DTS 5.1 decoded on Optical SPDIF for Windows & Android VLC

[user_123]

Can VLC send the decoded DTS in LPCM 5.1 surround bitstream to the optical SPDIF output?

This is for my dumb 5.1 soundbar that can decode AC-3 but cannot handle DTS. It only has SPDIF input. It claimed that it will handle surround LPCM bitstream. I have a large DTS HD music collection that I don’t want to convert all to AC-3. Also I want to play HD music audio.
This is for both Android and Windows VLC. The Android VLC has 2 audio settings, decoded or passthrough. It seemed the decoded only comes in 2.0 stereo. I couldn’t find any setting to change to 5.1 surround. I am using an Android media box that has SPDIF output to run VLC on Google TV OS. This would be the simplest if it works.

Alternately, I can run Windows VLC on my desktop computer that has SPDIF. If this works, I can buy a USB to SPDIF converter for $20 to use it with my laptop. What is the VLC audio preference setting to get LPCM 5.1 stream on SPDIF? DirectX output? This is for disabling DTS passthrough as I want DTS 5.1 decoded. But all I am getting is 2.0 over SPDIF.

Does it handle DTS HD on SPDIF? Does it handle 24 bit HD Audio Music. I don’t want to use HDMI output to my LG TV HDMI arc and pass through SPDIF to the soundbar. I know my LG TV will passthrough raw AC-3 and DTS correctly, but I am not sure it passes LPCM 5.1 directly as it shows up as 2.0 when I use my old SG FAT media player that has HDMI LPCM muiti-chan surround output.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

No. VLC can output digitally over S/PDIF, but it will not transcode.