Google TV Streamer and HDMI Audio Passthrough

[StargazerUK]

I got my Google TV Streamer hooked up to my Denon AVR 3600H and it's the only device I can't seem to get Audio Passthrough. It seems to decode all the formats on the device and pass everything as PCM.

Was this intentional? Can this be changed can we get like in the Chromecast an option for Dolby-encoded audio (HDMI pass-through) as I rather my receiver handle it rather then the Google TV Streamer. This seems like a bit of an oversite on Google's part to have missed that.

[whtnoise256]

For a device that's meant to be an upgrade from the Nvidia Shield Pro, this seems like a huge oversight by Google. Lack of audio passthrough/bitstreaming is going to be a deterrent for users looking for an alternative streaming device solution. Really dissapointed to see this missing from the Google TV Streamer...

Edit: relevant Reddit thread with confirmation: https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/1fom4zy/google_tv_streamer/

[StargazerUK]

Given the Chromecast with Google TV had passthrough I was expecting it to have it and disappointed it did not. The Dolby Atmos is not being passed through on my device but it's doing the same as the Apple TV and decoding on the box and using Dolby MAT to send the signal as it just shows Dolby Atmos. If it was bit-streaming it would show Dolby Atmos - DD+ like the shield pro does.

[kevv2288]

It might be an android 14 thing and fixable via a software update. I read a post somewhere else today that a user said their android TV was recently updated to android 14 and lost the ability to use passthrough when it worked prior. So hopefully the Google streamer is capable of it and Google fixes it with a future update after everyone keeps complaining to them!?

[psggomes]

My tv used to be able to passthrough with plex Dolby Atmos to my sonos beam, but it isn't doing it anymore. I just got my Google TV Stream and was super disappointed that it also doesn't passthrough the sound. I was expecting that it did since they kindda advertise it. Like this we only get atmos via netflix, max, etc. 

[kevv2288]

Yeah I just got mine yesterday and was really excited but now I just wanna return the thing and go back to CCwGTV. I don't think it can do audio passthrough at all. I want my soundbar to decode the audio as I have the streamer connected directly to soundbar HDMI in port. I noticed that manually selecting and turning off the audio formats in the streamer settings does nothing. Is this a bug? Everything shows as DTHD on my TV now where before it would show in the status bar either DD, DD+ or nothing if it was PCM. Also by the streamer doing the decoding it messes up my soundbar volume control when switching between apps and channels. The I can change the volume for a bit but then it won't work. It shows it's changing on the soundbar but only way to get it to change volume level is to press mute and then unmute after changing it. So annoying. Had 0 audio issues with CCwGTV. Hopefully this is just a software bug, otherwise I am going back to CCwGTV. 

Oh also I can no longer have my soundbar make PCM audio into 5.1. Previously when connected to soundbar it would play PCM 2.0 and make it "fake" 5.1 and use all 5 speakers, which I like better then it only using the 2 left and right speakers, which is what happens using the streamer now. 

[a214n]

+1 For audio pass-through. Repeating @whtnoise256 - https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/1fom4zy/google_tv_streamer/

[Ghome2024]

My Google TV Streamer 2024, is not out put Dolby Atmos on Sonos Arc. The setup is Samsung TV and Sonos Arc. I have had the smaller G.TV 4K and Roku. And Atmos worked just fine. The cable box also streams Dolby Atmos with no problems. The only issue that I have is the new 2024 G.Tv streamer. No Dolby Atmos. Please help.

[Sava333]

I'd like to add that on my sound bar all content played shows up as Multichannel PCM rather than the actual codec (DD, DD+, Atmos, etc). Even sending stereo will say Multichannel PCM. The only app that I can get to show as Atmos is Disney Plus for some reason. This worked perfectly fine on the CCwGTV that this replaced, my TV is set to passthrough which should let the soundbar do the decoding, not the Streamer.

[ianken]

Audio is kind of a mess on it.

