I just took the HDMI cable from the DISH to my receiver and replaced it with one that was labeled as high speed HDMI and removed the optical cable and now I have DD 5.1 from the hopper. The cable must matter and that the original one was an older generic one.
Hopper not outputting 5.1 Dolby Digital
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I started having the same problem on all our HD receivers. I don't think it's a receiver problem. I suspect that Dish has either eliminated or cut back most of the Dolby Digital service they have had. I called advanced tech service and chatted with advanced tech service. All settings are proper, but HD broadcasting on every channel is stereo, not DD. In both instances, phone and chat, the techs went into a spiel about how much broadband width DD uses, so it's not on all HD broadcasts.
I first noticed it while watching an NFL game this weekend. It was not in surround sound. I then went through every HD channel from the local channels to the movie channels. Every one showed only stereo.
I've spent a couple of hours searching the official Dish web site, and cannot find any mention of surround sound or Dolby Digital. I sent an Email asking if they had reduced or eliminated broadcasting through DD, citing my experience with their tech service. Have yet to receive a reply.
I am using an optical fiber connector.
I first noticed it while watching an NFL game this weekend. It was not in surround sound. I then went through every HD channel from the local channels to the movie channels. Every one showed only stereo.
I've spent a couple of hours searching the official Dish web site, and cannot find any mention of surround sound or Dolby Digital. I sent an Email asking if they had reduced or eliminated broadcasting through DD, citing my experience with their tech service. Have yet to receive a reply.
I am using an optical fiber connector.
Here's the latest story I'm getting from DISH. They cannot broadcast in 5.1 unless the station from which they get the signal is broadcasting in 5.1. How much DD programming are you receiving from DISH?
We have a 160 dollar per month package which includes all the premium movie channels, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, etc. I haven't been able to find a single movie or program that plays in anything but stereo.
We have a 160 dollar per month package which includes all the premium movie channels, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, etc. I haven't been able to find a single movie or program that plays in anything but stereo.
Yes, they can only broadcast is 5.1 if the station is broadcasting in 5.1 I just checked my hopper going to a Sony a/v receiver via optic cable and the receiver shows DD 5.1 on channels broadcasting (the Dish info channel showed LPCM 2.0). It was on the local NBC channel showing Dr. Phil and it was in 5.1. I switched it up to 5-Max which was showing Aliens and it was coming through in 5.1 as well. Seems like either your Dish receiver is bad or your hookups are bad or your audio receiver is bad (or one or all of them isn't set up correctly).
Agreed. Most likely, a AV receiver setting problem. I can set mine to only output only stereo if I wanted.
I understand they cannot broadcast in DD unless they receive DD. But, can they receive a DD signal and rebroadcast in stereo, or something less than DD?
Here's my other issue. The first two techs I spoke with told me about how much bandwidth it takes to broadcast surround sound. To paraphrase what they told me, Dish has to pick and choose which programs to broadcast in DD because of the amount of bandwidth needed. Today, I'm being told that the channels, which include the premium movie channels and local channels may not be sending them the signal in DD. To me, the key phrase is "may not be".
No one at DISH seems to be able to name a single channel or program that is broadcast with DD. I'll admit I'm a cynic, and question just about everything I am told, but I've been around for over seven decades and can usually sense when someone is giving me a song and dance. My guess is that DISH has recently instituted drastic cuts in the DD programming, but don't want to openly admit it.
It's like Dial soap. Don't know if you use it or not, but I can remember when It was a good sized bar with convex surfaces on all six sides. Over the years, Dial has shaved that bar of bath soap to half of what it used to be. On the two large surfaces they have hollowed one side lengthwise and the other side crosswise. If the center of the bar is thicker than a quarter inch it's not by much.
Coffee cans that used to hold a pound, now hold fourteen or fifteen ounces. Recently half gallon cartons of orange and other juices have been shrunk from their half gallon size (64 ounces) by five ounces, rather than raising the price.
Businesses would rather reduce the amount of their product than to raise prices. It occurs to me that DISH may be following suit. Reduce the extra costs of broadcasting by cutting back or eliminating DD rather than raising the price of their product.
That's why I'm asking if anyone else is receiving surround sound programming.
