SPOTLIGHT Apple TV4k TIPS, TRICKS and TRAPS

[GuitarSuperstar]

After I updated to tvOS 16.3, I can hear a pretty dramatic improvement with Dolby Atmos music from Apple Music. Everything sounds more defined especially the height channels. I am using a Sonos Arc setup.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Yes. Dolby Atmos is auto remixed to your speaker configuration defined in your AVR by its Atmos decoder.

Atmos streaming has a 5.1 channel bed (Dolby Digital plus). Atmos delivered on Blu-ray has a 7.1 TrueHD bed.

Not sure this is correct as the "bed" I am experiencing on my 7.1 (non Atmos) receiver is 7.1 for all Dolby Atmos no matter what the source is. However, I see PCM 7.1 as the input on my receiver. I think the reason I am getting 7.1 is that I have an audio extractor in the middle and I believe that it is taking the Atmos stream and passing 7.1 PCM to my receiver. Otherwise, I would just have 5.1 coming through as you said. So it's the extractor that is enabling this. So I am glad that I have the extractor.

 

[Guy Robinson]

So now that I am listening for awhile even though the receiver has 7.1 PCM showing on the front I think maybe I am only getting 5.1. The back channels don't seem to have any information in them that I can detect. So now I think that I am receiving 5.1 from the Apple box and the extractor is outputting 7.1 but there is nothing in the extra 2 channels.........so.......nevermind.......

 

[Guy Robinson]

Wow. Now I am hearing some things from the back 2 channels. It's not much but there is something there. So I think I am back to thinking that I have a 7.1 channel signal. It sounds great one way or another. I also notice that stuff on Apple music that is 5.1 is coming through as 5.1 not 7.1. If the extractor was making everything 7.1 then the 5.1 should show up as 7.1 as well. So the summary is that I am getting 7.1 from all Atmos.

 

[marcb]

After I updated to tvOS 16.3, I can hear a pretty dramatic improvement with Dolby Atmos music from Apple Music. Everything sounds more defined especially the height channels. I am using a Sonos Arc setup.

Wouldn’t they have noted this in the release notes if there were some sort improvements to Atmos streaming? I mean, isn’t lossless PCM still just lossless PCM? Unless the improvements are upstream in terms of the source resolutions, what could be changing? I’m half asking rhetorically and half because I don’t know.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Sorry to keep posting but I think I have figured it out. The audio extractor will pass Dolby Atmos through it. So the hand shake is between the Apple TV and the extractor so the extractor takes the Atmos and downmixes to 7.1 as I have the switch on the extractor set to 7.1. It also converts the output to PCM. Makes sense anyway.

 

[marcb]

Sorry to keep posting but I think I have figured it out. The audio extractor will pass Dolby Atmos through it. So the hand shake is between the Apple TV and the extractor so the extractor takes the Atmos and downmixes to 7.1 as I have the switch on the extractor set to 7.1. It also converts the output to PCM. Makes sense anyway.

Nothing is being converted - well, at least by the extractor. Atmos is output from an ATV4K as 7.1 24/48 PCM. 5.1 and quad mixes are output as 5.1 24/48 PCM. Simply put, the atmos metadata are embedded in the 6&7 channels of the 7.1 - which are then decoded by your AVR if it's Atmos capable (and the internal AVR settings are set to decode as Atmos) OR ignored if you don't have an Atmos capable AVR (or have the internal setting set not to decode Atmos on an Atmos AVR). Either way, your receiver will simply see it as 7.1 24/48 PCM.

That's the way it worked for me when I using a non-Atmos pre-pro and now with an Atmos capable AVR (but no Atmos speaker set-up).

So yes, I should think the appropriate setting for the extractor should be 7.1 to get the atmos bed and hopefully it is just splitting and "extracting" the audio signal without any need to convert and hopefully no additional processing.

Have you tried a quad mix (which have silent center & .1) or 5.1 mix to see what happens with those if the extractor is set at 7.1? I would think they should work fine, but maybe something would get messed up because the extractor is expecting to see 7.1?

 

[Guy Robinson]

Nothing is being converted - well, at least by the extractor. Atmos is output from an ATV4K as 7.1 24/48 PCM. 5.1 and quad mixes are output as 5.1 24/48 PCM. Simply put, the atmos metadata are embedded in the 6&7 channels of the 7.1 - which are then decoded by your AVR if it's Atmos capable (and the internal AVR settings are set to decode as Atmos) OR ignored if you don't have an Atmos capable AVR (or have the internal setting set not to decode Atmos on an Atmos AVR). Either way, your receiver will simply see it as 7.1 24/48 PCM.

