Update LOVE !! - 2016 Soundbar w/ Dolby Atmos HW-K950

[Tweetatoo]

Needs update !! 2016 Soundbar w/ Dolby Atmos HW-K950 Hey Samsung Support This sound bar really needs to be updated to get those back wireless speakers working, you can hardly hear anything even when bringing the individual volume up, it also seems to have handshake issues with your SAMSUNG TV's. DTS-X support would be amazing ! Overall it's a good bar but really could be fantastic if you gave us a little software/firmware update love !

[HanSoloAu]

Why are you referring to HDR VIDEO standards? This is a soundbar, we are talking about an audio standard, Dolby Atmos like DTS:X is an audio standard. HDR/DV are video standards.

Any high end audio equipment should support the best audio formats. The soundbar already does support Atmos, just not via ARC. ARC isn't just for connecting to a TV and passing video to it, its for connecting to any other source to send and receive data (video and audio).

Remember these are the guys that didn't even provide basic DTS support out of the box on any of the inputs.

But just in general all manufacturers should aim to support as many standards as possible because, well, that makes there product more marketable "hey look we support everything" is better than "oh we only support Atmos on HDMI 1/2 and oh ooops we don't support DTS either...we have to do an firmware update for that standard audio format thats been about for years".

Basically this sound bar should support Atmos / DTS:X. it's a good soundbar, it just has crap format support over ARC.

[DreyDreyDrey]

I have been reading through this thread and I think it would help to explain how ARC works. It is an old standard that only supports a one Mbs data connection (this is very slow/a tiny amount of data). It can’t pass the gigabit Atmos stream. ARC predates Atmos. You have to wait for E-ARC with a gigabit audio path. I am not sticking up for Samsung or there horrible lack of support. I am just stating that NO manufacturers ARC bus is passing Atmos. You have to wait for E-ARC over HDMI 2.1 with a much bigger data bus. How well HDMI 2.1 will work with my 2016 Samsung TV, Samsung M9700 UBD Player, and Samsung K-950 Soundbar is going to be interesting. If a firmware update is released to support this setup (huge if), I will become a Samsung lover for life!

[userDude]

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@DreyDreyDrey wrote:

I have been reading through this thread and I think it would help to explain how ARC works. It is an old standard that only supports a one Mbs data connection (this is very slow/a tiny amount of data). It can’t pass the gigabit Atmos stream. ARC predates Atmos. You have to wait for E-ARC with a gigabit audio path. I am not sticking up for Samsung or there horrible lack of support. I am just stating that NO manufacturers ARC bus is passing Atmos. You have to wait for E-ARC over HDMI 2.1 with a much bigger data bus. How well HDMI 2.1 will work with my 2016 Samsung TV, Samsung M9700 UBD Player, and Samsung K-950 Soundbar is going to be interesting. If a firmware update is released to support this setup (huge if), I will become a Samsung lover for life!

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I can get Atmos over ARC from my 2018 Q7FN to my HW-N950 when playing Jack Ryan on the TV's Amazon Prime app.  Or, at least the soundbar says it's Atmos.  It does sound pretty good though.

[usercQJKzEqzLB]

ARC cannot carry Atmos and the q7fn does not support it according to the spec sheet.  The article explains the new standard eARC.  As far as my search says, only LG and Sony offer any TV's that support Atmos.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/hdmi-arc-explained-works-care/amp/

[usercQJKzEqzLB]

Article describing what devices and TV's that support Dolby Atmos.  No Samsung.

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/how-to-stream-dolby-atmos-from-netflix-itunes-vudu-and-amazon/

[userDude]

Well, as I said, I can get Atmos from my 2018 Q7FN to my HW-N950 when playing Jack Ryan on the TV's Amazon Prime app.  This is not my opinion or based on some article on the internet.  This is based on me playing the show and seeing the soundbar display Atmos.

[marekro]

I have a HW-K950 Samsung Soundbar - should that work the same? Any idea?

[userB5bP9ufvsG]

Hello, I have been reading the string and needed to jump in to see if any of you have any suggestions....I have a Sony UBP-x800 Blue Ray/4K/atmos supported player...Running this via HDMI (Atmos supported HDMI) to the K950 soundbar, then Arc on the soundbar to Arc HDMI 4 on my Samsung UN65MU800D (2017) model TV.  I was running all HDMI to the TV, then Fiber to the soundbar, which did not get me ATMOS on the Bar.  (This was per Samsung Tech support.  they told me to setup this way) . It was only when reading this blog, and the manual did i change to HDMI as described above.  I have never seen the blue light nor ATMOS on the bar.  I even sent the unit to Samsung for warranty repair, and they claim to have fixed it but still having the same issue.  With the ARC setup via HDMI, I was able to see "Atmos" once on the marquee, and I saw "AVR Speaker" scroll, but no blue light. The speakers are putting sound out of the top speaker, but I need to be on volume 70 to get good voice and sound.  I am ready to send this back and ask for a new bar, but will try this post first...Any suggestions will be appreciated....

[userHpt4EFoq8a]

TV/arc - > soundbar, no atmos possible

Xbox s - > soundbar, atmos all the time with dolby access app + all firmware up to date

Blue ray - > Xbox - > soundbar, I guess this might work in theory

Blu ray - > soundbar should get atmos with the right blu ray setrings/content

If you hear top speakers without the blue light you have fake surround mode on

Samsung tell you to send it for repair by default from what I've seen/experienced even when nothing is wrong. 

If you can get the dolby access demos working problem solved

Optical is pointless don't use it. 

[userB5bP9ufvsG]

What does "Fake Surround" mean...how do I alter that setting...thanks