Dolby Atmos on MacOS

[Peeties]

Tension is rising with me, there will be a feature in the new macOS and iOS related to Apple Music spatial audio, it is unknown what this feature will mean, suggestions are a name change but it is also said that specific hardware will be needed, the feature will be called Passtrough, maybe an HDMI port is needed and not via an adapter over Thunderbolt. Fingers Cross

 

[jimfisheye]

Trying to sift through OS files in my spare time to find this whitelist... It's about time to expect to see someone on MacRumors has found it but nothing yet. The solution will be to simply add your computer itself to the whitelist of approved devices when we find this. Then the Music app will be the streaming media player and you can output to any connected hardware you please. This is for lossy streaming only. The Music app will specifically not decode lossless Atmos even with approved devices connected. That still needs the Dolby reference player or pass through to hardware decoding.

 

[humprof]

If we're talking Atmos bitstreamed over HDMI, then no, Windows does not have an 8 channel limit into a proper decoding device.

That's because "bitstreaming" effectively = "passthrough." That is (to elaborate on @mandrix's reply), Windows allows properly configured computers and compatible software players (e.g., Windows Movies & TV, VLC Player, Kodi) to bitstream--pass through--an undecoded Atmos signal over HDMI so that it can be decoded on the other end by an Atmos-compatible AVR. Until now--to widespread frustration from users--MacOS has not included passthrough capability; it decodes Atmos on the computer side. And because HDMI is limited to 8 LPCM channels, only the 7.1 TrueHD core of a decoded Atmos signal will be transmitted over HDMI.

It would be helpful to include sources for some of the rumors alluded to over the last couple of pages of this thread. (And/or screenshots for some of the claims made--instead of vague, unsubstantiated talk about "whitelists" of "approved devices," etc.)

Here, at least, is one source for the rumor about an impending HDMI "passthrough" feature in the next MacOS:
https://www.gadgets360.com/apps/new...o-enhancements-ios-18-macos-15-report-5719451

 

[mandrix]

Just so hard to believe that Mac's don't allow passthrough over hdmi. Is what it is I guess.

 

[jimfisheye]

Passthrough is more on the software end. The OS still thinks it's audio data and isn't really involved. The media player app with passthrough ability is just sending encoded data instead of raw audio data and the AVR will detect that and know what to do with it. This is actually spoofing with the encoded data masquerading as audio data. The receiving AVR needs the hardware decoder. With Mac there also needs to be an approved connected device. I'm pretty sure from what I've seen that the computer itself can be an approved device but only for lossy Atmos software decoding. I suspect the connected AVR needs to also be an approved device itself for lossless passthrough... That's speculation to be clear but it would follow their current SOP to the letter.

 

[mandrix]

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-bitstream-1846846

 

[mandrix]

I guess I prefer "bitstreaming" over passthrough because it's all 1's and 0's being sent. Both are correct, though.
But if the device and/or app won't push the data through the HDMI cable and instead decodes first, then as @humprof says, you are frustratingly can get only 8 channels of pcm over an HDMI cable...which is strange but way it is.

 

[mandrix]

I don't know jack about Mac's or anything Apple, but such a fundamental thing as bitstreaming/passthrough via HDMI not being enabled boggles the mind.
What reason could they have?
Another reason I don't like Mac's. You can love or hate Windows, but the availability of apps for Windows is so great compared to a Mac, and always has been, I decided early on to stick with DOS then Windows.
But for the Mac users, if Apple does enable bitstreaming/passthrough I'm sure it will be appreciated.

EDIT: Is the same true for an Intel Mac?

 

[Blackwood]

But for the Mac users, if Apple does enable bitstreaming/passthrough I'm sure it will be appreciated.

Yes, it would. I try not to dwell on this too much, but for a company that has always claimed to love and support music, some of their music related decisions over the years frustrate me. The fact that a $50 Neumi device can play 7.1.4 Atmos files through my AVR but my far more expensive Mac Minis can’t is beyond frustrating.

 

[jimfisheye]

Intel Mac user here. Passthrough is entirely on the software media player. It's a spoofing kind of thing too. The media player "appears" to be simply sending digital audio data. The code is all running normally. Except... it's not audio data. It's encoded data! The AVR detects it and responds as though a hardware disc player is connected and sending encoded data. This leverages that connection.

It's all fun in theory! Do all AVRs behave like this? Obviously not!
Now throw in HDMI and the copy protection gone wild stuff...

