Atmos and TrueHD 7.1 playback on 5.1 systems - Tests, Results, questions, experiences

[paligap]

If you used room calibration that comes with your receiver (e.g. audyssey, ypao, mcacc) and you don’t remove the height speakers from the set-up in the receiver, I wonder if you would be missing any sound that Atmos or any DSP modes would be sending.

Yes, I removed the top speakers from the set-up and reran Audyssey, but the front display and info buttons still show when an Atmos signal is being sent to the AVR.

 

[paligap]

This depends on the AVR, but my Denon would not allow any Atmos processing at all without the height speakers physically connected to the device. So I imagine it would automatically be playing the 5.1 without them.

This receiver is a Denon 4200W. I don't know what, if any, Atmos processing is going on, but it can still receive an Atmos signal. I also don't know what it does to that signal.

 

[chinera123]

Had a chance to test the Atmos Test Files.

Files were accessed from a USB stick, plugged into the front port of an Oppo 203. Oppo connected via hdmi cable to MX122, with output being Bitstream. Speaker system is 7.1.2, consisting of 6 full size towers, center and sub, and two bookshelf speakers as height speakers.

Oppo recognized the .mkv files but not the .mp4 files.

All Atmos Channel Test files correctly displayed "Dolby Atmos" on the MX122.

For test files using 5.x.x, the additional 2 speakers were ignored.

For test files using 9.x.x, the additional 2 speakers were played through the FL and FR speakers.

For test files using x.x.4 and x.x.6, the test tones were all rolled into the one pair of height speakers.

For the TrueHD Channel files, the display was "Dolby HD + DDS". Again, only .mkv files recognized.