Question Multichannel (bypass) on Philips 55OLED854 TV and Samsung HW-Q80R soundbar - please advise.

mikekrk

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Hi Folks, I'm desperately looking for some advice here.

Few days ago I bought Philips 55OLED854 TV with Samsung HW-Q80R soundbar. But this setup gives me a hard time, I must say. Let me also explain something. Even thou I bought Q80R soundbar series, I don't really believe it can deliver a true Atmos experience. I also don't hope for an audiophile music quality - for that I have an extra decent stereo setup. All I need soundbar for is to improve sound experience in movies. Today I borrowed another soundbar set to compare with Samsung - Focal Dimension with Focal SubAir. So let's get to the point.

Let's start with TV setting I'm not quite sure I understand:
Philips 55OLED854 digital out formats, according to the manual, are:
- Stereo (uncompressed): If your audio playback devices have no multichannel sound processing, select to only output stereo content to your audio playback devices.
- Multichannel: Select to output multichannel audio content (compressed multichannel sound signal) or stereo audio content to your audio playback devices.
- Multichannel (bypass): Select to output Dolby Digital Plus or DTS content to your audio playback devices or Home theatre system.

Now, Samsung Q80R soundbar manual says: This product supports Dolby Atmos® only in HDMI mode.

Anyway, the problem with above configuration is a voice lag described on all kind of forums. The video is ahead of the voice and it happens only when watching Netflix.


Samsung HW-Q80R:
- multichannel
-- TV SAT ---> works with sound ahead on some HD channels
-- YT ---> works with sound ahead on some HD channels
-- Netflix 2.0 ---> works
-- Netflix 5.1 ---> works with sound delay
-- Netflix Atmos ---> works with sound delay
- multichannel (bypass)
-- YT ---> works
-- Netflix 2.0 --->works
-- Netflix 5.1 ---> doesn't work
-- Netflix Atmos ---> doesn't work

Focal Dimension Bar:
- multichannel
-- TV SAT ---> works with sound ahead on some HD channels
-- YT ---> works
-- Netflix 2.0 ---> works
-- Netflix 5.1 ---> works
-- Netflix Atmos ---> doesn't support
- multichannel (bypass)
-- YT ---> works
-- Netflix 2.0 --->works
-- Netflix 5.1 ---> doesn't work
-- Netflix Atmos ---> doesn't support

So basically these are my questions:

1a) [Samsung soundbar] According to the Soundbar guide, to play Dolby Atmos I need to use HDMI connection. But I used HDMI ARC and I was able to play Dolby Atmos materials. Why?
1b) [Samsung soundbar] Or maybe Samsung meant that I need to use HDMI port in order to play Dolby TrueHD content? So maybe it goes like this?
- HDMI ARC ---> DD+ with Atmos
- HDMI ---> Dolby TrueHD with Atmos
1c) [Samsung soundbar] Or maybe Samsung meant that HDMI mode is both regular HDMI and HDMI ARC?
2) [Samsung soundbar] Why there's no sound on Netflix app when multichannel (bypass) is selected as a TV digital out format? There is sound on SD TV SAT channels and YouTube content.
3) [Samsung soundbar] Whe there's sound delay when watching Netflix content with multichannel digital out format?
4) [Focal soundbar] Why there's no 5.1 sound on Netflix app when multichannel (bypass) is selected as a TV digital out format?
5) How do you think, should I keep Q80R or Focal Dimension? Q80R has better technology included, but Focal... Focal if Focal :) Quite a legend already.

Any help would be very much appreciated! :)
 
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I think that if you like to use ARC with Samsung soundbar you need to connect the soundbars HDMI OUT to TV:s HDMI ARC and select DIN as a soundbar source and the ANYNET+ needs to be on in the soundbar. I think that the ARC has bandwidth only for compressed atmos and earc will have bandwidth for proper atmos (not sure about this). Also the HDMI cable that you use should be the fast type. Interested to see if you can get your system work. Ordered the 65OLED854 myself and been thinking of buyin the samsung HW-N960 soundbar.
 
@Kuusipuu

1) There are no HDMI OUT ports on 55OLED854 TV, these are all described as HDMI ARD (no "IN" or "OUT" suffix). But anyway, I connected my TV to Q80R soundbar with HDMI IN (non-ARC) port on the soundbar and surprisingly it works now with both "multichannel" and "multichannel (bypass)" mode on all sources, including Netflix and, what's even better, there is no sound lag. BUT... I lost Dolby Atmos :facepalm:

2) I am using very good HDMI 2.0b cable so the problem is surely not here.

