I have a pioneer vsx 818 v amp, when I set it up we get noise / beeps etc from the surround sound speakers but then when playing a film in 5.1 we get no sound from the surround speaks ..driving me nuts ! I've tried ALC and Direct buttons but still no sound

Hello,
To get sound out of your surround speakers, first off go through the receiver setup and make sure that is correct. Also, usually the best soundfields to use for sourround sound is PLII Movie or dolby digital. Next , make sure the source you are viewing is capable of outputting 5.1 sourround sound. Lastly, it is a good thing to remember that sourround speakers are only intended to reproduce sound effects. You certainly can override it so that all speakers play full range audio, but that is not the intention.
Good Luck