Do I have to buy the adaptor/ dongle thing to get 5.1?

Jacoolh · 14-11-2008, 9:43 AM

I assumed the HDMI would carry the 5.1 signal but I shouldn't have expected that. I'm only getting stereo sound. Where can I buy that dongle or is there a way for the HDMI to carry the signal?

Craigy · 14-11-2008, 9:46 AM

MS have been known to send them for nothing, give them a call, have your console serial number ready and explain.

Jacoolh · 14-11-2008, 9:48 AM

I'm just wondering how the cable works too though?

Lezman · 14-11-2008, 10:31 AM

The dongle plugs into the component slot, then you plug the optical into the other end.

Why o why did they not make the HDMI carry 5.1

StevieBuck · 14-11-2008, 10:40 AM

I have my console connected to my amp with only a HDMI and get 5.1 audio no problem. It's an elite though, maybe it only works with these consoles??

Anyway, this was discussed already in this thread - seems you can connect a second cable to make this work:

Use HDMI and lose 5.1 Optical Audio???

a_friend · 14-11-2008, 11:09 AM

I use the standard component cable and the HDMI cable albeit the component cable is stripped of the plastic at the xbox end.

the down side is when switching on the xbox it first cycles to the component then HDMI. Aso if a game on on and you switch channels the xbox will rest to dashboard very annoying.

Lezman · 14-11-2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevieBuck

I have my console connected to my amp with only a HDMI and get 5.1 audio no problem. It's an elite though, maybe it only works with these consoles??

Anyway, this was discussed already in this thread - seems you can connect a second cable to make this work:

Use HDMI and lose 5.1 Optical Audio???

Are sure its outputting 5.1DD and not just 2.0 and your amp is using Prologic to make 5.1?

I thought 2.0 all the HDMI on the 360 could output.

StevieBuck · 14-11-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lezman

Are sure its outputting 5.1DD and not just 2.0 and your amp is using Prologic to make 5.1?

I thought 2.0 all the HDMI on the 360 could output.

No it's definetly 5.1 Dolby Digital - all the relevant lights are lit-up on my reciever (DD, Multi-channel decoding & the individual speaker lights) - 5.1 dts works from DVDs as well.

Hungry_Joe · 14-11-2008, 12:35 PM

Yeah - I get 5.1 through just my hdmi going from my elite to my amp too.

Lezman · 14-11-2008, 12:51 PM

Right...I'm trying that later

I have been swapping the opticals for the last 2 months between the 360 and Sky HD

chic · 14-11-2008, 1:01 PM

i get 5.1 over hdmi with my 360 60 gig console, there is a bug with the 360 dectecting 5.1. What to do if it happens is go to the sound settings menu and you will see the option for dolby digitial and there is an option for stereo above it, click on this to set it to stereo, then reselect dolby digital and this should fix the problem anytime you loose 5.1.

Jacoolh · 14-11-2008, 6:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chic

i get 5.1 over hdmi with my 360 60 gig console, there is a bug with the 360 dectecting 5.1. What to do if it happens is go to the sound settings menu and you will see the option for dolby digitial and there is an option for stereo above it, click on this to set it to stereo, then reselect dolby digital and this should fix the problem anytime you loose 5.1.

I hope you're right. I'll try it.

Jacoolh · 14-11-2008, 6:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacoolh

I hope you're right. I'll try it.

Well doesn't seem to work at all. Even trying the Halo 3 surround sound test thing. Changed it from Stereo to 5.2 several times.

y2k · 14-11-2008, 6:48 PM

I get 5.1DD to over HDMI on a 20gb, I choose Dolby Digital with WMA pro where availabe in the XBOX sound settings and it works ok now but before I had a problem where I got no sound and had to switch to another tv channel then back again to the XBOX channel to get any sound.

mattclarkie · 14-11-2008, 7:36 PM

You can definately get 5.1 via the 360 HDMI.

Might be a silly question, but are you sure your amp can do 5.1 via HDMI, not all can, and some that do PCM 5.1 don't do DD 5.1 for some reason, probably rights.

Jacoolh · 14-11-2008, 11:28 PM

Tried everything said and nothing has worked.

funkyspider · 14-11-2008, 11:32 PM

The dongle is 22quid on amazon at the moment if you need that as a last resort, thats the cheapest I've seen it. You'll need an optical cable too and an optical input on the amp of course.

Xbox 360 HDMI Cable (Xbox 360): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games

mossym · 17-11-2008, 9:31 AM

change the order you turn your amp/360 on in. for some reason it makes a difference with mine. my harmony does it now so i can't remember the correct order, but if do it the other way i only get stereo

i presume it is down to some handshaking going on between the 360 and the amp. the amp may have to be on first so that the 360 can tell it can support 5.1. The edid in the amp is supposed to be capable of being powered from the hdmi supply, so that that a source can tell even if the display is off what it can support, but it doesn't seem to work right with the 360

Lezman · 25-11-2008, 12:28 PM

Right this worked for me, switching between stereo and DD in the sound settings.

Cheers to all for enlightening me.

No more switching of opticals for Lezman