Dolby Atmos the confusion continues..

[Newbie123]

Hi All
Recently decided to splash out on a soundbar. It's a Samsung one model number is HW-Q800A/XU.
Not sure if it's relevant but it came with "free" rear speakers also model number Samsung SWA-9500S.

Overall it's a big upgrade from sending the TV Audio through a DAC and then into my ancient Denon Hi Fi. Very impressed with it (one issue only it doesn't seem to turn on with the TV anymore although it did to start with.

Anyway, I was curious to see if I could get Dolby Atmos working. From what I have read it'll only be compressed and also known as Dolby Digital Plus.

The TV is old, and has ARC but not eARC. It is model number: UE40D6530WKXXU (based on the sticker on the back, although it's software seemed to have a slightly different number, not to hand at the moment.

I also have a SkyQ box 1 TB.
And a Sony Blu Ray player, on the remote for that it says RMT-VB100I.
And I have an old Chromecast, think it's a gen2 (or even gen1), not an Ultra and not "with Google TV" one.

So I can Chromecast to the TV fine from Netflix and Amazon Prime.
But somehow that's not Dolby Atmos, even on content listed as such?

Am I write in assuming that may be because I've got the old Chromecast that doesn't support that content?
And the new one Chromecast with Google TV (the 60 quid one) - would support that?

Also wonder if the Blu Ray player will work for Atmos? Unfortunately the only Blu Ray that says it has Atmos was Wonder Woman, but it seems I only have the box now and not the actual disk, probably went missing in a move or got 'borrowed' by someone. If it helps it says on the front of the Blu Ray player: 4K UHD upscale, Blu Ray 3D. On the back is more symbols, two of them are "Dolby True HD" and DTS 2.0+ Digital Out, Model No is BDP-S6500.

Should I just buy a Chromecast with Google TV and that would give me compressed Atmos via Netflix?

Should I just buy an BluRay with ATMOS and see what happens?

Netflix and Prime Apps on Sky Q apparently (and in practice as I've tried it) don't support Dolby Digital Plus.

Netflix on the ancient TV ain't working, tried loads of things to get it going but I think the software on the TV is too old. It just says "loading" but never loads it, tried everything I can think of too fix it.

As a side note I'm considering connecting a Toslink cable from my old Denon optical out to the soundbar?! Would that be a good idea? Plan being to have sound out the old speakers, and all the Sound bar stuff?

 

[outoftheknow]

The two main codecs that ATMOS metadata is added to is all compressed - DD+ and Dolby True HD.

DD+ is lossy compressed and Dolby True HD is lossless compressed.

ATMOS can be attached to Multichannel PCM (Dolby MAT) and that is of course an uncompressed audikk in stream.

If you have ARC then for now you will get DD+ 5.1 with or without ATMOS at best from audio from or through the TV.

To get the best audio possible plug the audio source into the soundbar directly. The device will determine what audio codec it can deliver but also the apps individually can change what they deliver in each device.

With a TV that old I would use it as a FHD monitor - the smarthub on it will be pants with unsupported and missing apps.

I have a Chromecast with Google TV but unfortunately it is on a Samsung only two years newer than yours. I use the TV audio on that so I don’t care what is delivered . I’m sure the Chromecast website will advise…..


Actually I can’t see ATMOS mentioned but as it passes 4K HDR from apps that have it, I would say there is a good chance ATMOS will be passed from apps that deliver it.

 

[MartinCo]

Google TV dongle works great doing Atmos content on Netflix and Amazon Prime (not much but some there, Expanse, Jack Ryan - plenty on Netflix though).

I had mine hooked into soundbar and then onto older Samsung TV. Lovely setup

 

[Newbie123]

Thanks both.
Martin: I'm assuming you mean the newer (than mine) dongle? i.e. this one https://store.google.com/gb/product/chromecast_google_tv

That's useful to know you can hook it directly to Soundbar.
In fact I might try an experiment; by hooking the older Google thingie directly to the soundbar.

oftheknow
I might well end up using the TV as a FHD monitor for work; it was surplus to TV requirements at one point and it worked fine as a TV monitor, nice and big for that purpose.
Just need to persaude the other half we need a new bigger n better TV in the January sales, with eARC and HDMI 2.1. Maybe a Samsung one to go with the soundbar, but that's another discussion.

