You can watch titles in 5.1 surround sound if you have a receiver that supports Dolby Digital Plus and a connection speed of 3.0 megabits per second or faster. If you meet these requirements but are not hearing 5.1 surround sound through your 5.1 receiver, follow the troubleshooting below:
Titles that have 5.1 surround sound available will display either a Dolby Digital Plus icon or a 5.1 icon on the movie description page.
Icon examples:
If your device's audio output settings are set to stereo or Linear PCM, you'll need to select a 5.1 compatible option instead. Contact your device manufacturer for help adjusting these settings.
If the movie or TV show you're watching has 5.1 available, make sure that option is selected within the Audio & Subtitles menu during playback.
Please note that not every episode or season of a 5.1 supported TV show will have 5.1 available. You can test for 5.1 availability of later seasons of a TV show by using the season drop-down option on the title description page. Additionally, not every TV show or movie supports 5.1 in every language.
5.1 surround sound is not currently supported while streaming on a computer using Microsoft Silverlight or HTML5. However, it is supported in the Netflix app for Windows 8 and Windows 10. To check if your device supports 5.1 audio, go to any Netflix original to see if there is a 5.1 audio option. If not, your device may not support this feature, or it may need to be turned on. For assistance enabling this feature, visit How do I adjust subtitles, captions and alternate audio on my device?
Titles downloaded from the Netflix app to watch offline do not currently support 5.1 audio. To watch the title in 5.1 surround sound, delete it from your device and watch it while connected to the internet.
Ensure that your speakers are hooked up to your receiver properly.
We also recommend checking your HDMI/Optical connectors to ensure that they are plugged in properly.
Lastly, reversing the ends of the cable or trying an alternate cable may resolve the issue you are experiencing.