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How to setup surround sound for Sky
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Hi there

I currently have the following devices;

PS3
Sky+ HD box
3D HDTV
Samsung 5.1 surround sound

Im connecting the devices in the following way

ps3 -> tv via hdmi
sky+ -> tv via hdmi
sk+ -> bluray/amp via optical
amp/bluray -> tv via hdmi

When i play blurays / 3d films though the player i get thumping base and really good audio - when i play hd channels through the tv i just get replicated sound through the speakers, no base out the sub at all.

I have checked all of the settings in the sky+ settings and this is set to

audio output = stereo
digital audio output = dolby digital
0ms for delay

am i seeting up my system incorrectly?

Thanks
JulesandSand
14-04-2013
Have you set the Optical output on the Sky box to Dolby Digital?
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by JulesandSand:
“Have you set the Optical output on the Sky box to Dolby Digital?”

yes. this is why i am so confused. i really do not understand what else there is i need to do
JulesandSand
14-04-2013
Sorry I've no suggestions other than try a different optical lead.

What is the surround sound model number?
chrisjr
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by jermaindefoe:
“yes. this is why i am so confused. i really do not understand what else there is i need to do”

The Sky box will only output Dolby Digital if the channel you are watching broadcasts a surround sound audio track. The rest of the time it will be plain vanilla stereo. Which probably means most of the time it's stereo.

What is probably happening is that your surround system is just feeding the stereo signal it is getting to the front left and right speakers only.

If the system has the ability, switch on Dolby ProLogic which will generate a surround effect from stereo sources. Sometimes the stereo source has been encoded with ProLogic which enhances the effect even more. But even on plain stereo it can produce a perfectly decent impression of surround sound.
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“The Sky box will only output Dolby Digital if the channel you are watching broadcasts a surround sound audio track. The rest of the time it will be plain vanilla stereo. Which probably means most of the time it's stereo.”

Are the HD channels (bbc, itv.... ) not in surround sound or is it on a per programme basis?

Quote:
“What is probably happening is that your surround system is just feeding the stereo signal it is getting to the front left and right speakers only.”

So it is feeding just the front right and left and then the amp is able to replicate the sound to the rear speakers?

Quote:
“If the system has the ability, switch on Dolby ProLogic which will generate a surround effect from stereo sources. Sometimes the stereo source has been encoded with ProLogic which enhances the effect even more. But even on plain stereo it can produce a perfectly decent impression of surround sound.”

i think it does have this option but i havent figured out how to turn it on
JulesandSand
14-04-2013
I'm assuming the speakers are small and would be surprised if the sub wasn't used for stereo sound as well.

OP what happens when you select a Sky broadcast that is outputting 5.1 audio?
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by JulesandSand:
“I'm assuming the speakers are small and would be surprised if the sub wasn't used for stereo sound as well.

OP what happens when you select a Sky broadcast that is outputting 5.1 audio?”

how can i tell whether or not it is outputting in 5.1 i just assumed the hd channels would
Chris Frost
14-04-2013
My bet is it's the settings on the Samsung cinema kit.

Neither Stereo or Stereo with Dolby Surround include a dedicated bass track. It's down to the surround kit to decode and process the sound.

We have Sky HD connected to our Yamaha AV amp via optical. When the sound is either plain stereo or Dolby Surround encoded then the amp is set to do ProLogic decoding. There's loads of bass and a reasonable stab at surround effects too.

All-in-one home cinema kits use cryptic names for their surround processing. The books never give a good explanation of what's actually happening. Then there's the complications arising from the auto switching. It's worth checking that the surround kit is actually on the input and in the mode you think it should be.
JulesandSand
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by jermaindefoe:
“how can i tell whether or not it is outputting in 5.1 i just assumed the hd channels would”

On a Sky channel press i on the remote and on the programme synopsis on the top right, if DD is present then it's 5.1, if you have Sky Movies most of the modern movies are DD.
chrisjr
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by jermaindefoe:
“Are the HD channels (bbc, itv.... ) not in surround sound or is it on a per programme basis?

So it is feeding just the front right and left and then the amp is able to replicate the sound to the rear speakers?

i think it does have this option but i havent figured out how to turn it on ”

Surround sound in my experience is per programme rather than per channel. Though the SD channels are almost certainly stereo only.

ProLogic is a bit more sophisticated than replicating the front audio onto the rear. it uses some complex maths to process the audio to generate the effect.

For example watching a sports event with just a plain stereo track it can produce the effect of having the crowd all round you but keep the commentary on the centre speaker only.

Turning on ProLogic is usually just a matter of pressing the right button on the remote or selecting an option in the menus. It would help be more specific if you told us what kit you have so we can check any online manual.
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by JulesandSand:
“On a Sky channel press i on the remote and on the programme synopsis on the top right, if DD is present then it's 5.1, if you have Sky Movies most of the modern movies are DD.”

wow ok, so most programmes on now dont even have surround sound channel 4hd film on now had DD and sounded like there was surround sound playing - though the bass was minimal still :/

i give up, its too hard
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“Surround sound in my experience is per programme rather than per channel. Though the SD channels are almost certainly stereo only.

ProLogic is a bit more sophisticated than replicating the front audio onto the rear. it uses some complex maths to process the audio to generate the effect.

For example watching a sports event with just a plain stereo track it can produce the effect of having the crowd all round you but keep the commentary on the centre speaker only.

Turning on ProLogic is usually just a matter of pressing the right button on the remote or selecting an option in the menus. It would help be more specific if you told us what kit you have so we can check any online manual.”

sorry - id really appreciate the help regarding this

TV: LG-LM760T 55"
Surround Sound: Samsung HT-E4550 5.1
chrisjr
14-04-2013
I've read the manual for the surround system, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot frankly. The picture of the remote shows a DSP/EQ button on the very bottom row (though it shows it labelled DPS/EQ!). But says three eigths of bu**er all about what it does.

But on the basis that DSP likely stands for Digital Signal Processing there is a fighting chance that this button might select ProLogic. But on the basis that the manual only mentions ProLogic in the Copyright acknowledgement blurb who knows.

That is why I would never spend my hard earned on such a system. Limited facilities and often useless manuals that fail to explain how the stuff actually works.
jermaindefoe
14-04-2013
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“I've read the manual for the surround system, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot frankly. The picture of the remote shows a DSP/EQ button on the very bottom row (though it shows it labelled DPS/EQ!). But says three eigths of bu**er all about what it does.

But on the basis that DSP likely stands for Digital Signal Processing there is a fighting chance that this button might select ProLogic. But on the basis that the manual only mentions ProLogic in the Copyright acknowledgement blurb who knows.

That is why I would never spend my hard earned on such a system. Limited facilities and often useless manuals that fail to explain how the stuff actually works.”

my remote doesnt have that button or one similar
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