DVR's and Apple TV sound


I have a 7.1 system with a marantz 5009, possibly upgrading it to anthem or emotiva.  I do most of my HT viewing watching TV (Spectrum), kindle, and Apple TV apps like Netflix, iTunes, and Hulu.  I rarely watch bluerays or even DVD's anymore as there's nowhere to rent them.  (and the last netflix blueray disk we had we had lying around for a year so we gave up renting them!)

So what are my best surround format options?   I never know what settings to use - dolby, neo, etc - as all sound pretty similar with the streaming content.  Or is it that 7.1 is basically a waste if you don't use bluerays?

Thx!
wolfernyc
Hi,

I imagine things can change, espeically with 4k coming on board. I'm not really sure. :)

But not sure what the problem is. If you have a DD capable processor/receiver you are pretty much going to be all set.

Best,

E
Thanks!  

So with Streaming, at best you get 5.1?   

What about HD cable tv content?  Is that pretty much the same as streaming?

Regards
 -Bill
Hi,

Streaming you'll get either a stereo signal which is matrixed for surround, or Dolby Digital, which uses discrete channels.

For the former, Neo is my preference. You should also try it in Music mode for music, as the center channel can be a lot of fun.

For the latter, DD is your only option.

Best,


E