Apple Broke Dolby Digital 5.1 Output on Apple TV 4K

I want to add to this. I was going nuts because I have paid extra for Dolby Atmos on Netflix, Prime, Max, Paramount and Disney.

Netflix, Disney and Prime have lost Atmos on the Apple TV......It is now labled "Spacial Audio" so those three services are not handshaking with the Apple TV version 18.1. My Sonos APP says the Spacial Audio is 5.1. On the bright side, Max and Paramount Plus are still reporting Dolby Atmos and my APP says that's what I'm getting. The Apple TV on screen display reports the DOLBY ATMOS in the upper right as well.

I own a Fire TV that is Atmos compatible and I tried it on the same TV setup as the Apple TV and amazingly Netflix reported Atmos on the Fire TV and also on my Sonos APP. The same movie on the Apple TV reported as Spacial Audio.

There is something seriously amiss with the Apple TV and the three streaming services I mentioned.

Anyway, let me explain the situation as I see it. If your audio system is automatically detected by your Apple TV as a system that can use multichannel audio, then fine, you're one of the lucky ones. However, Apple engineers created a back door for audio systems that can use multichannel audio, but which are not recognized as such by the Apple TV. For the people who need it, it's the only way to receive multichannel audio. A simplified summary of the back door is the "Change Format" option. I'm convinced that it's this back door, the "Change Format" option, that is broken.

Agreed. I have two Apple TVs and this update broke them both. They work perfectly fine except the crippling the update has done and no reason they should be replaced. I'm not purchasing another one because of that. I'll switch to something with more freedom. Updates breaking important features is not something I will look passed. I really hope Apple makes good and fixes this soon but so far, it seems they won't even acknowledge it.

Same thing happened to me after the tvOS 18 update on my Apple TV HD. I change the audio output in Settings to force Dolby Digital 5.1 for my speakers (Logitech Z906). I pass my audio from the tv to the speakers with a TOSLINK optical cable.

A fix that worked for me. I temporarily switched my audio output to my HomePod mini from the Control Center and then switched back to TV speakers. Now I am getting a 5.1 signal. It works with AirPods too. As long as you switch the audio output to something else and then back to TV, it seems to correct itself.

Definitely a bug that Apple needs to fix.

I thought I saw someone with a 4K say it worked for them but maybe I'm misremembering. I know it hasn't worked for me switching to earbuds or bluetooth speaker but I don't have a HomePod. EDIT: It was someone on another forum with a 4K 1st gen who got the workaround to work.

I have an Apple TV HD and can’t find the solution that people are saying is working for them.

Apple TV > Samsung Smart TV > optical > Sonos.

PlayStation, Sky Stream, smart tv apps all output Dolby digital. YouTube surround test works, otherwise the Apple TV reverts to PCM stereo.

This was working fine, but now can’t get it to work. I’ve tried everything I can.

Atmos was never a problem for me. It was non atmos 5.1 stuff that was being down mixed to pcm stereo instead of DD5.1 when I selected DD5.1 in the change format option. Are you saying that’s fixed? I’m not near my box to check but 🤞🏻it has been sorted out.

I just updated and 5.1 is back! You have to update to the newest B version. If you aren't seeing that option, try re-logging into your Apple account. I had to do that on one of my ATVs. So happy 5.1 is back.

I was quite fortunate to have 2 x individual 4K Apple TV pucks. One of them updated to TVOS 18 resulting in a loss of DD5.1 via my Yamaha AVR. The other remained on TVOS 17.6.1 and still supported DD5.1, so I was able to switch the pucks over.

note to self: Disable auto updates. Only update one and review for bugs.

The b version has fixed it the issue for me, but still keeping the other on 17.6.1 until the official update is pushed out for me to review.

Thank you to those of you that started of the thread, and reported to A HQ.

Did 18.1 fix for people WITHOUT needing to leave Change Format on?

If I leave it on, I don’t get Atmos. I’d prefer to not have a tradeoff. I can toggle Change Format on and then off after I start a program and it’ll stay but that’s pretty annoying every time I watch something.

So I just updated to the latest tvos 18.1 public released version. And as I already noticed on the b versions, the problem has not been fixed for me. Switching to dolby 5.1 does not give me surround sound. The light which indicates that it is receiving a dolby digital 5.1 signal on my logitech z906 doesn't light up. This is very disappointing, as I beginning to lose hope if it will ever be fixed.

Hello,

I still have the same problem with iOS 18.1 , in auto I have Dolby Atmos or stereo, but still no Dolby digital 5.1.

I have it only by forcing it, but in this case I lose the Atmos. Apple, please do something.

It's an Apple TV 4K 2017

I can do this with the latest update but:

1. I have to do it for EVERY app. It only sticks for each app individually.
2. I have to do it EVERY time I turn on the Apple TV. Doing it once doesn't solve it forever.

Are you noticing either of those or did switching 5.1 on/off in Change Format solve it globally indefinitely for you?