Apple TV output stereo when atmos is not available

Apple TV 4K latest gen

Samsung the frame eARC

bose 900

all using the tv as hub.

Apple TV fails to send proper audio signal when atmos is on. It just converts any other 5.1 to LPCM 2.0.

I have seen many other threads with this same issue on different tvs audio setups.

definitely a config issue with Apple TV

Posted on Oct 7, 2022 02:57 AM

Similar questions

Apple TV 4K + Samsung TV Passthrough Issue! I have my ATV 4k (2022) connected to my Samsung QN95A and I have Samsung QN990B soundbar connected to the TV via eARC. I set my Samsung TV audio to passthrough I have an issue with non-atmos 5.1 contents playing as stereo and not as 5.1 & all the voices sound sluggish and slow. Atmos contents play perfectly and the soundbar shows "Dolby Atmos" If I set ATV to DD 5.1 then I get the surround working but obviously I lose atmos.... So wth? Can't I get both if I connect ATV directly to TV?? Any fix for this? I have other devices connected to my Samsung TV and everything works perfectly, I only have an issue with Apple TV
11703 12
Sonos Arc not playing 5.1 only Atmos I have Sonos Arc Connected to Samsung 2021 The Frame 75" and Apple TV 4K. I am able to play stereo and Dolby Atmos on the Arc, but whenever the output format is 5.1 the Arc goes silent. This applies to all my apps on my Apple TV. If I am not using the Apple TV and only uses the smart functions on my TV i get both Atmos and 5.1 sound. I have therefore concluded that there is something wrong with the Apple TV setup. I get 5.1 sound when I turn off Atmos in the settings on Apple TV, but then I am not getting Atmos on the movies/series that support Atmos. My HDMI cable support 8K, so I dont think it can be the cable either. Does anyone have a quickfix/solution for this problem?
1300 4
Apple TV Atmos bug on 3rd party apps: Audio format workaround needed I've been dealing with the weirdest bug. My Apple TV 4K started playing up a few weeks ago, sending a stereo signal on any third party video app (but still working completely fine on Apple TV app content). The only "fix" I have found so far is to 1/ open a video and start playing 2/ go into settings 3/ change the audio output to change format "ON" and Dolby Digital 5.1 4/ then open the video app again and play for a second 5/ go back to audio settings and change back the change format to "OFF" Then it outputs again in full Atmos. But I have to do this every time I switch on the Apple TV. My set up is as follows: Apple TV4K connected to eArc on LG OLED G2 screen LG OLED connected to Arc on Marantz receiver (Atmos compatible), set on "Direct' or "Pure Direct" (streams without any audio adjustments. This has been my set up for 2 years and nothing has changed whatsoever, and never had any audio issues in the past. I tried restarting the Apple TV, re-installing the apps, logging out and back in, and installing the latest firmware (I've also updated the firmware on the TV, although the fact it works fine with Apple apps makes me pretty sure the issue is with the Apple TV). I do not understand why it impacts only third party apps, and the fact it can be solved with this little trick every time I start it is really aggravating. Clearly it can output in Atmos, it just stubbornly doesn't want to. I've researched this one on these forums, reddit etc. and cannot find a similar issue being addressed. I'm hoping someone here might have a fix? [Re-Titled by Moderator]
448 1

2 replies

Urquhart1244

Level 10

145,674 points

Oct 7, 2022 03:36 AM in response to Gianni_Argentina

(L)PCM doesn't mean stereo, it means uncompressed, and can just as well be multichannel (up to 7.1 if your equipment supports that). It does mean that it is not Dolby Digital (which is compressed). But that doesn’t matter, as decompressing is lossless.

Oct 7, 2022 07:03 AM in response to Urquhart1244

Yeah sorry I meant LPCM 2.0.

so any content that’s 5.1 but not atmos will be delivered as 2.0. Same content through the apps on the Samsung tv is delivered as LPCM 5.1.

my guess is that the Apple TV is doing a bad job at choosing the best available format when atmos is not available and opts for 2.0 instead of Dolby digital for instance

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Apple TV output stereo when atmos is not available