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Hey All.
Another Movie Sale on @ Google Play but with Movies to Own this time on Sale.
Scroll down to 2nd & 3rd Banners for the Sale :)
Mega Movie Week: Movies to Own from $5 @ Google Play Store
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That actually sounds like a nightmare…
This sounds related to something I noticed. My TV (a Sony 1080p from a few years ago running AndroidTV) has this issue, strictly with content from Google Play Movies. I went through headaches with support like you mentioned, but I figured it out .. well I figured out how to get around it anyway.
I noticed the built in app on the TV only output stereo, meanwhile Netflix / Stan were all 5.1. The TV also has built in Chromecast, so I tried that. No good either. Still stereo. But I happened to have a physical Chromecast dongle on another TV so I plugged it into my Sony TV and tried casting to that - and bam! 5.1 surround.
I never found out why the built in apps on the TV side have an issue, but that's a workaround I guess.
I've actually gotten back into special features - particularly audio commentaries so I've switched back to buying discs cheap from Amazon AU.
When using my sideloaded Prime Video app on my Mibox, it only supports stereo. The official Disney+ app also only supports stereo. But both will do surround if I cast to my Mibox from my phone.
Play Movies, however, will supports 5.1 from the app without having to cast, but it wouldn't for that movie. I spent ages explaining it to them from every angle, even giving examples of movies which did work with 5.1 from the exact same app.
Yes, I also prefer disks if I can get them cheaply enough.
For your tv, you need to check the sound settings, and see if it is configured to decode audio to PCM, or to stream it as-is. In Android TV there is a setting for this.
John Wick 3 - Parabellum in 4K for $9.99
It is on Netflix of you have it
Edge of tomorrow - $4.99! Been on my list since long
Some good movies at good prices.
Lately I have been less of a fan of Google Play Movies though. Streaming quality is considerably worse than Prime Video. I also had an issue with a movie advertised as supporting 5.1 sound, but only streaming in stereo. Going through their support was a pathetic experience, with the support person having no understanding of the issue or the difference between PCM 2-channel and Dolby Digital Plus, or their own technologies. Even asked me to see if streaming it through Youtube would help (Youtube does not support DD+). He supposedly escalated it to their "specialists", who said they did not have the ability to check whether a movie supports 5.1 sound (!).
To top it off: they actually told me to get in contact with the studio who published the movie and sort it out with them!
I threw Australian consumer law in their face (you are not allowed to fob off customers and tell them to sort it out with your supplier), and got my refund in the end. But a shocking experience.