Visitor

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10 Messages

Saturday, February 28th, 2026 8:29 PM

X1 audio is l/r stereo in 5.1 wrapper, no 5.1 audio

Did something change in X1 digital audio output? The XG1v4-A is outputting sound as stereo in a 5.1 wrapper, with only left and right channels available on many X1 channels and all app channels (like Prime, Peacock, Netflix, and AppleTV).  5.1 digital was available for most everything, but disappeared in early January. Have tried both auto and expert 5.1 audio modes and even multiple boxes but no luck. Frustrating to miss out on surround audio for movies, music and even the recent Olympic broadcasts. 

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Problem Solver

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592 Messages

21 days ago

That is a known issue, but only with stereo sources from third party apps in one of those audio settings.  (Don't remember if it's Auto Detect or Expert.)  I have two XG1v4 boxes and do not have that problem with regular channels on either of them.  I get DD+ 5.1 and Atmos on them.  

Visitor

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10 Messages

Thanks for sharing, used to work here too but no longer.... just swapped boxes again over the weekend. 

Official Employee

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652 Messages

Hey there, user_k6u6ul! Thanks for reaching out on our XFINITY Community forum with your X1 audio concerns. Our valued members must receive a seamless X1 audio experience and I am sorry to hear this has not been the case for you recently. As @BIslander mentioned, it is a known issue we are aware of at this time. How are the boxes working now after switching them out this weekend?

 

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Visitor

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10 Messages

Thanks, but no change. Still plenty of issues for content/channels that should definitely be appearing w/5.1 digital audio. 

Visitor

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10 Messages

... and off topic, but the new box blew out most of the saved dvr recordings as well. trying to recover any/all.

Official Employee

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509 Messages

 

user_k6u6ul, thanks for sharing. I understand your concerns and we are working on the fix. Usually, your recordings should be in the cloud. Are you able to sign into Xfinity Stream to see if your recordings are there? 

 

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Visitor

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10 Messages

12 hours ago

Hi, thanks for the response. I've swapped boxes and gone through a full session with one of your team and no improvement.  My system was stable for years because the Xfinity X1 was outputting Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC‑3) consistently across most cable channels and many streaming apps.

In the past couple months, Xfinity pushed updates that altered:

- How the X1 negotiates EDID
- How the X1 handles Dolby Digital vs. Dolby Digital Plus
- How streaming apps output audio (many now force DD+ or stereo PCM - the wrapper)
- How the X1 transcodes DD+ → DD (in many cases, it no longer does)

These changes directly break compatibility with older devices which require AC‑3 over optical - that's my problem and likely creates issues with many other users. 

I was just following up and hoping for work towards a resolution. Thanks again for jumping in.  

Official Employee

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652 Messages

@user_k6u6ul, We understand this new transition with the recent updates has made a difference with the audio feature. We will definitely provide you with an update once we receive additional information from our engineering team working on this current known issue. 

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Problem Solver

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592 Messages

8 hours ago

@user_k6u6ul Please explain this line in your post: 

"These changes directly break compatibility with older devices which require AC‑3 over optical - that's my problem and likely creates issues with many other users."

Are you saying you are using the optical output of the 4K XG1v4 box?   What is it connected to?  Does your sound system not take audio over HDMI?  If it doesn't, can you connect the X1 to your TV and send DD 5.1 audio through the TV to your sound processor?   

Confused.

(edited)

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