Support for 5.1 surround sound is one of the most frequently requested additions to YouTube TV, and it is finally making its way to a wide variety of devices this week. This does not take into account the number of programmes that are currently available on the streaming site.
Users of YouTube TV have been waiting for quite some time for Google to bring 5.1 audio sound to them; however, the good news is that the feature will soon be available on a variety of Android TV, Google TV, and Roku devices. According to Google, the sole requirement for 5.1 surround sound to function faultlessly is for the YouTube TV app that you have loaded on your device to run Cobalt version 20 or above. This is the only requirement for the feature.
Android TV, Google TV and Roku TV
You will need to launch the YouTube TV app on your streaming device, then navigate to your profile photo > About > App Version in order to determine whether or not your TV is compatible with the Cobalt update. After the word “Cobalt,” there should be a version number enclosed in parentheses. This number should tell you whether or not your television is capable of playing 5.1 audio.
There is no question that televisions manufactured by Samsung, LG, and Vizio with a Cobalt 20 or higher will enable 5.1 surround sound. The same is true for older versions of Chromecast, as well as any other Android TV, Google TV, or Roku device that is running Cobalt 20 or a higher version (yes, that includes NVIDIA SHIELD TV).
You should be aware that not all YouTube TV programmes feature 5.1 surround sound, but as long as your device fits the requirements, you should be able to get 5.1 audio automatically whenever it is available for the programme that you are watching on YouTube TV.
If you are watching a show that you are certain should support 5.1 surround sound but you are not receiving it, there is a way for you to check whether or not the programme carries surround sound. To accomplish this, you will first need to launch the YouTube TV app on your device, play the video, then navigate to the player controls and select the More option. Then, select the bug icon from the menu to have “Stats for geeks” appear on top of the video while it is playing.
YouTube TV nonsupport 5.1 audio on Android TV, Google TV and Roku TV
You should see AC-3/EAC-3 listed in the Codecs section if the application actually supports 5.1 surround audio. If it does, then the programme is good to go. If this is not the case, it indicates that the application does not support the newly added functionality.
In related news, Google has stated that it is working with partners to enable 5.1 audio on additional devices, including gaming consoles, Apple TV, and Fire TV. As a result, you can anticipate that this functionality will be made available on further devices sooner rather than later.
