The two formats
- Dolby Digital (AC-3)
- Up to 5.1 channels; 32 to 640 kbps
- Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3)
- Up to 7.1 channels; 32 kbps to 6 Mbps; suited to streaming
- Compatibility
- Dolby Digital Plus is converted to Dolby Digital for systems that only support Dolby Digital
From Dolby’s Dolby Digital Plus page, checked 1 October 2026.
Where you’ll meet them on IPTV
- Films and series: the on-demand library often carries Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus surround, sometimes alongside a stereo track.
- Some live channels: HD and 4K channels can carry a Dolby track, usually with a stereo track too.
- Atmos: where streams carry Dolby Atmos, it usually comes inside Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon’s Fire TV specifications list Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (DDP+JOC) among supported formats on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen).
Who can decode them
| Device | Typical handling |
|---|---|
| Streaming sticks and boxes | Usually decode Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon lists both as supported formats on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen). |
| Smart TV apps | Depends on the TV and the app; some send it on to a soundbar instead |
| Soundbars and AV receivers | Most decode Dolby Digital; Dolby Digital Plus and Atmos depend on the model |
If the device decodes the sound itself, it sends ordinary audio to the TV, and any speaker setup will play it. If it passes the Dolby stream through, the equipment at the end must decode it. See audio passthrough explained.
Fixing silent Dolby tracks
- Switch to the stereo track, if the channel or film has one, from the player’s audio menu.
- Turn passthrough off in the player and the device, so the device decodes the Dolby track itself.
- Turn passthrough on instead if you have a soundbar or receiver that decodes Dolby, and the device can’t.
- Try another player. Players differ in how they handle Dolby audio, especially Dolby Digital Plus.
For silence that isn’t format-related, such as HDMI or Bluetooth problems, see no sound on IPTV. If channels play without sound only on a particular track, see subtitles and audio tracks.