That's the way it worked for me when I using a non-Atmos pre-pro and now with an Atmos capable AVR (but no Atmos speaker set-up).

So yes, I should think the appropriate setting for the extractor should be 7.1 to get the atmos bed and hopefully it is just splitting and "extracting" the audio signal without any need to convert and hopefully no additional processing.

Have you tried a quad mix (which have silent center & .1) or 5.1 mix to see what happens with those if the extractor is set at 7.1? I would think they should work fine, but maybe something would get messed up because the extractor is expecting to see 7.1?

Thanks for the truly in depth explanation. I really appreciate it and what you say makes sense. 5.1 and quad come through as that not 7.1. I think the setting on the extractor is to tell it what is the highest that you want to pass through. If I set it to 5.1 I expect that the Atmos would hit my receiver as 5.1 not 7.1.

 

[marcb]

Thanks for the truly in depth explanation. I really appreciate it and what you say makes sense. 5.1 and quad come through as that not 7.1. I think the setting on the extractor is to tell it what is the highest that you want to pass through. If I set it to 5.1 I expect that the Atmos would hit my receiver as 5.1 not 7.1.

Yep, the extractor would likely downmix the 7.1 to 5.1 (although exactly how is anybody's guess - it might just throw away the 6&7; it might combine them to the rears or the fronts or both...who knows?).

 

[Guy Robinson]

Yep, the extractor would likely downmix the 7.1 to 5.1 (although exactly how is anybody's guess - it might just throw away the 6&7; it might combine them to the rears or the fronts or both...who knows?).

Best to just leave it at 7.1

 

[ClassicalSurroundFan]

Best to just leave it at 7.1

Could you link to the extractor you are using?

 

[Guy Robinson]

Could you link to the extractor you are using?

That's what I am doing and I am getting 7.1 for all Atmos sources regardless of where they are coming from.

 

[ClassicalSurroundFan]

That's what I am doing and I am getting 7.1 for all Atmos sources regardless of where they are coming from.

Correct, I was wondering if you could share the particular model of extractor you are using.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Correct, I was wondering if you could share the particular model of extractor you are using.

Sorry, misinterpreted your question.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FR4771P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

The trick is to split the audio and video from the ATV using an audio extractor box...

Interesting... What's the make/model number of your audio extractor box?

EDIT: Oh you've just done it

 

[himey]

Has anyone been able to cast Amazon Music Atmos albums to a device like a Nivida Shield (or Apple TV), and get a full Atmos experience? I didn't think it was possible, but on another forum, someone is claiming that is what they are doing.

 

[himey]

Here is the good news about Amazon Atmos support!

Cube 3 gained support a few weeks ago, and the Firestick 4K a day or so ago.

Chromecast devices can also play Atmos casted from the Amazon music app!

Bed 5.1 audio isn't supported like Apple Music, so you will need an Atmos receiver to make the HDMI handshake.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Bed 5.1 audio isn't supported like Apple Music, so you will need an Atmos receiver to make the HDMI handshake.

Or perhaps an audio extractor capable of Atmos in between. I believe that the extractor would make the Atmos handshake with the device and then extract 5.1 or 7.1 from that and handshake with the receiver with the 5.1/7.1.

 

[himey]

Or perhaps an audio extractor capable of Atmos in between. I believe that the extractor would make the Atmos handshake with the device and then extract 5.1 or 7.1 from that and handshake with the receiver with the 5.1/7.1.

I am curious if an eARC connection would work for those with Google TV? My Google TV shows the Atmos symbol when I cast Amazon Music, but my ARC doesn't work with anything over two channels with any app, so I can't test it.

My other Google device shows "sd" audio when I cast to it, connected to the HDMI INPUT of my Oppo, which won't complete the Atmos HDMI handshake.

Also, someone with a 360RA receiver, should test this too with 360 tracks.

 

[humprof]

Here is the good news about Amazon Atmos support!

Cube 3 gained support a few weeks ago, and the Firestick 4K a day or so ago.

Chromecast devices can also play Atmos casted from the Amazon music app!

Bed 5.1 audio isn't supported like Apple Music, so you will need an Atmos receiver to make the HDMI handshake.

Whoa--that's a significant development! I may have to reactivate my "Unlimited" description and check it out. Will they allow 360 RA to play over Fire Stick and Cube, too, I wonder (as long as you have one of the rare MPEG-H capable AVRs)?