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sdschramm
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Chromecast Ultra: only stereo until rebooted, then 5.1 surround sound

I have the "Stadia Premiere Edition" which consists of a Chromecast Ultra and a controller. (so I am not "casting" from another device, it's playing direct off the Chromecast Ultra. The first time I plugged it in and turned it on, I was able to play games in 5.1 surround sound. The next time I tried to play the same game which was is 5.1, it was only coming in at 2.0 stereo. I found that if I rebooted the Chromecast, the 5.1 surround sound would come back. This happens every single time....so any time I want to use it I have to reboot it right before playing Stadia or 5.1 does not work. I have tried a factory reset of the Chromecast and it did not solve the issue.

Sound.jpg

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17 Replies
YorkshireLion
Community Member

Did you manage to fix this I have exactly the same issue, is your receiver a Denon? I have a X2300W.

I have to reboot every time like you say to get the 5.1 back instead of 2.0 

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sdschramm
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Within the 6 hours between my post and your reply, no solution has been found.

And yes, I'm using a Denon X3400H

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JohnZoidberg
Gold Stadia Guide
Gold Stadia Guide

Question for anyone experiencing this issue: Is this problem only happening for Stadia, or does it affect any streaming media through the CCU (e.g., Netflix)?

Why not Zoidberg?
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sdschramm
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

I first tried Stadia and it started in Stereo. I then tried Netflix and it switched to Dolby Digital +. I then switched back to Stadia and then it changed to "Multi In" and the surround sound worked. So I'm not sure if this helps or not....still can't determine if this is a Chromecast issue or a Stadia issue. I'm also not sure the difference between DD+ and Multi In as both appear to be 5.1, but different versions of it.

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YorkshireLion
Community Member

I also tried switching to casting a show on Netflix and then back to Stadia and it worked for me as well. 

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YorkshireLion
Community Member

I only use the CCU for Stada but will try Netflix

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YorkshireLion
Community Member

Having just rebooted the chromecast to regain 5.1 rather than stereo, it is as though the chromecast doesn’t inform the amp of the 5.1. After reboot it starts of in Stereo, then I launch Metro Redux you see the amp change to 5.1 as it gets the signal. 

Somehow this isn’t being passed after the first time, could just be a Denon issue. 

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YorkshireLion
Community Member

I would love a fix for this is it is getting annoying to have to reboot each time. 

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cr7777
Community Member

Same issue here - The reboot is just part of my pre-stadia routine now. Happens every single time without fail, and the reboot fixes it every single time.

Pioneer amp, Sony TV.

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YorkshireLion
Community Member

Hi all,

How do you guys connect your Chromecast, are you plugging directly into your receiver like me, or plugging into the TV?

I spoke to Google support and they said that to use Surround Sound you have to have eARC which is a HDMI 2.1 feature. I then stated that I plug the Chromecast into my receiver and do not use eARC or ARC. To me plugging into the TV and using ARC is a backwards type setup. My receiver can decode all modern formats and pass on both HDR and 4K which it does without issue. 

I think the issue is that when launching a game, Stadia forgets to refresh the signal to say its 5.1 so the receiver doesn’t know. I would imagine this is an easy fix as I don’t have any issues with any other equipment.

The issue I take with all my resent communication with Google help is that they are super militant in their thinking and are unwilling to actually problem solve problems beyond the dialog tree they have in front on them.  

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sdschramm
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

I plug the Chromecast directly into my AVR.

The only reason to plug it into the TV is if your AVR does not pass 4K and you have a 4K TV and in that case yes, sometimes 5.1 might not pass through ARC but it would be consistent and not fixed by a reboot of the Chromecast.

So far my solution is plugging the AV power adapter of the Chromecast into a smart switch which I have triggered based upon my AVR being on or off. The only downside with this is it takes a minute or two for the Chromecast to boot each time everything turns on but I'd rather have that inconvenience instead of having to manually reboot it each time I want surround sound to work.

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inwardmilk
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

I have a similar issue with HDR. I have to reboot my CCU for Stadia to recognize that my TV is capable of HDR. But knowing Google support, they won't admit it's an issue and just let it fester, and then maybe fix it silently years later.

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Kilvearn
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

I have the exact same problem with another Denon AVR : The X3200w. 

I also have to stream a Netflix content to force 5.1 and go back to Stadia then... 

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Broncanius
Founder
Founder

Exact same problem for me. 5.1 was working fine yesterday with my Denon AVC-X3700H. Since today I only receive PCM 2.0 when using Stadia. Usually Stadia gives me PCM 5.1.

When I check my connection it says "5.1 Surround Sound: Unsupported Device". 4K and HDR is fine. 

No problems with Netfilx, which passes through DD+ just fine. So I assume the problem is within the Stadia app.

First streaming Netfilx and then switching won't work for me. When launching Stadia the signal switches back to Stereo.

Also launching the game from mobile phone and cast to CCU won't solve the problem for me. Restart also did not solve anything. 

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Creepyg81
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Yup, same thing here. I did manage to get 5.1 by rebooting the CCU a few times but it just reverts back to Stereo eventually.

As a new Stadia user it's massively disappointing, especially as it's not a new issue and Google seem to be ignoring it.

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DaBbleR
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Same here, not able to play 5.1... I guess Google should consider looking into it 

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IgX
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

I read topics dating back to february 2019. We are two years further and still this issue hasnt been resolved?

Just received the CCU and controller package today. Installed it all and was very disappoined to see it failing to deliver 5.1

And then the easy way out would be to let the community wait for the next gen hdmi 2.1 receivers. But who knows how long that will take before the bugs related to the 2.1 chips will be fixed.

Must say I am disappointed. Mainlu because I'm so excited about this tech. There is just this one last key item on the list that hasnt been resolved in over 2 years. That is actually painfull.

 

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