How can I stream 5.1/Atmos audio to my PC?

[key_wiz]

I've tried searching the forum for discussion on this topic but couldn't find anything. Forgive me if I'm repeating something that has already been discussed elsewhere.

I stream Tidal and AmazonMusic Atmos titles via a Firestick through my AVR in my 'big' system in the living room. Works fine.

But what I've been trying to do is to get it to stream to my 5.1 PC system in my office. Neither Tidal nor Amazon (Nor Apple for that matter) allow for streaming of Atmos via their websites. I tried hooking up another Firestick to my PC via a small Video Capture device I have and that worked fine -- except that particular device only transmits the audio in stereo.

So I searched online for a video capture device that would send sound in 5.1. I THOUGHT I found one in the Hauppauge! HD PVR 2, so I bought I used one on Ebay, but I get nothing from it when I connect the Firestick. No picture; no audio; nothing. I don't know if the used device I purchased is defective, or if it simply doesn't do what I need it to do.

Is anyone doing something like this? If so, what devices are you using to hook it up?

Thanks in advance.

 

[steelydave]

The simple answer is that so far, it's impossible, only the Android/Apple apps will pass Atmos.

I think this is by design as they're keeping Atmos playback off computers because they feel like it would be too easy for the average user to capture streams, sort of like how we never saw SACD-capable drives for the PC because of the fear of them being ripped.

 

[key_wiz]

The simple answer is that so far, it's impossible, only the Android/Apple apps will pass Atmos.

I think this is by design as they're keeping Atmos playback off computers because they feel like it would be too easy for the average user to capture streams, sort of like how we never saw SACD-capable drives for the PC because of the fear of them being ripped.

The Hauppauge! device is designed for gamers. Is there really nothing that allows gamers to pass from HDMI to USB in surround?

But as regards Apple -- are you saying that if I used an Apple TV box I'd be able to stream Apple content to my PC? How? Do they have a USB out?

 

[Quadlover]

I have been using the Hauupauge for many years. First for recording from my cable box (until Comcast changed the box to not allow digital recording. Now I have to use the analog inputs and set my receiver to Dolby Digital.) If I connect the Apple box to the Hauupauge with an HDMI cable, I can record 5.1 (though still getting something in the height speakers). Sometimes there is static and I have to hard reset the Apple box.

 

[AudiophileStyle]

The only way to do this is use Apple Music on a Mac. It’ll stream Atmos no problem.

 

[Beiriannydd]

The only way to do this is use Apple Music on a Mac. It’ll stream Atmos no problem.

It will stream Atmos EAC3-JOC bitstream these days, which is nice, but you won't be able to pick that up on your Mac to record it if that was the goal of getting the stream to your PC.
You can also configure 5.1 or 7.1ch PCM output which doesn't include height speakers which you would be able to capture with one of the virtual audio drivers I would think.

Oh, and QuickTime Player will also stream EAC3-JOC.

Before the bitstream support, it would stream to my amp as LPCM 7.1ch which again, was missing the height channel info. It may be that my RZ1100 doesn't support MAT?

 

[AudiophileStyle]

It will stream Atmos EAC3-JOC bitstream these days, which is nice, but you won't be able to pick that up on your Mac to record it if that was the goal of getting the stream to your PC.
You can also configure 5.1 or 7.1ch PCM output which doesn't include height speakers which you would be able to capture with one of the virtual audio drivers I would think.

Oh, and QuickTime Player will also stream EAC3-JOC.

Before the bitstream support, it would stream to my amp as LPCM 7.1ch which again, was missing the height channel info. It may be that my RZ1100 doesn't support MAT?

I stream 7.1.4 PCM every day.

 

[Beiriannydd]

I stream 7.1.4 PCM every day.

Can you give me the cheat code? Do you have the same receiver? If you can tell me how to configure height speaker channels on a Mac, that'd be great. I can make 5.1.4 out of 5.1 PCM with Dolby Surround, but it sounds very different from the Atmos

 

[AudiophileStyle]

Can you give me the cheat code? Do you have the same receiver? If you can tell me how to configure height speaker channels on a Mac, that'd be great. I can make 5.1.4 out of 5.1 PCM with Dolby Surround, but it sounds very different from the Atmos

I don’t use a receiver. I set Audio MIDI to 7.1.4 for my output device (Merging Anubis > Merging HAPI Mk2) and Apple Music sends the Atmos, macOS decodes it, and I have a pure pcm 12 channel output.

 

[Beiriannydd]

Thanks for sharing!

That looks like a complex product, I guess the Audio MIDI limitation I'm seeing is due to Apple's HDMI encoding not supporting height speakers. If I had only my computer to worry about and a lot more disposable income right now, I might follow you down this rabbit hole. $4k refurbished for just the two pieces you mention and just for one use case- You're in a completely different league to me! I'm just happy that my HDMI->Receiver solution is working better than it ever has and hope that Apple eventually allow TrueHD bitstream output and not just EAC3. At some point I'll have to at least get a receiver with multichannel RCA inputs.

That said, I think I was misinterpreting "Pass Atmos" to handing the encoded data downstream rather than decoding it.