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Issues with 5.1 Surround Sound with Windows 10

Anonymous
2019-06-25T18:59:15+00:00

I can not get 5.1 Surround Sound to play for my computer with any audio player; i.e. DVD/CD optical drive, Pandora, etc. but when I run an audio test using the device manager it tests perfectly.  I have heard that there might be a compatibility issue with 5.1/7.1 Surround Sound and Windows 10.

Please let me know if anybody has had this problem and what the solution is.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. JosephT71 9,210 Reputation points
    2021-07-29T16:19:43+00:00

    In the last 20 years, Microsoft only paid for Dolby during 2009-2012 in Windows 7.

    Microsoft didn't pay for Dolby in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

    So, it is not Microsoft that deserves the "blame". It is consumers who forgot that they indirectly paid for Dolby when they bought a DVD burner (which came bundled with windvd and dolby) during the XP era, skipped Vista, upgrade to 7 (and enjoyed the Dolby freebie from Microsoft), skipped 8/8.1, then entirely forgot that Dolby was a freebie Windows 7 exception when they upgrade to Windows 10.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-07-29T06:08:37+00:00

    "This IS a Microsoft problem." That doesn't that sound like you're blaming MS? For someone else's software and hardware?

    "I don't have a VW"

    Ah - understood. It was an analogy.

    You didn't provide any information at all to help us figure out the problem (other than it's all MS's fault).

    How about a clean install or fresh driver install?

    Oh, and standard off-the-shelf products don't work - 100%. Yet they still sell a LOT of them.

    Why do you think that is? Honestly asking.

    == John ==

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-07-29T01:07:19+00:00

    Years ago, when I first started on the 5.1 saga, my first clue something was wrong was a very diminished signal coming from the surround speakers. This was back in Win8 or 8.1 days. I suspect you are experiencing what I experienced. My thought at the time was the channel amps were damaged. Accordingly I searched for a replacement amp for my Realistic 5.1 analog (RCA). During the voyage I discovered mmsys.cpl and then learned how to set 5.1/Stereo in Win10. I have no problem now with 5.1 in Win10 though limited experience with Apps and I suspect your problems are with the Apps,

    Skype is an App and it does NOT handle 5.1. I can toggle Win10 back and forth between Stereo and 5.1, Skype malfunctions in 5.1 but works perfectly in Stereo.

    My beef is with Skype, not Windows 10.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-04-12T16:44:29+00:00

    The problem seems to be WIN10 and today's new browser's Edge, Firefox or Chrome not being to output 5:1 properly.  My 5:1 is Realtek. Even the new drivers did not work. I was able to get the test sounds to play but not the music fronm the web, in my case Radio Paradise. I could get surround sound from Media player or VLC.

    My solution was to install I.E 11 and the legacy player from Radio Paradise. I could also listen to YouTube music in 5:1. I retested Edge, Firefox and Chrome, with Radio Paradise and found that I could get RP to play with the Firefox browser in 5:1.

    So I have 3 ways to listen to 5:1. Firefox, I.E11 and I can also get surround sound by opening the URL in Media Player.

    I am using Firefox at this time as I get the latest player with all the bells and whistles.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-12-20T14:31:24+00:00

    Try to use a game like csgo

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