YouTube stereo is output such that it's 5.1 with no center channel. So no surrounded processing into the center.

Really disappointing.

[pikatoste]

I have the same problem. Google TV Streamer connected to LG G4 television with bitstream and sound bar Sonos ARC connected to eARC port. All sound appears as a multichannel PCM except for Dolby Atmos.

Previously I used Chromecast with Google TV 4K and the sound came unprocessed to the sound bar.

I have also noticed that the overall volume of the sound with GTVS is higher than the one sent by CwGTV. And there are problems homogeneity of volume between television channels or applications. This did not happen with CwGTV. I guess Sonos Arc better regulates the volume of sound when it does not arrive as a PCM.

I consulted and found that some CWGTV users did not allow bitstream at the beginning. I hope Google soon enables an option that allows passthrough.

[DelicateDonkey]

No Google TV Streamer for me if bitstream/audio passthrough isn't supported properly.

[Ghome2024]

I have Roku and 4K chromecast, and I have no problems with my Sonos Arc. It does streams all the formats including Dolby Atmos through my Samsung TV and Arc. 

[MuntedMouse]

Same issue here with Denon Receiver CCWGTV 4K works fine.  Taking it back, others can do the beta testing.

[D58]

DENON DHT-S216 recognizes YouTube videos as Dolby Digital.
If you put the DHT-S216 in Movie mode in this state, the volume will drop and you can barely hear the dialogue. (Sounds correct in Pure mode)

[MuntedMouse]

Tested again last night.  Netflix has surround, but not being able to change Spotify from stereo sucks.  Packed it up and it will go back today.  

[pikatoste]

I have contacted Google TV Streamer and Chromecast technical support. They have told me: "I can tell you that I know this issue is already an incident that is being worked on, since it is not new."

I recommend that all possible users communicate the problem to accelerate the resolution.

[moi1]

Communicate here? 

[pikatoste]

No. This is a simple community forum that I doubt has some impact. 

The official Google Support Center must be used.

I have used the option of message, chat and email. It depends on the country you select.

[moi1]

Same issue with a Marantz AVR. My excitement to use the new streamer was really thrown under the bus with this. 

[moi1]

I just reported the same to Google Support Center as suggested by @pikatoste above. Got the following reply:  "After reviewing my resources, it appears this is a known issue that our higher technical engineers are currently working to resolve. I assure you that this issue has been documented and is actively being addressed. Our team is working on a resolution, and an update should be provided soon. While we don’t have an estimated timeline for when this will be resolved, I can assure you that it’s being prioritized for a solution as quickly as possible." 

[JeffChapmanJC]

Two months later. Any updates on this?

[QuantumRand]

+1 for this issue. Without TrueHD/DTS audio passthrough, the Google TV Streamer is just a Chromecast, but at twice the cost.

[aschuetze]

Same here on Samsung Q-series Soundbar HW-Q995D

[scose]

I have GTV Streamers on two TVs in a pure stereo setup (external stereo amps with ARC supporting stereo PCM only) and the only way to get a PCM signal from the streamer is to force the HDMI input of the TV to PCM instead of bitstream. I can select the HDMI input format on the LG, but unfortunately not on the Sony.

It doesn't matter whether surround is switched off in the GTV streamer or the individual supported and unsupported formats are all deactivated, as long as bitstream is allowed/enabled on the receiving HDMI input of the TV, everything is sent as Dolby Digital. With CCwGTV or a shield and surround disabled, they will always output a stereo PCM signal which is what I would have expected from the streamer.

I'm not sure but I think the following is happening in my case.

Let's say I play a file with surround TrueHD which is not supported in the entire signal chain, Kodi will decode it to stereo PCM but the streamer apparently encodes it again to Dolby Digital before it sends it to the TV which has to convert it back into PCM before it forwards the signal via HDMI ARC to the stereo amp.

