Unfortunately yes.....
If the TV (and the app) directly passed on the audio signal it was receiving then it would work correctly.
The XMC-1 decides the format of the incoming audio based on the actual format of the signal.
Therefore, it will always see "a 5.1 channel signal with only two channels used" as "5.1"....
In order to do what you want it would have to:
- first decode the 5.1 channel signal coming from the TV to get it out of its "5.1 channel container"
- then notice that only two channels were occupied by audio
- then use a second decoder to expand the two-channel audio to surround sound
- (even if you could manually force it to always do this then the center channel would be discarded when they switched to real surround sound - perhaps for commercials.)
There is a way around this - in fact I can think of two ways - but both are rather inelegant and somewhat "iffy" (really inelegant)....
There are LOTS of little black boxes out there that do all sorts of interesting things.
While the audio quality may not be great they are often also quite cheap.
Method #1:
Get an external optical signal splitter (they do exist - and they're passive)
Get an external "little black box" that accepts Toslink in and outputs 5.1 channel ANALOG audio.
(It's also OK if it only has stereo analog outputs - as long as it can recognize and decode a surround sound input signal; MANY CANNOT)
Set the TV optical output to "5.1 surround".
Connect the optical out on the TV to the splitter.
Connect one output of the splitter to the little black box (LBB).
Connect the other output of the splitter to the XMC-1 (this is what you'll use for listening to surround sound programs).
Connect the front left and front right analog outputs of the LBB to one of the stereo analog inputs on the XMC-1 (this is what you'll use for listening to old stereo shows).
Since you'll be feeding the XMC-1 a stereo analog input for those you'll be able to use PLIIx on them... in fact it will be the default.
The audio quality on the LBB won't be quite as good as the XMC-1 itself... but you'll only be using it for "old shows in two channel".
Method #2:
This is really a variation on Method #1.
If you look, you will probably be able to find an external little black box that has an optical input and both analog outputs and digital coax outputs.
It might be listed as "an optical to coaxial converter with analog outputs".... just make sure that the digital output passes surround sound.
If so... then... just as with #1... connect the digital surround sound output to a digital input on the XMC-1 and the front two channels of the ANALOG output to one of the analog inputs on the XMC-1.
Of course, it would probably be easier just to buy a Roku, or an Apple TV, use that for Netflix and your other apps, instead of the TV, and call it a day.
Hey guys,
I have an LG OLED, some of the apps like Netflix for older shows with only 2ch audio will send 2ch sound in a 5.1 container – the XMC-1 reports DD 5.1 but the sound output is only 2ch even with Dolby PL II selected as confirmed by putting my head near the speakers. This stops me from utilising DD to synthesise a quasi-surround for older 2ch audio.
I am sending the audio from the TV to the receiver via Optical (as I cant get ARC to work at all) and there are only 2 options for sound output:
1) Auto - which puts everything into a 5.1 ch container
2) 2ch PCM - which means most of the 5.1 stuff will be downgraded to 2ch.
Anyone got any ideas? This is clearly an LG optical out issue isn't it............
