Best sound option from Netflix and Marantz SR5008

Landofshane

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Hi all,

TLDR; What's the best way to get 7.1 sound form netflix on a non-Atmos amp?

I am more of a music fan than a movie fan, but I am trying to optimise what we have for movies. I am tearing my hair out trying to get up to speed on sound formats and setups and need some guidance.

The SR5008 is set up as 7.1, with the front two channels actually being driven through the line out to a separate Arcam amp and speaker pair (audio buff). The SR5008 supports the below formats, but notably not Atmos.
DTSDTS HD Master Audio, HD High Resolution, ES Discrete/Matrix, Neo:6, 96/24
DolbyDolby TrueHD, Digital, Digital Plus, Pro Logic IIz, EX
We watch mainly Netflix, currently on a chromecast ultra (but I can change this to something if needed). My understanding is Netflix supports 5.1 and Atmos. But as my Amp is not Atmos, only 5.1 is available...

So despite having 7.1 speakers I believe there is no native way to get 7.1 sound from Netflix with my amp. The best I can get is 5.1, so I am then using DD+ to upscale this to 7.1.

Is this the best option given my current equipment, or am I missing something?
Is my only option to get true 7.1 sound to upgrade the amp to an Atmos compatible (and then I'd might as well add ceilings to be full 7.1.4)?
 
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If you wish to have Atmos then you will have to upgrade to a modern Atmos capable amp. You are getting, by upmixing to 7.1, the best available sound from Netflix. Netflix only broadcast at 5.1 as a base layer with a metadata layer for Atmos when they show an Atmos film/series.
 
Netflix don't carry 7.1 soundtracks. In the absence of Atmos then all audio will be either stereo or 5.1 in nature.

You'd have to enagae upmixing onboard your receiver if wanting to portray audio accessed via Netflix via all of the speakers in your setup.

Netflix encode all content with DD+ audio. Some of which may include Atmos metadata, but this would require an Atmos enabled AVR to process and portray which your AVR isn't. In the absence of such abilities, you'd just get 5.1 DD+ in association with such soundtracks. Some older content may only possess a 2 channel stereo soundtrack or a 5.1 DD soundtrack that has been rencoded as DD+. Even if the receiver hasn't DD+ codec decoding, you'd still get DD core audio in association with such audio. DD+ is a lossy SD format with slightly better bitrate than standard DD.

DD+ is a format and not a mode. If wishing to apply upmixing then use the receiver's PLIIx or DTS NEO:6 modes. These will create pseudo back channels in association with formats that only consists of 5.1 discrete channels.
 
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Netflix only broadcast at 5.1 as a base layer with a metadata layer for Atmos

This was the gap I had in my knowledge! I had thought all Atmos was object based so would support any number of speakers. Learning Atmos still has discreet channels as a base layer, with 'objects' added on top, makes a lot more sense of everything for me.

So either way there's nothing to be gained with the current amp. I'll leave it as up-scaling 5.1 to 7.1 currently, then will look to upgrade the amp sometime in the future and put in ceiling speakers to make the most of it.

Thanks guys!
 
The only other option your receiver has is that of Pro Logic IIz. This upmixing mode can utilise 2 front mounted heoght speakers. You'd be limited to a 5.1.2 setup if wanting to include this with your receiver though.




It is a forerunner to Dolby Atmos and Dolby's Dolby Surround upmixing and only creates pseudo height channels as opposed to portray height information or object created during a soundtracks creation.
 

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