Similar thing happens with Dolby Vision disabled, if it's turned off but the TV supports it the setting seems to be ignored and still shows a DV signal depending on the source file.

[SeanM]

In my A/B testing of CCwGTV vs. GTV Streamer, the streamer is NOT sending a Dolby Digital signal, but rather a PCM signal of 5.1 Dolby Surround. However, the CCwGTV does send a Dolby Digital signal (bitstream) and not PCM thanks to HDMI audio passthrough. 

Attached are two pics showing Denon AVR signal for GTV Streamer (Source “G TV”) and CCwGTV (Source “Google-TV”).

 

 

[scose]

Completely different behavior to what happens with my setup, but in your case the streamer is connected to the AVR and not directly to the TV with a stereo amp behind it. Different starting point and have you deactivated surround at all? Please try it directly on the TV with deactivated surround. Your TV will report Dolby Digital signal except if you force PCM on the TV HDMI input from the TV.

[pikatoste]

I get the same result as @SeanM. I connect the GTVS and the CCWGT directly to the LG TV configured in BitStream. The TV sends the sound to an Sonos Arc. The sound that the sound bar receives is PCM with the GTVS and DD with the CCWGT.

[scose]

That is so weird. What happens if you don't have a soundbar connected? It could also be that your TV receives Dolby and then sends PCM to the Sonos for whatever reason. You can check what audio signal is coming to the LG TV by:

Open All Settings > General > Programs/Channels > Highlight Program/Channel Tuning (use the arrow buttons) then press 11111 > Click More under DVI/HDMI Status

Regardless of which format or surround is on or off on the Google TV streamer - 2-channel PCM 48Khz is sent only if the HDMI input of the TV is set to PCM. With bitstream, the TV shows a 9.1! Dolby signal no matter all the other settings. I can take screenshots if you don't believe me 🙂

Here are some more details

https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/1fqypk7/google_tv_streamer_messes_up_audio_in_every/

[pikatoste]

I have tried what you indicate but I don't know how to interpret the information related to audio.

Reproducing Dune in Max (spanish) appears "N: 24576, CTS: 594000, Layout Value: 0, Channel Status: 9" in LG G4. In the sound bar Sonos Arc appears "Dolby Multichannel PCM 5.1".

Reproducing Dune in Max (english) appears same in LG G4. In the sound bar Sonos Arc appears "Dolby Atmos"

[bigjohns97]

I cancelled my pre-order when I heard about this, hopefully Google resolves this issue soon.

[CityCobra]

I love my Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 with Okt2024 Hotfix2 update 9.1.2.

It's not the best streamer, but the best media player.

I do use it with Plex Server and Client on Shield over USB WD Elements HDD and Hub.

It will play all MKV 4K DV/HDR Movies with True HD Atmos and DTS:X through passthrough.

Also DTS-HD MA and DTS-HD HRA / DTS:X HRA.

But I will do a look at Google TV Streamer, if it supports passthrough at some point.

[whtnoise256]

💯

Same here. Haven't updated my Shield Pro to the latest hotfix, but it's always been super reliable as my media player too. Really hope to see Google update the Streamer with the same audio capabilities.

...or for Nvidia to release a new Shield.

[CityCobra]

Nintendo Switch 2 will come with Nvidia Tegra T239 ARM-Chip at Aug 2025.

After that, we have a chance for a new Shield with this chipset, too.

[cncb]

Anyone know if they will be addressing this?

[LeMass]

This is insane! Have we heard a thing from Google! 

[pikatoste]

Google hasn't solved it yet ...

[bigjohns97]

New shield should be coming this year everyone!

[JeffChapmanJC]

That's not the answer we're looking for. 

[RBerg]

Same problem on Samsung qn85bat tv. Everything shows up as DTHD, only exeption is Hbo which report dolby atmos. 

But then it keeps in dolby atmos after switching to youtube unless i reboot the streamer.

Sounds like a major bug.