 

[Newbie123]

Ok guys
More experiments this morning.
The Blu Ray player has working Netflix and working Amazon Prime.
Used your suggestions for content on both, with the Blu Ray player plugged directly into the Soundbar. And a list I found online.
Netflix Account is set to Premium Ultra HD.
Neither Prime nor Netflix seem to output ATMOS, based on the soundbar is supposed to display a symbol when it does. Neither is ATMOS displayed on the menu items.
Next things I can try: printed the instruction manual for the Soundbar.
See if that helps. Reinstall the Apps on the Blu Ray player. Plug the os Chromecast into the Soundbar directly.
Any other ideas?!

 

[Newbie123]

OK.
The instruction manual didn't help much.
Prime and Netflix both work with the Chromecast plugged directly into the Soundbar. But neither output ATMOS.
I suspect I need the Chromecast with Google TV for this to work.
A Blu Ray disc (Thor Ragnorak) apparently can output DTS HD 7.1.
Ive bought couple more discs which are supposed to have ATMOS on.
Giving up for now!

 

[MartinCo]

Thanks both.
Martin: I'm assuming you mean the newer (than mine) dongle? i.e. this one https://store.google.com/gb/product/chromecast_google_tv

That's useful to know you can hook it directly to Soundbar.
In fact I might try an experiment; by hooking the older Google thingie directly to the soundbar.

.

Yes that's the one. Amazon 4k sticks should work also but found they don't do Atmos off most content.

Google TV works great - soundbar gets Atmos from Netflix and prime and passes the picture onto the TV.

I've got a little switch box that takes my 4k Blu-ray also so get best sound quality and none EArc TV gets the picture. All my problems solved - built in TV apps work but no atmos.
Google TV works great.

 

[n_s_simpson]

Once you have a Netflix Premium subscription have you logged into your Netflix account from a browser and checked that each profile's video/audio quality is set to best? That fixed the Netflix issue for me with the Roku Stick+ plugged into my Atmos HW-Q950A soundbar (I only have a 1080p TV but ATMOS now working). The Roku audio/video settings are all on Auto.

 

[mps]

Ok guys
More experiments this morning.
The Blu Ray player has working Netflix and working Amazon Prime.
Used your suggestions for content on both, with the Blu Ray player plugged directly into the Soundbar. And a list I found online.
Netflix Account is set to Premium Ultra HD.
Neither Prime nor Netflix seem to output ATMOS, based on the soundbar is supposed to display a symbol when it does. Neither is ATMOS displayed on the menu items.
Next things I can try: printed the instruction manual for the Soundbar.
See if that helps. Reinstall the Apps on the Blu Ray player. Plug the os Chromecast into the Soundbar directly.
Any other ideas?!

On your blue ray player settings have you clicked to output audio in Bitstream ?

 

[n_s_simpson]

Regarding Netflix, I switched to their Premium subscription and certain programmes showed the ATMOS icon plus the HD icon because it's not a 4K TV.

ATMOS wasn't going to the soundbar. Turns out that I had to log into Netflix from a PC and for each Netflix user change the streaming bandwidth from medium to high (or auto probably would work too).

Silly that this option can't be changed within the Netflix app and even sillier that the ATMOS icon appears when the user isn't set up to receive it.

 

[outoftheknow]

Turns out that I had to log into Netflix from a PC and for each Netflix user change the streaming bandwidth from medium to high (or auto probably would work too).

How to watch Netflix in 4K Ultra HD

Learn about watching Netflix in Ultra HD on compatible 4K devices.

help.netflix.com

Yes it seems High or Auto and an internet connection of 25/Mbps or higher. Which here in Australia is a pain for me on a Fixed Wireless connection (25/5 plan) where my 4K TV is which is at best 23Mbps down (never gets to 25 due to overheads), and at my other place a 50/20 plan which will exceed the speed requirement but I don't have a 4K TV there

First world problems I suppose.......

 

[n_s_simpson]

I would have expected Netflix to hide the ATMOS symbol when the streaming quality is set to medium as is was in my case (not sure why it wasn't on auto).