognize the audio format is because Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite only supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is where Kodi UPnP client is installed.

 

[sumitkpandit]

Good
So at least OTT streaming on all 3 Apps is sorted as far as having best available format goes.

Kind of. Only problem that remains now is of audio drop. I keep Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite audio quality preference set to "Best Available" while OTT streaming. After about 15 - 30 minutes into the content, I experience multiple momentary audio drops for couple of minutes and then it disappears.
Also during all these audio drops the small double D symbol on the top disappears.
I tried changing the audio preference to 'PCM' to "Always Dolby Digital Plus" to "Always Dolby Digital". No luck.

And has anyone seen projector loosing signal when someone rings doorbell or interacts with fan switch or regulator?

 

[jayantadak]

Kind of. Only problem that remains now is of audio drop. I keep Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite audio quality preference set to "Best Available" while OTT streaming. After about 15 - 30 minutes into the content, I experience multiple momentary audio drops for couple of minutes and then it disappears.
Also during all these audio drops the small double D symbol on the top disappears.
I tried changing the audio preference to 'PCM' to "Always Dolby Digital Plus" to "Always Dolby Digital". No luck.

And has anyone seen projector loosing signal when someone rings doorbell or interacts with fan switch or regulator?

It used to happen with my Samsung 46" LCDTV some 5 years ago. Whenever the door-bell used to ring, there was a drop in the A/V signal. The screen used to go blank for 2 seconds or so. The problem stopped on its own. Most likely it must have been due to HDMI connection.