Does DirecTV Stream support Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound

Hello @JDaily thanks for reaching out to us. 

The DIRECTV STREAM device supports Dolby Digital 5.1. We don't want to see you go, and we want to share with you the DIRECTV STREAM device user manual. The connections you make will depend on the audio device you connect to your DIRECTV STREAM box. 

Remember that we'll always be here for you in case you need further assistance.

Juan, DIRECTV Community Specialist

Which flavor of DD are you looking for?  S/PDIF (optical TOSLINK) can in theory carry basic DD 5.1, but not the more advanced variants, and it isn’t required to carry more than stereo.  

The DirecTV Stream service supports DD 5.1 (for content that offers it) on various devices, and that includes the DTV-branded streamer. However, I don’t know if that device supports DD 5.1 over the optical link or just over HDMI.  (I don’t use one in a surround sound environment.)  

Since you apparently have been a subscriber for a good while (contracts basically went away almost 2 years ago) is your problem with DD on the device new, or hadn’t you tried that configuration until now?

Is there a reason you can’t try running the HDMI through your AV receiver?

Yes, the C71K supports DD5.1 audio via both its HDMI and Optical Digital outputs. I simply connected my C71K HDMI output to my Denon AV Surround Receiver and get DD5.1 audio just fine. 

But have you also tried the optical link without HDMI to the receiver and without ARC?  It’s clear DD works over HDMI, but if you have both, HDMI may take precedence. 

Yes, it works with both HDMI and optical digital, even if HDMI isn't connected. 

To Jranddomuser,

Thank u 4 yr response,

My receiver does not have HDMI inputs or outputs,

Only Digital inputs and outputs.

Did you happen to read my entire post because allot of my questions are still outstanding,

Thank you

That’s odd - I’m not familiar with any AV receivers (which would seem the only type that would support DD 5.1 decode or have amps for that many channels) that don’t support HDMI or video switching.  But OK. 

Before anything else - I assume you’ve checked the settings. But if not, under Settings>System>Audio, you can select either Stereo or Surround - make sure it’s set to Surround.

WRT your other questions:

You obviously always need to use the HDMI port on the DTV device to get video to your TV, and there is no setting to control where audio goes to (and I don’t think there’s any way for the device to know something is plugged into the S/PDIF port), so the device must output audio to both the S/PDIF and the HDMI. That means there can’t be any superseding at the device. And if your receiver doesn’t support HDMI, there can’t be any superseding in the receiver.   So if the device is set to surround and the content you are watching has DD 5.1 sound (not all does), then per @litzdog911 ’s comment, there should be DD 5.1 arriving at your receiver.