[bkreger]

HBO GO in Dolby Digital 5.1
I have a PS4 and a Windows 8 PC. The HBO Go app just released on the PS4 does not support 5.1 surrund sound. What are my best options on the PC that I can watch HBO go in 5.1 dolby digital. I have a high end video card via HDMI going to my Onkyo receiver. I can get netflix and movies in 5.1, but I want to use HBO Go in Dolby Digital. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[RRS1947]

bekreger,

Sorry I cannot help you with using on your PC or the PS4.

I chose a Roku 2XS as my streaming device because it has all the major providers I use it along with my Yamaha A/V Receiver :

Netflix DD+, 1080p

HBO GO DD 5.1, 720p

Showtime Anytime PCM 2 channel only but sounds fine using the Dolby Prologic II Movie decoder, 720p

Amazon Instant Video DD+, 720p

Vudu DD+, 1080p

Pandora PCM 2 channel. I use 2.1 output (Yamaha adds the 2.1 with an "extra Bass" setting)

Rob

 

[Mr.G]

Amazon Instant Video DD+, 720p

Haven't we established that Amazon Prime now streams 1080p and DD+?

Depending on the device, Amazon supports up to 1080p (HD) streaming with 5.1 Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus audio. For titles that are only available for purchase (and not included in a customer's Amazon Prime subscription), the HD option is often offered at an additional price. By the end of 2014, Amazon will support 4K (UHD) streaming, beginning with its original content.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Instant_Video

I recently watched a movie on Amazon Prime which had DD+ and while monitoring my router's download speeds I could see they were consistently peaking at or above 9 Mbps. Unlike VUDU which shows a fairly consistent download speed, the Amazon Prime download showed a pronounced sawtooth pattern, high download speeds alternating with low speeds. This was on a Roku 3.

 

[bkreger]

On Netflix on the PC, most of the movies are in Dolby and Super HD, but on my PS4 it comes up on my receiver as multichannel. I don't know why they can't all have apps across all devices that support Dolby.

 

[RRS1947]

Haven't we established that Amazon Prime now streams 1080p and DD+?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Instant_Video

I recently watched a movie on Amazon Prime which had DD+ and while monitoring my router's download speeds I could see they were consistently peaking at or above 9 Mbps. Unlike VUDU which shows a fairly consistent download speed, the Amazon Prime download showed a pronounced sawtooth pattern, high download speeds alternating with low speeds. This was on a Roku 3.

Over the past two years my Roku 2XS and Yamaha A/V receiver only streamed Amazon DD 5.1 or PCM 2 channel stereo. I noticed the jump to DD+ about a week ago on my system due to always keeping an eye on which decoder is in use with what is playing. The last time I read the Wikipedia page in the Spring of 2014 Amazon's video quality was listed as 720p. Apparently it has been edited since then.

When did Amazon make the change from 720p to 1080p? I rarely watch Amazon, maybe once or twice a month. I use my Amazon Prime subscription for the shipping. The Directv THR-22 Tivo HD DVR is my primary viewing source and I use the Roku 2XS for Netflix, Amazon, HBO Go, Showtime Anytime, and Vudu.

Thanks,

Rob

-

 

[Mr.G]

Over the past two years my Roku 2XS and Yamaha A/V receiver only streamed Amazon DD 5.1 or PCM 2 channel stereo. I noticed the jump to DD+ about a week ago on my system due to always keeping an eye on which decoder is in use with what is playing. The last time I read the Wikipedia page in the Spring of 2014 Amazon's video quality was listed as 720p. Apparently it has been edited since then.

When did Amazon make the change from 720p to 1080p? I rarely watch Amazon, maybe once or twice a month. I use my Amazon Prime subscription for the shipping. The Directv THR-22 Tivo HD DVR is my primary viewing source and I use the Roku 2XS for Netflix, Amazon, HBO Go, Showtime Anytime, and Vudu.

Thanks,

Rob

-

I assume the change from 720p to 1080p has been a recent development.

This afternoon I revisited the Amazon Prime HD movie I watched recently with DD+ sound, Joe with Nicholas Cage.

Here is the screen capture of my Tomato router download for the first 10 minutes.

 

[mailiang]

When did Amazon make the change from 720p to 1080p? I rarely watch Amazon, maybe once or twice a month. I use my Amazon Prime subscription for the shipping. The Directv THR-22 Tivo HD DVR is my primary viewing source and I use the Roku 2XS for Netflix, Amazon, HBO Go, Showtime Anytime, and Vudu.

Thanks,

Rob

-

Seems we have similar viewing habits and equipment. DTV HR 22 and Roku 2. However, I've been doing most my of my streaming with my Panasonic S60 which shows the actual streaming resolution on Netflix. Not sure how you would be able to get that info on Amazon, unless there's an application for it.

I assume the change from 720p to 1080p has been a recent development.

This afternoon I revisited the Amazon Prime HD movie I watched recently with DD+ sound, Joe with Nicholas Cage.

Here is the screen capture of my Tomato router download for the first 10 minutes.

Now that's what I need, a Tomato router! Does it come with a salad?


Ian

 

[RRS1947]

Seems we have similar viewing habits and equipment. DTV HR 22 and Roku 2. However, I've been doing most my of my streaming with my Panasonic S60 which shows the actual streaming resolution on Netflix. Not sure how you would be able to get that info on Amazon, unless there's an application for it.

Ian

Hello Ian. If by information you are speaking of the Amazon DD+ stream my Yamaha A/V receiver displays the presently playing audio source decoder on the front of the receiver display.

Rob

 

[RRS1947]

I assume the change from 720p to 1080p has been a recent development.