Now if something is not letting you pass the encoded signal through to your hardware... There's the problem right there. I do know about the Apple lockout if you don't have an approved device connected. I'm aware that Apple enforces HDMI copy protection where others do not. But software media player passthrough is matter of fact. Media player: "Here's your audio data!" Computer: "OK!" Media player: "Heh heh... that wasn't audio data!" Can't very well stop that! That's how passthrough works the system. (Hence the warnings to turn down your speakers if you aren't sure because the encoded data read as audio would be harsh loud noise.)

Thunderbolt to HDMI cable from laptop to AVR seems slick as can be! Until some ******* programs the thing to shut off or mute height channels in Atmos or restrict you to 8 channels. Thousands of dollars of capable audio gear connected and ready to go being shut off like this is not so slick anymore. USB connecting audio interfaces are where it's at! (Or older firewire units.) Lowly USB 2.0 can do 32 channels both directions. Any restrictions are intentionally programmed. Post-Jobs Apple isn't about music/arts/creativity anymore it appears.

Kind of weird being fully capable of playing lossless Atmos on a reference system but the lossy streaming is locked away unless I buy some hardware purely for the software access. Now I'm stubborn and will refuse to ever buy hardware for hidden software when I see this behavior. Need to find that file...

 

[humprof]

Yes, it would. I try not to dwell on this too much, but for a company that has always claimed to love and support music, some of their music related decisions over the years frustrate me. The fact that a $50 Neumi device can play 7.1.4 Atmos files through my AVR but my far more expensive Mac Minis can’t is beyond frustrating.

Especially since they introduced their new MacBook Pros with M1 chips a couple of years ago by touting their suitability for professional-level music mixing and production.

 

[JediJoker]

Especially since they introduced their new MacBook Pros with M1 chips a couple of years ago by touting their suitability for professional-level music mixing and production.

Professionals don't use HDMI and Dolby TrueHD encoding for Atmos playback, except, perhaps, for checking commercially released references.

 

[humprof]

Professionals don't use HDMI and Dolby TrueHD encoding for Atmos playback, except, perhaps, for checking commercially released references.

Not saying they do, necessarily; just saying that's how I remember Apple touting the new M1 "Pro" machines and their capabilities.

 

[JediJoker]

Not saying they do, necessarily; just saying that's how I remember Apple touting the new M1 "Pro" machines and their capabilities.

Sure, and the Apple Silicon M-series-powered Macs are great for music production, but for that purpose, engineers and producers like me pair them with computer-focused audio interfaces connected via USB or Thunderbolt. The lack of HDMI audio bitstream support is mostly irrelevant to our production environments.

 

[Peeties]

Hello has someone already experience playing music with dolby atmos on an apple macintosh with a virtual machine like parallels or vmware fusion with par example windows 10 and VLC, with a connection over HDMI to an AVR? Has he get more than eight channels? So 7.1.4 with dolby is in that case possible without using a virtual soundcard in MacOs?

I am trying to find a solution with the support of parallels

 

[Peeties]

With Parallels no luck; so decided to invest in a Nvidea Tv Shield Pro, and it works streaming a file with Atmos over the internal network and then to my AVR; not so comfortabel then in a apple space but ok

 

[jimfisheye]

I've been trying to poke around some...
This is very tight lipped! No one is volunteering anything. My knowledge is "knows enough to be dangerous" but I'm going to poke around with a Monterey install on my backup Mac Pro and see what I can break. My aging O-scope blew up last night and I will not be working on this amplifier today! (CRT screen. Power supply generating 1000V and all that. I think it's end times for this device!)

I might know how to make a machine identify as a different model (an approved one). That might help find something else but ultimately the approved device list - possibly associated with the Music app - needs to have the computer itself added to make this seamless. Then it probably would need to be rewritten after every software update.

I don't think you would be able to work around this by emulating a different OS to 'trick' or 'sidestep' this. Either the Music app itself has the decoder code or it's in MacOS. The Music app is their 'official' streaming player. It needs to see a device on its approved whitelist connected to the system. Adding the whole computer itself will be the way to go when we find this.

 

[Misterbee]

With Parallels no luck; so decided to invest in a Nvidea Tv Shield Pro, and it works streaming a file with Atmos over the internal network and then to my AVR; not so comfortabel then in a apple space but ok

I’m not familiar with that Nvidia product. Are you streaming from your Mac to it, and then to your AVR?

 

[Peeties]

Indeed nvidia with hdmi
Playing mkv files on the mac with dolby atmos true hd over ethernet after making a share

 

[dabl]

Yep the Nvidia Shield TV is a great device and has been around forever (2017). Unless I'm missing something it sounds like In Peeties case the mac isn't really involved at all other than acting as a network disk source for the Shield. He doesn't mention the player he's using on the Shield to actually play the Atmos files. I use Kodi on my Shield but there are a number of (Android TV based) players that can do this.