When we first got DISH it was because they offered channels that the local cable company did not. We are racing fans and Charter did not broadcast the NASCAR races that were on FX, if I'm not mistaken.
The HD programs were only a handful. There was a travel channel, one that showed fish in an aquarium (great for showing off the HD imagery) and maybe a half dozen more. The only surround sound we had was from DVDs played through the audio video receiver. The upconvert DVD player produced an image close to HD. When DISH started adding HD and then surround sound to the movie channels, it was great.
I've searched the DISH site and the only reference I find to DD is on one of the receivers on the product page, the Duo ViP 222k. On the list of features is a line that says + Dolby® Digital audio. No mention of it anywhere on their web site.
Here's my other issue. The first two techs I spoke with told me about how much bandwidth it takes to broadcast surround sound. To paraphrase what they told me, Dish has to pick and choose which programs to broadcast in DD because of the amount of bandwidth needed. Today, I'm being told that the channels, which include the premium movie channels and local channels may not be sending them the signal in DD. To me, the key phrase is "may not be".
No one at DISH seems to be able to name a single channel or program that is broadcast with DD. I'll admit I'm a cynic, and question just about everything I am told, but I've been around for over seven decades and can usually sense when someone is giving me a song and dance. My guess is that DISH has recently instituted drastic cuts in the DD programming, but don't want to openly admit it.
It's like Dial soap. Don't know if you use it or not, but I can remember when It was a good sized bar with convex surfaces on all six sides. Over the years, Dial has shaved that bar of bath soap to half of what it used to be. On the two large surfaces they have hollowed one side lengthwise and the other side crosswise. If the center of the bar is thicker than a quarter inch it's not by much.
Coffee cans that used to hold a pound, now hold fourteen or fifteen ounces. Recently half gallon cartons of orange and other juices have been shrunk from their half gallon size (64 ounces) by five ounces, rather than raising the price.
Businesses would rather reduce the amount of their product than to raise prices. It occurs to me that DISH may be following suit. Reduce the extra costs of broadcasting by cutting back or eliminating DD rather than raising the price of their product.
That's why I'm asking if anyone else is receiving surround sound programming.
When we first got DISH it was because they offered channels that the local cable company did not. We are racing fans and Charter did not broadcast the NASCAR races that were on FX, if I'm not mistaken.
The HD programs were only a handful. There was a travel channel, one that showed fish in an aquarium (great for showing off the HD imagery) and maybe a half dozen more. The only surround sound we had was from DVDs played through the audio video receiver. The upconvert DVD player produced an image close to HD. When DISH started adding HD and then surround sound to the movie channels, it was great.
I've searched the DISH site and the only reference I find to DD is on one of the receivers on the product page, the Duo ViP 222k. On the list of features is a line that says + Dolby® Digital audio. No mention of it anywhere on their web site.
Well that was a mouth full. Since everyone else says they are getting 5.1 DD (myself included) and you're not, where would you logically say the problem lies?
Dish does not do this. They broadcast what the networks send them. As may have mentioned, you have an equipment problem.
I can understand your frustration. But unless they are specifically targeting certain people, I feel there is something wonky with your setup (or you have a bad Hopper). There have been several people here that are receiving DD 5.1 on programming that includes it. Maybe you have a list of shows in your DVR that we can look through, and maybe from that we can point to a specific show that we know output as 5.1. We watched NCIS LA last night, and it was in 5.1, it was recorded from the Satellite stream (not OTA).
I'm sure you've done this, but in the audio settings there is a choice for DD/PCM, or PCM only. Make sure you've got the DD/PCM checked. You might want to try running an optical cable to your AVR, and see if you can pick it up that way. Depending on the AVR and how new it is, it may have issues with sound over HDMI.
Also what make and model is your AVR? Someone here may be familiar with it and can point us to some hidden setting that is only outputting in 2.0.
I'm sure you've done this, but in the audio settings there is a choice for DD/PCM, or PCM only. Make sure you've got the DD/PCM checked. You might want to try running an optical cable to your AVR, and see if you can pick it up that way. Depending on the AVR and how new it is, it may have issues with sound over HDMI.
Also what make and model is your AVR? Someone here may be familiar with it and can point us to some hidden setting that is only outputting in 2.0.
