Originally Posted by shaithis 
So you have a 5.1 surround system?
What exactly are the speakers plugged into?
If they are plugged into the TV directly, then the reason you are not getting 5.1 sound is because the freeview broadcasts do not have 5.1 sound, they only carry dolby pro logic via a stereo signal that is matrixed into a pseudo-surround sound.
If the speakers are plugged into an amplifier/receiver, then you need to run an optical cable from your TV or freeview box to the amp and set the amp to that input.
i have a surround sound system but it only has phono inputs on it so cant run an optical to it. the surround sound also doesn't work on anologue tv either.