Can't get sound without Audio Description of action when playing Blu-ray Disc

[john400yorks]

Hello, we are trying to watch Season 2 of 'The Crown' from a Blu-ray Disk. We have a Sony Blu-ray Player (UBP-X500) and Sony Bravia KD-43XF8505BU TV with a Sonos Playbar and speaker surround system. When we play the programme, we can only get sound if the audio descrciption of the action is chosen in the Blu-ray Player's list of options. This is too distracting for us to watch the programme. No sound at all is available if the main English Language option is applied. We have checked that Audio Description is switched off on the TV. We have also tried unplugging the HDMI connection and switching the 4K screen uprading to Auto 2, as suggested by Sony on this website. Please can anyone help?

[IamNic]

Hello @john400yorks,

does your players remote have an "Audio"-button?

If so, play the movie and press the button until you disabled the audio description.

Also changing any settings on the TV is pointless, since only the settings on the player affect this.

- Nic

[john400yorks]

Thanks Nic, 

The remote does have an 'audio' button and we've tried all options on it without success. One option does turn off the Audio Descrition but it also turns off all sound completely.

John

[IamNic]

Hello @john400yorks,

would you please take a photo/scan of the back-side of the Blu-Ray-cover?

All the available audio-formats will be listed there.

- Nic

[john400yorks]

Hello Nic,

Yes, the back cover does list all the formats that should play (see attached scan), but the only one that gives us sound is the Audio Descriptive Track; the main English one is silent.

[IamNic]

Hello @john400yorks,

first thanks for going trough the trouble of scanning the back of the cover.

The info is quite confusing so I can just guess - yet my guess is, that only the German and the English audio track with description is in 5.1 and somehow the player is set up to just output 5.1 audio currently.

Please check your players audio-output options.

Do you playback the audio on your TV or do you run it to another device (audio receiver etc.)?

- Nic

[john400yorks]

Thanks Nic,

Will give that a go.

We play it back through Sonos speakers. John Lewis staff assured me that this TV and Blu-ray player would carry 5.1 out to an external sound system. So far it has; this Disc is our first problem.

Will get back when I have looked at the player's audio output options.

John

[IamNic · Accepted solution]

Hello @john400yorks,

sorry for the misunderstanding, what I wanted to point out is, that the English track without the audio description might be in a different audio format (even though I doubt it), since the cover doesn't mention it being in 5.1 (as it does for the English track with aduio description and the German audio track).

So it could be, that either your player or your soundbar is set to a mode where it can't interpret the audio signal it receives, if you select the default English audio track.

- Nic

[john400yorks]

Many thanks for your help Nic. We have it working fine by switching the Digital Audio Output to PCM and by switching Audio DRC to Off. I tried to reply earlier but the string of messages was not available; time out?

Thanks again.

[IamNic]

Hello @john400yorks,

I am glad to hear, that you could resolve the issue. 

- Nic