---
title: Decode AC3 Data on Older Players
slug: legacy-docs/decode-ac3-data-on-older-players
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-11T06:58:09.588Z
---

:::hint{type="info"}
Series 5 players support sending compressed audio over HDMI and SPDIF, as older BrightSign players do, but you must be on BOS v9.0.101 or later.
:::

An AC3 decoder is now standard on all Series 5 players except the AU335. This new feature is unique to Series 5 players. The AU335, and Series 4 and earlier BrightSign players, do not support decoding AC3 out-of-the-box, so the AC3 data must be passed to an endpoint that can decode it. To do this in BrightAuthor Classic:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/_OnUc_YcE9Zka5Q5zBDCU_namezoneproperties.png" size="60" width="608" height="671" position="center" caption="Image 1" alt="Zone_Properties.png" showCaption="true"}

1. Select the zone in **Edit > Playlist** tab.
2. Click **Zone Properties**.
3. Under **Audio Output**, check the **HDMI** and/or **SPDIF** boxes (whichever port(s) are being used to output AC3). See Image 1.
4. Select **Pass through** for the output(s).
5. Click **OK** to save the changes.
6. If you are on BrightAuthor 4.7 and newer, the **Presentation Properties >** **Audio** tab settings must also be set to **Mixed Audio PCM / Compressed** or **Fixed Audio** to enable pass through output. See Image 2.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0prk6SO2dy9LdU77jB8D1/KIAbU2NmJr9S1JrlLetPe_image.png "Image 2")

# Additional Notes

- To play videos with surround sound, you must encode an AC3 audio layer along with an MPEG2 video layer in a program/transport stream, or MPEG-4 video layer in a MOV.
- If using Adobe Premiere to encode the video with the SurCode codec for audio, SurCode needs to be in BluRay mode, not Dolby Digital mode.