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MoodyM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2008
778
25
I bought an Apple TV 3rd gen for my bedroom, and the sound from my 24" LED TV was rubbish, so I bought a basic sound bar (Philips HTL2100/12). My TV's only audio output is 3.5mm headphones or SPDIF coax.

The sound bar takes coax AND optical inputs. So my questions are:

1) Would I best to use Apple TV > sound bar via optical, or TV > sound bar via coax? (I should add I ONLY use an Apple TV, no other devices will connect to the TV at all)

2) What settings in the Apple TV Video/Audio menu should I set? Dolby Digital on/off/auto? My content (streamed from MBP's iTunes) is a mixture of HD movies/TV shows with 5.1 AC3 audio and SD TV shows with 2 channel audio.

Details of the sound bar here:

http://www.philips.co.uk/c/home-cinema-systems/htl2100_12/prd/

Thanks!
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
I should add I ONLY use an Apple TV, no other devices will connect to the TV at all

Not even broadcast TV? then ATV -> soundbar fine.

2) What settings in the Apple TV Video/Audio menu should I set? Dolby Digital on/off/auto? My content (streamed from MBP's iTunes) is a mixture of HD movies/TV shows with 5.1 AC3 audio and SD TV shows with 2 channel audio.

Auto.
 

MoodyM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2008
778
25
Not even broadcast TV?

Nope, no aerial. I have satellite TV in all the rooms I need it in. I don't need broadcast TV in the bedroom, just a way to stream my movies.





Ok. Although I have noticed that music streamed from MBP is LOUD and TV Shows/Movies are very quiet...
 

satcomer

Suspended
Feb 19, 2008
9,115
1,973
The Finger Lakes Region
Nope, no aerial. I have satellite TV in all the rooms I need it in. I don't need broadcast TV in the bedroom, just a way to stream my movies.

Ok. Although I have noticed that music streamed from MBP is LOUD and TV Shows/Movies are very quiet...

If I were you then I would check if your TV has an optical port out. Then just get an optical cable from MonoPrice. You will get the best sound this way.
 

Che Castro

macrumors 603
May 21, 2009
5,878
676
My TV only has coax out

Go coax from TV to soundbar




Edit : or if you have optical cable go from Apple TV to soundbar
Don't matter which way you go


I would go Apple TV to soundbar if you only have atv
 
Last edited:

hagr182

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2010
192
29
I have both setups, ATV to Soundbar on the studio and TV to Soundbar (which also has another ATV) on my folk´s. Same bars and tv, same sound as far as I can hear.
 

lexvo

macrumors 65816
Nov 11, 2009
1,467
551
The Netherlands
2) What settings in the Apple TV Video/Audio menu should I set? Dolby Digital on/off/auto? My content (streamed from MBP's iTunes) is a mixture of HD movies/TV shows with 5.1 AC3 audio and SD TV shows with 2 channel audio.

From what I've read, if you want 5.1 audio then set Dolby Digital to ON.
 
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