AC-4 Audio Support for Android TV

[Rice]

Just got a chance to check my setup. It goes like this, shield tv hdmi - Yamaha avr. - TV.

When surround sound enabled in channels app avr reports 6 channel pcm.

When surround disabled avr reports 2 channel pcm.

On hdhr app with audio pass off. Avr reports 6 channel pcm

On hdhr app with audio pass on avr reports
2 channel Dolby digital

[HeadHodge]

@Rice

On hdhr app with audio pass off. Avr reports 6 channel pcm

wonder why with 'audio pass off' on hdhr it doesn't seem to use their cloud transcode to dolby 5.1?

not that i think their dolby transcode would be better than pcm 6

[hancox]

@Rice

Sweet - it has LAM too! I need this!

[Rice]

Me too!! The super rare Lazy Ass Mode

[Rice]

@HeadHodge

with 'audio pass off' on hdhr it doesn't seem to use their cloud transcode

I don’t know, I haven’t used that app in over a year. If there is a setting for that im sure I haven’t enabled it. Don’t know much about it.

[HeadHodge]

@Rice

Me too!! The super rare Lazy Ass Mode

hahaha

“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence.”

― Oscar Wilde

[HeadHodge]

my take away:

• channels doesn't support dolby transcoding or ac-4 passthrough (yet)

• channels does support pcm transcoding. depending on your audio device, you should get either pcm 2 channel or pcm 6 channel audio.

• the trabscoded pcm volume is unfortunately low. tru turning surround sound option on/off to see it it helps. also make sure one of your other devices isnt transcoding the pcm into another format (i.e. firestick can transcode pcm to dolby with an audio out setting)

IMHO, processing tuner ota broadcasts is channels bread and butter, and should be WAY more on top of supporting the industry nextgen standards. its been a u.s. standard for years now.

[Bandit8623]

@Rice

Optical doesn’t have the bandwidth for 6 channel audio with pcm which is what channels outputs when surround sound is enabled I think. I think you need to disable surround in the channels app and enable audio pass through on the android tv(if that mi thing has that option). Hdhr app works because they are turning into Dolby digital 5.1 that optical has the bandwidth for.

Actually that probably won’t work either as you sound bar most likely doesn’t support ac4. Does your sound bar support hdmi in?

Not really accurate.

TOSLINK Fiber Optic Cables DO Support 24-bit 192khz Audio

[Rice]

@Bandit8623

Not really accurate.

Completely accurate.
Fact, you will never get 6 channel PCM audio through an optical cable. Even if the cable can technically handle it, any optical port on surround sound hardware does not have the bandwidth to pass it.

Thanks for registering just to post an article that has nothing to do with surround sound.

[slampman]

Sure fiber can handle a huge amount of bandwidth. However it's not a bandwidth issue. The toslink interface (or the way manufacturers implement it) is not compatible with 5.1 surround sound.

[craigify]

I have my Shield (2015) connected to my AVR with HDMI. The AVR shows it getting 5.1 PCM from the Shield when trying to play a channel with AC-4 audio, but there is no sound. DD works fine. Any ideas?

[Edwin_Perez]

I do not think the Shield natively supports AC4 audio ...

If you specifically want built in AC4 support the current list is:
Roku Ultra 4800X
Roku TVs (modern)
LG TVs 2019+
Fire TV Edition TVs (modern)
Fire TV Cube (3rd gen)
Fire TV Stick 4K (new 2023 model)
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (new 2023 model)
Mecool KM2 Plus
Mi 4K stick (latest)
Many Android phones and tablets.

(also some HiSense and TCL TVs running Android have AC4 support but it is broken).

[craigify]

Thanks, but doesn't Channels support decoding it to PCM in the player? I don't need native support.