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Visitor

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2 Messages

Wednesday, April 13th, 2022 11:26 PM

Closed

Surround sound on Beta streaming app?

Hi.  New subscriber... somewhat unimpressed with the streaming app so far, but seeking input before getting too peeved.

I have a brand new NVidia Shield Pro (Android TV platform) 4K streaming box, but couldn't find/download the Beta app through the Play store.  Sigh.  Did I miss it?

So I hooked up my 2019 Roku Ultra back up to my receiver via HDMI, and downloaded the Beta streaming app. It works, but all audio is in PCM stereo, including when watching premium channels such as Showtime.  Same experience with my 2020 FireStick 4K.

This Roku (and the FireStick) happy passes DD 5.1 surround sound to my receiver when using NetFlix and several other apps.


Before I drive myself crazy(er) looking for some hidden settings in the Xfinity Beta app... does it *ever* supply DD or its newer variants, or am I going to need to pay additional $$$$ to rent an X1 box to get anything better than 1995-era sound out of my rather elaborate HT audio system?

Thanks in advance for any answers or advice; hoping it will ease my growing feelings of 'uh-oh' over signing a 2 year contract for this service ;-(

Official Employee

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1.2K Messages

2 years ago

@user_5bab2a Good afternoon! Thank you for reaching out Community Forums Team and choosing Xfinity as your service provider! We appreciate you hanging in there with us. I'm sorry to hear your start hasn't gone as smooth as we would like. I would like to help in turning this experience around for you. I have included the system requirements for our Xfinity TV Stream App. At this time, the Android TV's are not supported. 

 

https://comca.st/3v4tfri

 

Since you are just using the Stream App, the DD option will be driven by the device compatibility you using such as the Firestick VS Ultra. I'm happy to help you navigate your setup, if you are still experiencing issues. 

Visitor

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1 Message

2 years ago

same here Xfinity stream has no surround sound output from Roku and fire stick to a true encoded surround receiver but other streaming services like Netflix does work. ....... any solution

Official Employee

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1.7K Messages

Hi, there @lnerling! Thank you for patiently waiting for a response for help with a solution to the true encoded surround sound receiver. I enjoy the great clarity of surround sound when watching my Roku so I can relate to the importance of getting this resolved. We are the perfect team to assist. While reviewing this further, I am seeing that Roku doesn't offer an optical audio output connection on their Streaming Players. The last model that offered this was the 2016 Roku Ultra (model 4640).

You would need to connect any of our current devices via HDMI for surround sound audio output. Make sense?

(edited)

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Regular Visitor

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4 Messages

The author of the thread stated that other apps on the (Roku) pass DD 5.1 without any issues. The xfinity stream app appears to be passing stereo encoding rather than DD. It should work despite no optical cable since it works on other apps on the (Roku). I have the same issue. For example, the HBO max app passes dolby  digital without a problem when using the app on a Roku. I can choose the exact same show, for example Westworld, on the Xfinity Stream app and it does not pass dolby digital to the Stereo.

Official Employee

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1.2K Messages

Thank you for that feedback, @Thm09! You make an excellent point. It appears Dolby Digital 5.1 has not been implemented on our Xfinity Stream app yet, but I did a little digging. As a workaround I found that some have been using the Xfinity Stream app on their phone and then using Chromecast to their TV and AV receiver, getting surround sound to work that way. Is that something you may be able to try? I realize workarounds are typically not final solutions, and I think it would be great for our engineers to hear your feedback on this too! Here's a Feedback Tool where you can provide suggestions, dislikes, and/or praises. Thank you again for sharing your experience with the community!

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick

Visitor

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6 Messages

Ultimately, this must be implemented.  It’s the logical direction going forward with smart TVs, and streaming boxes, that having a platform that the end user doesn’t need a set top box and the infrastructure has moved towards over IP instead of traditional QAM, etc.  

It seems that the current versions are out of Beta, but still don’t support it.  If it’s going to be charged for (outlet fees), it better provide every level of functionality that the STB does.  I don’t want to pay for that and get a [Edited: "Language"] downmix because someone on your end doesn’t do their job.  I say this as an audio post-production engineer. 

(edited)

Official Employee

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1.2K Messages

Thank you, @DJD2ThaJ, for your input! I also invite you to share your feedback here so your suggestions get directed to the correct department.

(edited)

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick
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