[robertkjr3d]

I want 5.1 audio, but don't want to purchase a Roku or whatever device. I have Windows 7 64bit machine:


I know Windows 7 with a Browser via Silverlight will not do it. HD video yes, but crappy audio. I've heard that the Windows8 app will do it (but I don't have that obviously).


What about the 7mc plugin? I can click on the Windows Media Center - Netflix icon, but - I do not have an 'unlimited membership' to Netflix. I have a 'limited membership'. In order to agree to the installation it says I have to check a box saying that I agree to the terms, which includes the item saying that I have an 'unlimited membership'. I fear it will alter my plan with Netflix, or just reject me.--- Is there a way to hack through that?--- But if it uses Silverlight, it won't matter anyway. Because I assume it'll be the same quality as running through Chrome/IE.

 

[michaeltscott]

The MC plug-in will not give you 5.1 on a PC. AFAIK, only the Win8 app will (I've used it) and only if you have HDMI sound out. Of course, Netflix titles marked "Available in HD on Your TV" will not stream in HD to PC; all other HD titles will stream 1080p to the Win8 app, 720p to the Silverlight web player (those marked simply "Available in HD").

 

[robertkjr3d]



Quote:
Originally Posted by michaeltscott  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending#post_23162700


The MC plug-in will not give you 5.1 on a PC. AFAIK, only the Win8 app will (I've used it) and only if you have HDMI sound out. Of course, Netflix titles marked "Available in HD on Your TV" will not stream in HD to PC; all other HD titles will stream 1080p to the Win8 app, 720p to the Silverlight web player (those marked simply "Available in HD").

I figured as much. Your handle is funny. The netflix stream-world is junky. Although you would think that someone out there would have written some clandestine to getting content on the PC. If it can be streamed on a device. Then why not make netflix think your a device (even though your actually a win7 machine)

 

[robertkjr3d]



Quote:
Originally Posted by michaeltscott  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending#post_23162700


The MC plug-in will not give you 5.1 on a PC. AFAIK, only the Win8 app will (I've used it) and only if you have HDMI sound out. Of course, Netflix titles marked "Available in HD on Your TV" will not stream in HD to PC; all other HD titles will stream 1080p to the Win8 app, 720p to the Silverlight web player (those marked simply "Available in HD").

does anybody stream/'rent titles' to a computer 5.1 audio? Amazon??

 

[michaeltscott]



Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending/0_100#post_23163682


does anybody stream/'rent titles' to a computer 5.1 audio? Amazon??

I'm not aware of any. Most have players that are web apps and I've never seen anything play 5.1 sound out of a web app (you'd think that someone would have created a plug-in for that by now). If you download files to your computer from Amazon or Xbox Video they'll have 5.1 sound but I'm not sure that you can do that with rental items; I doubt it. There are others that you can check out, like CinemaNow. From VUDU I know that even downloads don't have 5.1 sound (and you can only download purchases to PCs).

 

[GWild]

I stream to a Win7 PC and get 5.1 using both MC and Chrome ... all this "can't get 5.1 on a PC is bunk. I've done nothing special except tell Windows I have a 5.1 speaker set. This has worked on two separate machines, one using HDMI fed to a TV; also using backchannel from the TV to a 5.1 receiver (allows 5.1 from Amazon)... the second my primary machine with a simple 5.1 speaker connection out the 1/8" jacks.


Works like a charm in both cases. Though, getting media center to behave was a challenge - always wanted to modify the speaker settings every time the TV turned off (lost HDMI negotiation, which set things back to 2 channel).

 

[michaeltscott]



Quote:
Originally Posted by GWild  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending/0_100#post_23185334


I stream to a Win7 PC and get 5.1 using both MC and Chrome ... all this "can't get 5.1 on a PC is bunk. I've done nothing special except tell Windows I have a 5.1 speaker set. This has worked on two separate machines, one using HDMI fed to a TV; also using backchannel from the TV to a 5.1 receiver (allows 5.1 from Amazon)... the second my primary machine with a simple 5.1 speaker connection out the 1/8" jacks.


