In a Tweet posted on Monday, Mar. 28, YouTube TV announced plans to integrate Dolby surround sound software onto its platform. Currently, it's testing the viability of the 5.1 audio on specific devices, such as Google TV, Roku, and Android TV, with plans on bridging the audio parameters to all other assorted devices soon enough.
In reply to its initial Tweet, YouTube TV went on to clarify that game consoles and additional devices, like Fire TV and Apple TV, won't be experiencing Dolby surround sound for some time as the application is "still working internally and with partners to enable 5.1" on said platforms. The application has been attempting to utilize 5.1 surround sound since announcing the play in June 2021.
We know 5.1 audio is important to many of you, so we wanted to share an update. We’re currently testing 5.1 audio on Google TV, Android TV, and Roku, and if everything runs smoothly, we can expect 5.1 audio to launch on those devices next.
— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) March 28, 2022
As of yet, the 5.1 audio feature is only available through YouTube TV on LG, Samsung, and Vizio TVs, but requires an audio system that can push out 5.1 surround sound and has version 20 of Cobalt installed. Users can ensure they are running version 20 by checking in the About section under the YouTube TV app and selecting App Version.
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YouTube TV has seemingly been quite slow in delivering Dolby surround sound to the available supported devices, but users will just have to wait as it catches up to the technology. To take advantage of the surround sound audio feature set, make sure you have a five-channel audio system that supports Dolby 5.1 before getting excited.
While the more advanced Dolby Atmos has been integrated across several streaming platforms, specifically Disney Plus, the difficulty comes most in the hardware consumers are using that negates the quality and efficiency of the concept. Atmos is essentially a beefier version of Dolby's 5.1 audio interfaces. However, YouTube TV may never be able to experience the high intensity of cinematic sound provided via the format.
Still, as YouTube TV slowly adopts 5.1 audio formats across various devices beyond the ones it is currently testing, Atmos could be in line for the next integration. YouTube's surround sound format is still in its early phase, but as partners get on board and more tests are done, broader audio formats could be next in line for YouTube TV, the main among them being 7.1.