As far as the bandwidth being mentioned.. That sounds to me like RSNs and HD. Some games are not broadcast in HD due to bandwidth while others are. I've seen that discussed before and sounds more accurate than DD not being broadcast due to bandwidth. Maybe the installer was confused.
I had a similar issue with my 622 over the optical output. The issue was a programming bug in the 622.
When I had the alternate audio set to ANYTHING other than English, DD would NOT work even if there was no alternate audio. IOW the default audio track would revert to PCM. When I set Alternate audio back to English, DD lit up right away.
I used to have my receivers set to "Japanese" so I could watch FreeTVJapan in English when available. Since there are no other channels that use this alternate audio designation, I decided to leave it like that. That is how I discovered the DD issue with the 622
So the question is, is this bug still present on the hoppers? Doubt it, but why not check it out.
When I had the alternate audio set to ANYTHING other than English, DD would NOT work even if there was no alternate audio. IOW the default audio track would revert to PCM. When I set Alternate audio back to English, DD lit up right away.
I used to have my receivers set to "Japanese" so I could watch FreeTVJapan in English when available. Since there are no other channels that use this alternate audio designation, I decided to leave it like that. That is how I discovered the DD issue with the 622
So the question is, is this bug still present on the hoppers? Doubt it, but why not check it out.
Dolby Digital is part of the HD standard and should be present in all HD content. If it's not present, the OP has an equipment problem either his or, Dish's.
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I'd say the problem lies in the antenna or the connections between the antenna and the house. We certainly didn't have three receivers to south simultaneously. In my initial contact I went through all the step by step process with the advanced tech person to no avail. All the settings on the receiver were correct. They sent a replacement receiver and said if that didn't resolve the issue they would send a tech to our home to check out the rest of the system.
They couldn't manage to activate the receiver they sent. It would acquire a signal, but it would not download the program guide. The first problem was that they system info button was frozen and would not move, but he was able to work around that. In the end, the tech instructed me to hook up the original receiver. Then we went through the steps to make sure that it was activated and working properly. He then told me to send the replacement receiver back.
For whatever reason, they aren't going to send a tech to our home to check the antenna and the cables that lead to the house.
The audio receiver is connected with an optical cable, and the AVR is set to theater 5.1, as it has been from day one.
They couldn't manage to activate the receiver they sent. It would acquire a signal, but it would not download the program guide. The first problem was that they system info button was frozen and would not move, but he was able to work around that. In the end, the tech instructed me to hook up the original receiver. Then we went through the steps to make sure that it was activated and working properly. He then told me to send the replacement receiver back.
For whatever reason, they aren't going to send a tech to our home to check the antenna and the cables that lead to the house.
The audio receiver is connected with an optical cable, and the AVR is set to theater 5.1, as it has been from day one.
My problem has nothing to do with the installer. We've had the system up and running for six or seven years. We've replace two or three receivers that have gone bad, and the two antenna system was changed to a single antenna a couple of years ago when DISH went through some system updates. We don't have kids around the house that could have tinkered with the electronics. We don't play games on the system. It's used for television and playing video discs. Nothing has been moved and no equipment has been changed.
As previously stated, we have three receivers, and they are all showing the same thing. The only common denominator is the signal source, the antenna, and the input cable/wiring.
As previously stated, we have three receivers, and they are all showing the same thing. The only common denominator is the signal source, the antenna, and the input cable/wiring.
Don't have a hopper. We have a vip211, a vip211k, and a vip722k dvr. The audio settings are sound leveling enable, Dolby Digital/PCM on and RF. Line is not accessible. On the program guide and on the programs themselves, all I can fing on the HD programs is (HD) (CC) (Stereo). Nothing is showing as DD. That is on all three televisions, each with their own receiver. One AVR is a HarmanKardon 6.1. The model must be on the back, and it would be a project to get to it.
The audio cable from the receiver to the AVR is optical fiber.
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If you are receiving a signal of audio and video, I doubt the problem lies in the dish or the connections between the dish and the house. I don't see the 5.1 audio being lost at any of these points. If you aren't getting 5.1 on any of your HD Dish Receivers, the arrow is pointing to your AVR.
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