As planned, YouTube TV is now expanding availability of 5.1 surround sound to Android and Google TV, as well as Roku devices.
This was first previewed in February, with YouTube TV saying that it was actively testing in March. For the past year, surround sound has only been supported on Cast-based Chromecasts and “Samsung + LG + Vizio devices with Cobalt 20 or above.”
The 5.1 audio expansion to Google TV, Android TV, and Roku is “rolling out this week.” Other requirements include having a compatible speaker system, with YouTube TV automatically playing in surround sound if available. You can manually check a program’s audio details in the Stats for nerds menu by:
- Open the YouTube TV app on your TV, and play a video.
- Go to the player controls, then select More
.
- Select the bug
.
- Stats for nerds will be displayed on top of the video while the video is playing.
Looking ahead, YouTube TV is “still working internally and with partners to enable 5.1 on Apple TV, Fire TV, and game consoles.” That’s unchanged from the March progress update.
In a tweet announcing the expanded availability, Google links to this support article for more details. The full “compatible TV device” list is now:
- Samsung + LG + Vizio devices with Cobalt 20 or above
- Traditional Chromecasts
- Android TV
- Google TV
- Roku
Made by Google on Twitter has also confirmed that the Chromecast with Google TV will support YouTube TV’s 5.1.
More on YouTube TV:
- Here’s how to get local forecasts from The Weather Channel using your YouTube TV subscription
- YouTube TV unbundles channels for the first time with new $34.99 ‘Spanish Plan’
- YouTube for Android and iOS can now connect to your TV for easy commenting
- YouTube TV getting family sharing account switcher UI on televisions
Author: Abner Li
Source: 9TO5Google
