Missing centre audio channel on 5.1 decode

[marengaz]

hi all

i’m experiencing the same problems as this guy, with files with 5.1 audio, but on my pi2b.

Missing center audio channel on 5.1 decode

Hi there, In my setup I have a Vero 4K connected with the TV with HDMI for just image and connected to my audio system with SPDIF for just audio. My audio device is able to decode DTS and AC3 audio. For other formats I have to rely on Vero 4K to do the decoding. This always use to work just great with my Raspberry Pi with OSMC installed. Anyway, now when I play a movie with let’s say FLAC 5.1 audio, which cannot be decoded by my audio system, then I hear some audio, but not all channels. It so…

the centre and rear left and right channels are missing.

details about my setup:
osmc 2017.05-2
tv is Samsung UE55F9000
sonos playbar (front - C, L and R)
sonos play:1 (rear L and R)
no sub
i tried clicking passthrough on and off and all the settings in there

my expert audio settings are the same as his screenshots show, apart from i am using audio output PI: HMDI.
changing audio output to ALSA or number of channels to 2.1 seems to revert to 2.1 sound.

the guy in the other post mentions he has a digi+ hat. is that a prerequisite for a pi to output 5.1 sound?

any help is much appreciated!
thanks

[popcornmix]

How are you connecting devices?
e.g. is it pi connected to TV through HDMI and TV connected to playbar through optical?

I believe playbar supports Dolby Digital (AC3) but not DTS or multichannel PCM.

So, set number of channels to “2.0” (note this is the physical transport - it can still handle 5.1 audio through AC3)
Enable passthrough.
Enable Dolby Digital (AC3) passthrough
Enable Dolby Digital (AC3) transcoding
Disable DTS passthrough