5.1 Audio on any Google TV?

[BryanLeeRagon]

Can anyone verify that their GoogleTV device is capable of sending a properly mixed 5.1 Dolby Digital signal to their audio receiver? Either from Netflix (streaming a 5.1 video) or from local media (i.e. a rip that has properly encoded 5.1 sound).

I ask because the optical digital audio out from my LG 47G2 is crap. There is no dialog in the center channel, and the surround sound is not there. I'm getting conflicting information from different LG sources. On the phone, they say it should work. Via online chat, they say it's a known issue that it will only output 2.1 sound. And that they don't know if it will be "Fixed" because they claim it's an Android OS limitation and so Google will have to fix it. That it's not their implementation of Google TV.

Highly frustrated.

 

[Kamin]

The Vizio Co-star that is fixing to hit seems to have 5.1 capability

VIZIO Co-Star

 

[BryanLeeRagon]

Correction:

Up to 5.1 channels of surround sound pass-through

So my question is still un-answered. I don't have terrestrial cable. I don't even have satelite TV. I don't even use optical media such as blu-ray. I stream all my content.

So I'm not talking about 5.1 passthrough. I want to know if I stream a video that has 5.1 sound, or if I play a local file (MKV, MP4) that has 5.1 encoding.... is there a GoogleTV device out there that can send this 5.1 sound to the audio receiver.

 

[BryanLeeRagon]

Bumping because I can't believe I'm the only person who's tried to do this.

 

[Kamin]

hope you find your answer

 

[BryanLeeRagon]

Me too, lol. Pretty sure I'm going to end up returning my LG 47G2, and get a "dumb TV" and then get the latest Sony Google TV media box. Even if it doesn't support 5.1 yet, at least it's only a $200 replacement in a couple years instead of a $1k TV.

 

[BryanLeeRagon]

Okay, I returned the 47G2 and got a "dumb" TV and a Sony NSZ-GS7 (Really Sony? Which marketing genius thought that was a good name?). HDMI out from the Sony to my Pioneer receiver to my new TV. Netflix streams 5.1 sound perfect. The Sony doesn't have a DLNA client by default, so I installed GTVBox. It plays 5.1 audio from my local DLNA server no issue.

One minor issue, the Sony doesn't appear to support DTS, while the 47G2 "did." I say "did" because it would play the video and audio, but it would mix the audio to a 2.1 signal. The Sony appears to simply refuse to play any file with DTS audio.