So it's either "multichannel (bypass) without Atmos" via HDMI (IN), or "multichannel with Atmos" via HDMI ARC? I can't have Dolby TrueHD with Atmos?
 
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Yes ARC supports DD+ Atmos and HDMI direct to sound system support is TrueHD Atmos.

To get DD+ Atmos over ARC the TV must support it as it is non-standard, your TV's Multichannel (Bypass) option seems to support DD+.

Only the new eARC interface can do TrueHD Atmos but that requires a TV and sound system with eARC connections.

Streaming services don't really use TrueHD they are DD+ Atmos as far as I can tell.

If the Focal soundbar does not support DD+ then you should only set the TV to regular Multichannel option which should cover PCM 2.0, DD 5.1 and possible DTS 5.1
 
Yes ARC supports DD+ Atmos and HDMI direct to sound system support is TrueHD Atmos.

To get DD+ Atmos over ARC the TV must support it as it is non-standard, your TV's Multichannel (Bypass) option seems to support DD+.

That's weird, because DD+ with Atmos works fine with "Multichannel" mode, but there is no sound at all when I select "Multichannel (Bypass)" mode.

Only the new eARC interface can do TrueHD Atmos but that requires a TV and sound system with eARC connections.

True, and HDMI 2.1 most probably.

Streaming services don't really use TrueHD they are DD+ Atmos as far as I can tell.

Probably you're right, I need some Blu-ray material to experience TrueHD.

If the Focal soundbar does not support DD+ then you should only set the TV to regular Multichannel option which should cover PCM 2.0, DD 5.1 and possible DTS 5.1

Focal is just a regular 5.1 system and yes it works fine with both modes: "Multichannel" and Stereo.

But still Q80R soundbar doesn't work in "Multichannel (Bypass)" when connected via HDMI ARC.

So what's the meaning of "Multichannel (Bypass)" mode on this TV? It doesn't make much sense to me.

To sum up: I know I won't have TrueHD material without physical device like XBOX or PS4, but all I want to achieve is my TV sending uncompressed sound to Q80R soundbar via "Multichannel (Bypass)" with support for both DD+ and Dolby Atmos.
 
Not familiar enough with Philips, try Philips subforum, the descriptions you provide don't make a lot of sense to me either, stereo, pass DD 5.1, pass DD+ is what it sounded like to me.

But clearly something is up with those options over ARC.

Audio delay is a hard one to pin down, if your soundbar has HDMI inputs plugging the worst affected devices directly into the soundbar could help resolve the lag.

Direct input into the bar will also allow TrueHD Atmos and DD+ Atmos from those sources.
 
I'm not sure if I understand. I have TV connected directly to the bar and no other sources.

If you do get Xbox or ATV 4K you should plug into the bars HDMI inputs for best results.

Without one of those your at the mercy of the ARC connection and compatibility between TV's and bars.
 
Yeah, that would be this:
enjoy-best-dolby-atmos-experience.png

But I still need to find out what's the "Multichannel (Bypass)" mode on my TV and why sound lags on Netflix. May the sound lag be related to my low internet connection speed?
 
) There are no HDMI OUT ports on 55OLED854 TV, these are all described as HDMI ARD (no "IN" or "OUT" suffix). But anyway, I connected my TV to Q80R soundbar with HDMI IN (non-ARC) port on the soundbar

Yes the TV:s connetion should just be arc (and I do belive that in 854 all HDMI ports have it). In soundbar it should be the HDMI OUT port (sometimes refered as TV ARC). And when DID is selected as source it should say ARC when it makes the connection and after that the tv remote should work on the soundbar volume.
 
Yes the TV:s connetion should just be arc (and I do belive that in 854 all HDMI ports have it). In soundbar it should be the HDMI OUT port (sometimes refered as TV ARC). And when DID is selected as source it should say ARC when it makes the connection and after that the tv remote should work on the soundbar volume.

Yes, it's all connected like that: TV (HDMI ARC) ---> Bar (HDMI OUT ARC). And still I can't use bypass mode.

manual.png
 

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I noticed something new today: if I set language in Netflix to "Original", sound works even in "Multichannel (bypass)" mode.

multi.png


So it looks like only stereo mode works fine with no lag. Both 5.1 with and without Atmos either doesn't work (Multichannel bypass) or works with sound lag (Multichannel).
 
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Have you got any progress? I'm just like you with a Q90R
 
Yes, I found the best possible solution. I returned Philips and bought LG C9 which has much better sound options and more advanced configuration.
 
i find that after android tv 11 update my phillips tv can work with all sound formats using multichannel bypass... maybe its a bug in the older firmare or just android bug..
 
after updating to android tv 11... my phillips tv works with all sound formats using the multichannel bypass.. strange,
 

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