Surround sound not working through your console
Surround sound needs three things to work: your console must be set to output surround sound, your TV or receiver must support it and have it turned on, and your HDMI cable must be plugged into the right port. Start by checking your console's audio settings — most people forget to turn on surround sound in the settings.
Surround sound travels through your HDMI cable as digital audio. For it to work, the console needs to be told to send surround sound, your TV or receiver needs to accept it, and the speaker system needs to be set up. Most problems are because the console is still set to stereo, the HDMI cable is plugged into the wrong TV port, or the receiver is muted or set to stereo. Checking these three things in order fixes most cases.
Fix-IT-Bot will walk you through each step — just tap, no typing needed.
Skip — I just want a technicianCommon mistakes to avoid
- Setting the console to PCM instead of Dolby Digital — PCM is stereo only
- Leaving surround sound turned off in the console settings and only changing the TV
- Plugging the HDMI cable into a TV port instead of letting the receiver handle audio
Signs you need professional help
- You've turned on surround sound in all the settings but still only hear stereo
- Your TV or receiver says it's receiving a surround sound signal but won't play it
- You're not sure if your TV or receiver supports surround sound
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