Dolby Digital / DTS Surround sound via HDMI

[pallys]

Hi, I have a v3.2 vu solo clone with blackhole 2.0.8.

I also have a Yamaha AV receiver.
I cannot get DD or DTS surround sound to work via HDMI, when either playing an MKV or watching a HD movies channel that I know bitsream correctly.

Can someone confirm whether they have digital surround sound working? My receiver (amplifier) only goes into Dolby Pro Logic mode which is not discrete 5.1. When I turn off DD/DTS downmix in blackhole I get no audio.

I don't know whether this box is faulty. I previously had an ?50 openbox where surround sound via HDMI worked just fine.

If people with home cinema amplifiers could share their experiance that would be great thanks.

If this box can't do 5.1 audio over HDMI please share if you know an enigma2 box that can.

Thanks.

[digicon]

When i had a Solo i had no problem with DD 5.1 via the HDMI i cannot comment on the DTS side as i use Satellite receivers for what they are 'Satellite Receivers'.

Also tested various other receivers over the Years with an A/V amp and all that came equipped with HDMI all passed DD 5.1 through the HDMI

[pallys]

Hi digicon, thanks for replying.

Was it a clone solo - I'm just wondering whether I have a clone is the problem here.

[digicon]

Yes it was a Clone i also have a Clone DM800se here and that also has no problem passing the DD 5.1 through the HDMI port

[cactikid]

i dont have a clone but most boxes have a spdif,use hdmi from box to tv and spdif to amp and that should give 5-1.

[digicon]

Just as a side note what exactly is the Amp's display showing when your connected via HDMI in standard mode it should show PCM but when you switch off the Downmix and also make sure you have the AC3 audio Track selected.

[pallys]

Just an update - managed to solve the problem.

I had to connect the vusolo direct to the amp via HDMI then 5.1 surround sound worked correctly. Previously I was connecting the box to the Samsung TV PS50C680 and then via ARC trying to pass 5.1 down to the AMP. For some reason my TV has stopped passing 5.1 via ARC. Apparently this TV only passes 2.1 via HDMI inputs down ARC according to a Samsung Technician (but 5.1 via FTA and USB). This was not the case before...as I was using openbox and xbox360 via HDMI ARC. I've now had to connect the xbox360 direct to amp too to gain 5.1 back.

Cacktikid method above also worked but involves an extra optical cable and is only need for amps without HDMI.

As a sidenote while messing around trying different inputs with the HDMI cables I managed to short my Samsung Blu-Ray Player of which the HDMI port no longer works. I managed to eventually work out how I shorted it. With everything on standy by I was touching the back plate of the samsung player with the HDMI cable trying to get it into its port - this was causing small sparks! So the lesson learnt here is power everything off - standby is not enough. I think it's a flaw with the Samsung Blu-Ray Player as it should be grounded but it just goes to show how even original equipment is poorly made and I'm sure does not comply with the CE mark etc.

Thanks for advice just a couple of more sound problems now to look into it.

1. Dolby Digital audio priority is not working for me in blackhole 2.0.8. I have to press the audio button and manually change the sound channel. It remembers the setting if I re-visit the channel but just does not prioritise this stream when I visit a channel I haven't watched before.

2. With Dolby Digital downmix off (and amp off) - while channel browsing the sound eventually cuts off and I have turn downmix on for sound to come back.

[cactikid]

any settings to alter in av settings?

[digicon]

You need to preference the Audio setting in the Image menu as when you change from a 5.1 channel to another the box is defaulting back to the standard MPEG audio

[pallys]

Hi folks, yes did set that but it doesn't seem to work.