5.1 surround not properly channelized with optical audio i/p

[jebarajjohn]

I have the following home theater setup:

1. My video source is my laptop (lenovo yoga 910) which is casting the videos to chrome cast (via video stream, you tube etc.). The chrome cast HDMI is connected to a WiiStar HDMI to HDMI and Optical Spdif converter. The HDMI pass through is connected to a projector (Epson TW6700) and the optical audio is connected to 5.1 Home Theater (Sony DAV DZ-810 DVD player). [Note: This home theater doesn't have an HDMI input. that is the reason i had to go for optical audio input]. Now when i play a 5.1 dolby test video from you tube, I can hear and confirm that the front left, center and front right channels play correctly, but the rear left and rear right sorround channels are heard from the front left and front right channels instead of the rear ones.

2. Also if i copy the video to an USB and connect it to the USB input in the home theater and change the function mode to USB, still the rear channels have the same problem.

3. However when i play from the dvd source in the home theater, all channels work fine.

Any idea where is the problem? Could it be the decoder works only for the DVD source and not the USB or the digital audio inputs in this home theater? Or could it be in the connectivity. Any tips on how to troubleshoot and fix this issue? I'm looking for alternate options other than buying a new home theater with HDMI i/p.

 

[americanaudiophile]

It seems that the issue is not the HTS but the source. HDMI won't make any difference either.
Check the audio setting in the TV.. Bitstream is the usual setting for surround sound (PCM for stereo).
Check the audio setting in the laptop too.
A lot of video files have been altered to reduce size and the most common method is to strip down the audio options.

 

[madmatt30]

What happens if you play a dvd off the laptop ??

What happens when you play a sound test from the windows playback devices tab??

You do have this set to 5.1 audio ??

 

[jebarajjohn]

What happens if you play a dvd off the laptop ??

What happens when you play a sound test from the windows playback devices tab??

You do have this set to 5.1 audio ??

the windows realtek hd audio has only stereo option set. How do i set 5.1 audio to it ? I don't see an option. Btw, does it matter in this case since i'm using chromecast to cast the video/audio. this should not use the laptop audio settings right? or would it?

 

[jebarajjohn]

It seems that the issue is not the HTS but the source. HDMI won't make any difference either.
Check the audio setting in the TV.. Bitstream is the usual setting for surround sound (PCM for stereo).
Check the audio setting in the laptop too.
A lot of video files have been altered to reduce size and the most common method is to strip down the audio options.

Probably you're right, It might not be an issue with the HTS. The audio setting in the laptop is by default stereo i guess. I checked the control panel ->sound option. Is there some place i can check if it's bitstream? Btw. My laptop has the Digital Dolby Premium installed in it by default. And the dolby is ON. However in the playback devices tab, when i try to configure sound, the sound configuration drop down is disabled with stereo set on it. I guess the setting is handled by the Realtek, but not sure how to ensure 5.1 surround is sent out.

 

[jebarajjohn]

An update to my original post (question). When i put in the right file (the exact same file as of the DVD) in a pen drive and play via the USB port of the HTS. I am able to get the 5.1 correctly channeled on all 6 channels.
However when i play the dvd from the laptop, it has the same problem of rear left/right heard in front left/right speakers.

So looks like my laptop is outputting only stereo. I have a Realtek HD Audio, but when i try to configure it for 5.1, I don't see a 5.1 or dolby channel option in the playback tab configure window. I tried re-installing the driver but still couldn't see any 5.1 option. Infact now am not able to open Realteck HD Audio Manager. Any idea how to get 5.1 surround sound from windows 10 via the Realtek HD Audio card?