Works like a charm in both cases. Though, getting media center to behave was a challenge - always wanted to modify the speaker settings every time the TV turned off (lost HDMI negotiation, which set things back to 2 channel).

You get 5.1 sound from the Silverlight player running in Chrome? And from the MC plug-in player? By this I mean that your AVR says "Dolby Digital 5.1" or "Dolby Digital Plus" when you're playing Netflix? If so, you are the only person I've ever heard of who got this.


I have to admit that I haven't tried the MC player since I switched from using optical S/PDIF motherboard sound to sound over HDMI from a graphics card, but it didn't give me 5.1 sound over S/PDIF in Win7. I got Dolby and DTS bitstreams when playing files with those sound encodes in VLC, the Zune Player and Windows Media Player, including downloads from Amazon (which were actually 5.1 channel WMA Pro tracks, converted to Dolby D by the player).


Many if not most Netflix stereo tracks contain matrixed Dolby Pro Logic surround which can sound pretty good (I watched a couple of action flicks with only stereo sound this weekend with decent PLII surround), but I'm pretty sure that you're not getting discrete Dolby Digital out of the Silverlight web player; I just tried it and I don't (for one thing, the player would offer you a choice between 5.1 and stereo sound and it doesn't). I can't test MC plug-in because I've switched to Win8 and no longer have it (and am not spending $10 to get it, since I never used it when I had it), but I doubt that you get it from that either. I do get bitstreamed DD+ 5.1 sound out of the Win8 Netflix app.

 

[robertkjr3d]



Quote:
Originally Posted by GWild  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending#post_23185334


I stream to a Win7 PC and get 5.1 using both MC and Chrome ... all this "can't get 5.1 on a PC is bunk. I've done nothing special except tell Windows I have a 5.1 speaker set. This has worked on two separate machines, one using HDMI fed to a TV; also using backchannel from the TV to a 5.1 receiver (allows 5.1 from Amazon)... the second my primary machine with a simple 5.1 speaker connection out the 1/8" jacks.


Works like a charm in both cases. Though, getting media center to behave was a challenge - always wanted to modify the speaker settings every time the TV turned off (lost HDMI negotiation, which set things back to 2 channel).

Wait Wait... Check this Are you using 'Realtek HD Audio Manager or other similar software?' See if this setting is checked: Speaker Fill.

If that is checked, it is very good at tricking you into thinking that you have multi-channel audio. It is not so good as to have people knocking on doors on the specific left-rear channel, nor will mimic a plane sound from the rear to the front when watching a movie. But it will move the voices to the center, and the echoes to the rear, and you may be fooled quite well, just like a good dolby-surround processor.

 

[DaveFi]



Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending#post_23186840


Wait Wait... Check this Are you using 'Realtek HD Audio Manager or other similar software?' See if this setting is checked: Speaker Fill.

If that is checked, it is very good at tricking you into thinking that you have multi-channel audio. It is not so good as to have people knocking on doors on the specific left-rear channel, nor will mimic a plane sound from the rear to the front when watching a movie. But it will move the voices to the center, and the echoes to the rear, and you may be fooled quite well, just like a good dolby-surround processor.

We are talking about full DD5.1 surround sound, not DDPLII (or similar) processed surround processing. Outside of the Win8 Netflix App there is nothing that can do that. (Although I think some Amazon d/l's are available in full 5.1DD surround).

 

[robertkjr3d]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveFi  /t/1466565/how-to-get-netflix-5-1-audio-without-spending#post_23186911


We are talking about full DD5.1 surround sound, not DDPLII (or similar) processed surround processing. Outside of the Win8 Netflix App there is nothing that can do that. (Although I think some Amazon d/l's are available in full 5.1DD surround).

If you were directing that at my comment: My point was directed at: That the newbie GWild may believe he is getting 5.1 full DD5.1 audio, but after he turns that switch off, he might discover that his sound is just 2-channel audio, and is just coming out his front-main speakers.