This afternoon I revisited the Amazon Prime HD movie I watched recently with DD+ sound, Joe with Nicholas Cage.

Here is the screen capture of my Tomato router download for the first 10 minutes.

Thank you Mr.G for the reply. I added all my HBO Go series list titles to Amazon's watch list. After watching a few test segments of different series, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Big Love, Deadwood, etc. The video and sound quality is far superior with Amazon.

Rob

 

[Mr.G]

Now that's what I need, a Tomato router! Does it come with a salad?

Ian

It's actually the bare bones version of the full featured BLT model.

 

[mailiang]

Hello Ian. If by information you are speaking of the Amazon DD+ stream my Yamaha A/V receiver displays the presently playing audio source decoder on the front of the receiver display.

Rob

I was referring to Amazon's video resolution, which unlike Netflix videos, can not be displayed on my smart TV. Like most AVR displays, mine also shows the audio format.


Ian

 

[RRS1947]

I was referring to Amazon's video resolution, which unlike Netflix videos, can not be displayed on my smart TV. Like most AVR displays, mine also shows the audio format.


Ian

No Ian I cannot see Amazon's video resolution on my screen. I was letting my eyes judge between HBO Go's known resolution of 720p and Amazon's HBO selections which are available to Prime users.

Watching several HBO series short segments with both showed me that Amazon's is now sharper with better color balance and saturation than watching with HBO Go. It is widely known that most people do not notice the difference in 720p vs 1080p depending on their vision, screen size, pixel pitch and distance from the screen. As a benchmark I used Netflix House of Cards vs Amazon HoC season one which was free to own for Amazon Prime member's as an incentive while viewing the free one month of Prime before subscribing. Netflix 1080p is far superior and close to Blu-ray 1080p 24fps. Next to Netflix Amazon and HBO Go both look like 720p. Which makes Amazon vs HBO Go seem like Amazon may be a "new, improved and enhanced 720p".

Whether or not Amazon has actually increased their streaming resolution from 720p to 1080p is not settled for me. We all know that marketing hype has the ability to influence our perceptions. Wikipedia stating that Amazon Instant Video is now 1080p when last summer it stated it was 720p is not the deciding factor for me.

When I was a small child in the early 1950's and saw my 1st TV broadcast and that was Super Uper Duper HD to me! Then a trip to my 1st movie theater made TV look like crap. Then enters color TV and on and on........

The issue I notice with Amazon's DD+ is their input gain is about 5-7db lower than all my other streaming sources DD+.

Rob

_

 

[mailiang]

I've compared HBO GO to HBO on Directv, and although HBO is 1080i, compared to HBO Go, which now streams in 1080p, HBO still looks better to me. To my eyes, Netflix and Vudu are the only streaming services that I have watched that actually display any significant improvement in detail when displaying 1080p.

Ian

 

[metalsaber]

I've compared HBO GO to HBO on Directv, and although HBO is 1080i, compared to HBO Go, which now streams in 1080p, HBO still looks better to me. To my eyes, Netflix and Vudu are the only streaming services that I have watched that actually display any significant improvement in detail when displaying 1080p.

Ian

I had recently watched True Detectives on HBO Go and had also watched in on Comcast HBO in HD. HBO Go was much better looking imo.

 

[mailiang]

I had recently watched True Detectives on HBO Go and had also watched in on Comcast HBO in HD. HBO Go was much better looking imo.

Comparing HBO GO to two different carriers, in this case Comcast cable and Directv satellite, is like comparing apples to oranges, Different providers, different technology.

Ian

 

[metalsaber]

Comparing two different carriers, in this case Comcast cable verses Directv satellite, is like comparing apples to oranges, Different providers, different technology.

Ian

Which is true. Just giving the opposite prospective.

 

[aaronwt]

As a benchmark I used Netflix House of Cards vs Amazon HoC season one which was free to own for Amazon Prime member's as an incentive while viewing the free one month of Prime before subscribing. Netflix 1080p is far superior and close to Blu-ray 1080p 24fps.
..................

_

I thought HoC at 1080P looked extremely good when streamed from Netflix. But when I rented and watched the Blu-ray Discs from Netflix, the picture easily went way beyond. The stream picture quality was easily outdone by the BD picture quality..

 

[mailiang]

I thought HoC at 1080P looked extremely good when streamed from Netflix. But when I rented and watched the Blu-ray Discs from Netflix, the picture easily went way beyond. The stream picture quality was easily outdone by the BD picture quality..

HOC looks good as far as streaming goes, but other titles like Marco Polo, look better and more Blu-ray like.

Ian

 

[StormCrow]

PS4, Amazon streaming shows the resolution on the pop up progress bar, which also has the FF,RW, controls, etc.

If it is an old, non HD show. The "HD" there will be grayed out.

If it is simple HD, likely 720P, the" HD" is bright white.

If it is 1080P, the "HD" will be bright white and 1080P will display prominently beside it.

Example 1080P shows are; Orphan Black, SG-1 (starting season 8), Stargate Atlantis, to name a few. For some reason, I don't often get Star Trek TNG in 1080P, but sometimes do.

I also use NetFlix and can see res, by pushing the Options button. It doesn't say Super HD, or 1080P anymore. Just 720, or 1080, etc. If the show says it's HD, it will eventually kick up to 1080.

I don't have great luck with HBO Go. I can see the frames drop and is often a muddy viewing experience. And why the PS4 is only DD 2 channel, I can't figure out!

 

[david8613]

HBO go is a no go for dolby digital, it doesn't pass the signal. I tried via tv boxes and my computer which pass dolby digital from others sources like netflix no problem. I was hoping to hear game of thrones in dolby atmos.