Dolby digital via satellite to Panasonic TV

Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in FreeSat
decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround sound
encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but synthesising
it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal TV
programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R

In article , David WE Roberts wrote:
Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal TV
programs and adverts via FreeSat.

No. You should expect to hear it.

Rod.
--
Virtual Access V6.3 free usenet/email software from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtual-access/

David WE Roberts wrote:
Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in
FreeSat decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround
sound encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but
synthesising it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R

You will only get 5.1 sound on some HD programmes, none on SD. Try
watching Life on BBC HD tonight.

--
Adrian

"Adrian" wrote in message ...
David WE Roberts wrote:
Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in
FreeSat decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround
sound encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel
stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but
synthesising it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R

You will only get 5.1 sound on some HD programmes, none on SD. Try
watching Life on BBC HD tonight.

--
Adrian

But 99% of SD programs - and adverts - do have Dolby Prologic embedded into
the audio. I use a PC myself for Freesat and I can see the Nvidia audio
decoder switching between Prologic II, and 5.1. A major bugbear with BBC HD
is that they flag some broadcasts as 5.1, but actually only the left and
right channels carry any sound, which means audio decoders switch to 5.1 but
you only get stereo - which is the worst scenerio because then you don't
even get the Prologic decoding...

In message , David WE Roberts
wrote

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on
normal TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

No.
Freesat BBC HD often has broadcasts in Dolby5.1 - but not all of the
time.

--

Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

"Alan" wrote in message
...
In message , David WE Roberts
wrote

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

No.
Freesat BBC HD often has broadcasts in Dolby5.1 - but not all of the time.

Yes - you don't specify the type of surround, your amp should be decoding
the Prologic on all programs, and 5.1 surround on the few BBC HD progs that
have it.

On 07/12/2009 18:07, David WE Roberts wrote:
Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in
FreeSat decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround
sound encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but
synthesising it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R

Does your TV allow selection of what is output from the SPDIF output?
Is it set to Auto or PCM?

In article , Peter Watson
wrote:

On 07/12/2009 18:07, David WE Roberts wrote:
Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in
FreeSat decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround
sound encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but
synthesising it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R

Does your TV allow selection of what is output from the SPDIF output?
Is it set to Auto or PCM?

Do any of these channels actually transmit surround? Dolby Digital can
be 2-channel, and on Sky only the Movies channels and occasionally the
Disney channel transmit full Dolby Digital Surround - I've not checked
the BBC on Sky but I would expect everything to be 2 channel?

Roger Wilmut wrote:
In article , Peter Watson
wrote:

On 07/12/2009 18:07, David WE Roberts wrote:
Hi, [beware x-post]

just cabled the digital optical out from my Panasonic with built in
FreeSat decoder to my Sony Home Cinema amplifier.

This is usually pretty good at automatically identifying any surround
sound encoding but only seems to see the audio signal as 2 channel stereo.

When I tell it to use surround sound all the usual lights come on, but I
suspect it isn't seeing the original surround sound signal but
synthesising it itself.

Just checking if I should expect to see surround sound signals on normal
TV programs and adverts via FreeSat.

Cheers

Dave R
Does your TV allow selection of what is output from the SPDIF output?
Is it set to Auto or PCM?

Do any of these channels actually transmit surround? Dolby Digital can
be 2-channel, and on Sky only the Movies channels and occasionally the
Disney channel transmit full Dolby Digital Surround - I've not checked
the BBC on Sky but I would expect everything to be 2 channel?

The BBC definately transmit 5.1 sound for some programmes. So far all
the ITV HD stuff I've seen has been 2.0

--
Adrian