Xbox One X - DD and DTS 5.1 Problems over Optical Connection

I have a new Xbox One X and noticed that sounds which are supposed to be coming just from rear surrounds are also coming out the fronts.

My set up is Xbox -> optical -> Denon receiver -> 5 speakers.

Xbox is set to TV audio off, Bitstream, and Dolby Digital (I tried DTS and it has same issue)

To test the system I first used the receiver's own test tones to prove the speakers were wired correctly - they are.

Next, I used a DVD player which is connected to my receiver by optical. I used the 'Digital Video Essentials' test DVD to play the pink noise test tones from each speaker in turn - the tones from the DVD player also played to the correct
speaker - so the receiver is decoding DD and DTS correctly. I also used a THX test from another DVD - again, the tones came out of the correct speakers.

Finally, I put both DVDs in the Bluray player in the One X and played same tests. Result: what a mess - every tone that should be coming out a rear surround is
also coming out the respective front speaker, with the net result that
sounds are never completely behind you.

It looks like that the DD or DTS encoding in the One X is being done incorrectly, or the DD/DTS data on the DVD is being re-encoded incorrectly by the Xbox One X, or I have an Xbox setup problem.

I need help from Support to figure out why these industry-standard surround sound tests are failing on the optical connection.

:)

 

Not getting a digital signal to my soundbar from XB1.

It would not allow you to select 5.1 uncompressed when set to auto because your TV does not support 5.1 uncompressed, which the TV reported during the HDMI handshake (generally, uncompressed 5.1 would require a receiver). Even if your TV did support uncompressed
5.1, that can't be sent over optical anyway--only compressed 5.1 (i.e. Dolby Digital or DTS) can be. The Xbox One does not currently output Dolby Digital. It does apparently output DTS, but your TV won't pass DTS over optical from what I can find (most won't
pass 5.1 at all but looks like yours will do DD). As suggested, you can try running optical directly from your Xbox One to your soundbar with the One set to output DTS.

 

HDMI Audio & Optical Audio

Gunjee, you must connect your soundbar to an optical (or red/white analog) audio OUTPUT on your TV, NOT an input as you described.

OrphenCB, you can't select the 5.1/7.1 uncompressed audio options because your setup doesn't support it. Optical out only supports 2-channel uncompressed PCM or compressed DD 5.1 (which Xbox One currently does not support). You also can't send uncompressed
5.1/7.1 PCM to your TV via HDMI because your TV doesn't support that, which the Xbox knows via the HDMI handshake and, thus, disables. Try setting the Xbox to send DTS over its optical out to the receiver if your receiver supports DTS. Otherwise, you'll have
to wait until the Xbox can output DD or get a better/newer receiver... BTW, if/when the Xbox supports DD output over optical, run that directly to your receiver--not via HDMI to your TV then optical out to your receiver. Most TVs will NOT send DD 5.1 from
an HDMI source out via the TV's optical out.

 

After a week of exchanging info with Support, the issue has resolved itself. I have no idea how, but all the DVD tests now work perfectly in the Blu ray app over optical. Software update in last 3 days perhaps..? Puzzling.

 

I figured out what happened. After I noticed the problem and reported it here I joined the Xbox Insider program. While I was away last few days it DL'd and installed a pre-release OS (#1805). So it seems this pre-release has fixed
the issue I noticed with the deployed release.