X1 box and audio output via hdmi - stereo only

---

@peterac50 wrote:

The audio select option on the X1 box will only send a stereo signal out over the hdmi cable I have connected to my Samsung 6000 series HD TV. This appears to be a mystery to comcast. I have had a technician come out and replace my box and still only stereo. For perspective, I have my apple tv connected via an HDMI cable and it sends out a dolby digital signal which my tv recognizes and processes. From my point of view, the x box and my HG tv are not recognizing one another. Any ideas?

---

does your TV have more than just 2 speakers? the cable box has to be connected to the receiver/soundbar that does the decoding or if your TV has ARC the audio is returned to the receiver/soundbar via the ARC connection (Audio return channel - HDMI).

no, 2 speakers only. But it will passthrough a digital signal 5.1 through the optical digial output on the back - if it gets that signal. Apple tv simply sends that digital signal it goes right to the samsung sound bar I am using. But the xfinity x1 box only seems willing or able to send the stereo and it appears you can nolonger force a digital signal with the current software. Yes when I connect dirctly from the box to the soundbar via an hdmi cable and arc it back to the tv - it sends a digital signal. But that is not the way I would prefer to hook up. Just hoping there was a work around to use the passthrough feature on the tv.

---

@peterac50 wrote:

no, 2 speakers only. But it will passthrough a digital signal 5.1 through the optical digial output on the back - if it gets that signal. Apple tv simply sends that digital signal it goes right to the samsung sound bar I am using. But the xfinity x1 box only seems willing or able to send the stereo and it appears you can nolonger force a digital signal with the current software. Yes when I connect dirctly from the box to the soundbar via an hdmi cable and arc it back to the tv - it sends a digital signal. But that is not the way I would prefer to hook up. Just hoping there was a work around to use the passthrough feature on the tv.

---

fiber and coaxial audio is very old now deprecated technology. you might look at the settings - device menu and try the various audio output settings to see if (for example) the expert mode) the set top box can output what your TV needs to see to send to your sound bar. not possible to run the hdmi directly to the soundbar and link it to the TV (audio and visual)?

Yes, I can run the hdmi directly to the Soundbar and get Dolby digital but for a variety of reasons don’t want to do that. Chief among them is that I have only one hdmi input on the Soundbar and I use Apple TV. Don’t want to keep changing the audio input. 

---

@peterac50 wrote:

Yes, I can run the hdmi directly to the Soundbar and get Dolby digital but for a variety of reasons don’t want to do that. Chief among them is that I have only one hdmi input on the Soundbar and I use Apple TV. Don’t want to keep changing the audio input. 

---

does your apple TV have an hdmi jack labelled 'ARC' ?

No. JUst a single hdmi output

I have a similar problem I have changed the STB & the HDMI cable, so I know they are fine,  Samsung hu8500 tv. Sonos Beam and 5.1 system. Xfinity box connected via hdmi to tv. ARC on tv to Sonos beam.  Apple tv to tv. Apple tv gives 5.1 dolby. Xfinity box shows only sterio on the auto select screen.  Beam has HDMI to connect to tv & optical imput. Seems to me there is somesort of handshack issue between Xfinity box & samsung tv. Has anyone solved this, or is there additional advice.

I wanted to see if anyone had resolved this problem. I just got a Sonos Beam and surround setup with a Samsung 8000 series TV. I get perfect surround when playing through a TV app or through Apple TV. But surround doesnt work when I'm watching regular xfinity TV.

---

@carnold2 wrote:

I wanted to see if anyone had resolved this problem. I just got a Sonos Beam and surround setup with a Samsung 8000 series TV. I get perfect surround when playing through a TV app or through Apple TV. But surround doesnt work when I'm watching regular xfinity TV.

---

live tv? on-demand? recordings?

I have the same problem. I get audio/surround sound from my receiver when watching blue ray or listening to radio. No sound at all when watching TV. Just switched from Driect to Xfinity and did not have this problem with the Direct cable box.

---

@dawgfan89 wrote:

I have the same problem. I get audio/surround sound from my receiver when watching blue ray or listening to radio. No sound at all when watching TV. Just switched from Driect to Xfinity and did not have this problem with the Direct cable box.

---

try connecting the set top box directly to the TV and turn the TV's speakers up. do you hear sound like that? 

---

@dawgfan89 wrote:

I don't have a TV; it is a projector. The setup is a home theatre system and the projector is connected to the receiver as well.

---

if you temporarily use the same HDMI cable connected to your blue ray player to connect to the X1 set top box, does the audio work? how is it connected? did you look at the settings menu in the X1 set top box audio section to be sure ouput is to HDMI?

Yes, I've done that as well. Audio works from blue ray, it works from tuner, it works for everything EXCEPT watching TV. It's just strange how everything is connected EXACTLY as it was with the direct tv cable box, but now, no audio. Comcast needs to fix this. We've had 2 technicians out who tell us it is not a comcast issue. It has to be. Everything worked fine with exact connections when we had direct.

Now, I've got a movie theatre room not being used because we have no audio for tv.

You are correct, this is a stupid problem. HDMI which is newer technology outputs only a stereo signal from X1 box, but the older format "Digital Optical" connector delivers 5.1 surround encoding. I've worked around it by running HDMI to the TV for picture and everyday sound, and also have Digital Optical run from the X1 box directly to receiver for when I want better surround audio like when watching a movie.