Extracting video audio from MHUB and sending it to speakers

Today’s TVs are very thin with the latest models able to be rolled away into a box! A thinner TV is lighter, easier to install and generally more pleasing to the eye as these new advancements can radically change how your traditional TV looks or is installed into your property.

These advancements have reduced the space inside the TV to an absolute minimum and often a causality of this is the internal TV speaker. Speakers are either located on the rear of the panel (leading to muffled audio) or underneath and in many cases can not provide the type of audio amplification to match the large screen sizes found in the marketplace today.

Soundbars have plugged the gap, but they aren’t the solution.

Soundbars have plugged this gap as customers try to achieve audio reproduction that matches their picture quality. Whilst a soundbar is a simple solution to the problem it fair to say that it doesn’t present itself as the most elegant in that it’s additional (visible) hardware that you need to add to your AV setup. The soundbar is also tied to the function of the TV; so it’s not very easy to listen to music on the same device, for example.

De-embed the audio and manage it separately.

Using MHUB it’s possible to extract the audio that would be sent to your TV – or even the audio generated from your TV apps like Disney+ or Netflix and send that to speakers in your room. Additionally, when the TV is off you can listen to music on the same speakers. If your speakers are embedded in your walls or are in the ceiling then you won’t even notice them, but you’ll hear the difference.

Watch the setup video instead.

MHUB PRO 2.0 + MHUB AUDIO: how does it work

To achieve this you will need to use MHUB PRO 2.0 and MHUB AUDIO operating together as one system which we call V&A (video & audio).

Download the MHUB (V&A) guide.

The MHUB PRO 2.0 can de-embed the audio from any video stream or TV app (using ARC) and downmix it into 2 channel stereo. This audio is then fed into the inputs on MHUB AUDIO which manages amplification of that audio. If you have inputs that require amplification then you can stack another MHUB AUDIO (up to three times using uControl) or as many as you want if you’re using a control system.

We are here to help. Let us know if you have any questions…

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Contacting us is super easy and we respond fast. Let us know if you have any questions about setting up a V&A system.

Using a matrix and providing Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD audio.

If you are planning a cinema or media room supplied by MHUB that requires a multichannel audio signal like Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD then you will need additional hardware to achieve this result.

Why do I need additional hardware and what does it do?

In order to enjoy Dolby or DTS audio in a cinema or media room you will need to instruct your source device (AppleTV / Bluray / Set top box etc) to output its audio in Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD only.

If all the zones in your property can accept a multichannel Dolby or DTS signal then you will have no problem but the chances are that the rest of the rooms in the property will just have a standard TV with a left and right speaker only – think of a kitchen TV display or a TV in a kids room.

You therefore need a device that sits in-line (between) your HDMI video source and the MHUB that does the following important things:

1. Sends an untouched signal from your HDMI source to your AVR (as if they were connected directly to one another) to provide it with Atmos or DTS-HD audio and…
2. Split the signal and ‘downmix’ it so all those channels of audio are mixed into a left and right only for all other displays that the MHUB serves.

What is it called?

The device that you need is called the Dolby™ & DTS® AV Signal Manager.

What devices does it work with?

It will work with MHUBs and XTND hardware which feature HDMI mirrored outputs.

Soundbars

As TVs have become thinner, the space required for housing speakers within them have diminished, often leaving TV audio weak, lacking in depth and richness. Soundbars are an effective solution to that problem and HDANYWHERE works with them absolutely fine.

Picking the right soundbar.

There are generally three types of soundbar available.

1. Stereo soundbars
2. Multichannel 5.1 soundbars
3. Multichannel (Spacial) soundbars that support Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD

1. Stereo soundbars

If you have #1 (stereo soundbars) then you’re good to go. This will work all over your property as the speaker arrangement and capability is just a better version of what your TV already supports.

2. Multichannel soundbars

If you intend on fitting #2 then you will need to consider what capability your other rooms/zones can handle around your property. If your soundbar supports 5.1, then we suggest reading the guidance here.

What the guidance above says (briefly).

If you want your soundbar to output 5.1 then you will need to make sure your source is also set to output 5.1. When you do this all displays connected to MHUB will receive a 5.1 audio signal and if that display can’t decode 5.1 audio and downmix it into stereo then you will have an audio problem.

3. Multichannel (Immersive) soundbars

If you intend on installing a soundbar with this capability and require the source to be distributed then you will need additional hardware to manage the signal. We would recommend that you read Using MHUB and providing Dolby Audio (Atmos) and DTS (DTS-HD) audio.

Confused? Help is available, drop us an email for a fast response.

Using an AVR and MHUB for multichannel audio in 1 room/zone.

Adding a cinema or media room to MHUB is a relatively easy task for the MHUB to do but if you are planning to have a room with equipment inside it that is of a higher specification to the rest of the property then you need to do a little pre-planning beforehand.

For best results the source(s) that will be watched in that room should be fixed to serve just that room.

The chances are that this room will have the best display capability and the best audio capability. Because all HDMI sources (bluray, AppleTV, Amazon Fire etc) can only output one format of video and one format of audio at any given time you should ideally serve this room with sources dedicated to it. This way the source can be set to output the correct video resolution and audio format without having to readjust when the stereo 1080p TV accidentally tries to request a picture from the source.

If you have MHUB PRO then we recommend using the HDMI cable direct to your AVR and then the digital coax after.

… Then tell MHUB to only request what that room can handle

Other displays in your property (like that 1080p display in the kitchen) are able to contact your source device to downgrade it’s audio and video capability. You can block this from happening by selecting an appropriate EDID profile for your source from within MHUB-OS.

You don’t need to do this if you fix the output from the source device to your room but we recommend it to make sure your system doesn’t suffer from strange behaviour.

I would like that source available throughout my property? What happens if I fix the source and set EDID above?

If the source is fixed to output 5.1 then MHUB will deliver 5.1 audio to all HDBaseT outputs connected to MHUB. If your TV or display can decode and downmix multichannel audio into stereo (many now do) then you will hear the content correctly in stereo. If the TV is unable to decode the 5.1 audio then you are likely to have audio problems or hear nothing at all.

Listening to content on all displays.

Are there any ways around this problem?

Yes. Many modern TVs can accept a 5.1 audio signal so that they can work with 5.1 compatible soundbars over HDMI ARC or Optical connections. Depending on the TV specification, it can work in two ways:

1. MHUB outputs 5.1 audio to the TV and it passes the audio directly to a compatible soundbar (additional soundbars required).
2. MHUB outputs 5.1 audio to the TV and the TV downmixes the audio back into stereo.

This will mean that you get 5.1 audio in rooms where you need it and stereo everywhere else. It is important that you check the specification of your displays carefully before considering this option. Older TVs are not likely to handle multichannel audio at all ruling out this option entirely.