Basic sound question on Apple TV

[off_piste]

My setup is the Apple TV 4 and Denon receiver connected to two hdmi ports on a Samsung smart tv (all controlled by CEC). Regardless of content all I see on my receiver's display is stereo sound but others on this site have mentioned 5.1 sound.

Does ARC via hdmi only support stereo? Do I need to dig out an optical cable from my garage?

Sound isn't my forte (and I hate the unnecessary complexity of receivers) so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Rigby]

My setup is the Apple TV 4 and Denon receiver connected to two hdmi ports on a Samsung smart tv (all controlled by CEC). Regardless of content all I see on my receiver's display is stereo sound but others on this site have mentioned 5.1 sound.

Does ARC via hdmi only support stereo? Do I need to dig out an optical cable from my garage?

ARC technically supports multi-channel sound, but many TVs will only output sound from external sources in stereo. The optical cable likely won't help, since on most TVs the optical output has the same limitations as the HDMI ARC. If possible, you should consider routing the audio from all external devices through the receiver and then to the TV. You can still use ARC to play sound from the smart TV apps through the receiver.

 

[TinHead88]

The new ATV4 does not have optical out anymore so your only option to consistently get surround out of the ATV is to route the HDMI to the AV receiver and then to the TV.

 

[off_piste]

ARC technically supports multi-channel sound, but many TVs will only output sound from external sources in stereo. The optical cable likely won't help, since on most TVs the optical output has the same limitations as the HDMI ARC. If possible, you should consider routing the audio from all external devices through the receiver and then to the TV. You can still use ARC to play sound from the smart TV apps through the receiver.

The new ATV4 does not have optical out anymore so your only option to consistently get surround out of the ATV is to route the HDMI to the AV receiver and then to the TV.

Thanks.

My only concern with rewiring in that configuration is CEC and the Apple TV remote. Right now my Apple TV remote controls everything but I'm not sure that would be the case if the Apple TV is separated from the tv by the receiver.

 

[waw74]

i've got an aTV4 --> Denon AVR --> panasonic plasma.

hit a button on the aTV4 remote, everything powers on to the correct input.

in the remote section for volume i have auto (HDMI CEC to the denon), Receiver via IR, TV via IR. all of this set up automatically, as the TV information passes through the denon.

the TV remote will also control the aTV for basic navigation.

----
also go into the audio video settings on the aTV, and make sure you're setup to send dolby digital,

 

[AFEPPL]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds (no pun) like you have the ATV into the TV not the AMP.
I plug mine into the AMP and the AMP is linked into the TV by a single HDMI and i just select the source on the AMP when i want to use the ATV.

My Denon shows more the stereo sound when connected in this way.

 

[off_piste]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds (no pun) like you have the ATV into the TV not the AMP.
I plug mine into the AMP and the AMP is linked into the TV by a single HDMI and i just select the source on the AMP when i want to use the ATV.

My Denon shows more the stereo sound when connected in this way.

That's correct, my Apple TV is currently plugged into the tv rather than my receiver. I'll reconfigure it to run through the receiver and see if I get better results.

 

[off_piste]

i've got an aTV4 --> Denon AVR --> panasonic plasma.

hit a button on the aTV4 remote, everything powers on to the correct input.

in the remote section for volume i have auto (HDMI CEC to the denon), Receiver via IR, TV via IR. all of this set up automatically, as the TV information passes through the denon.

the TV remote will also control the aTV for basic navigation.

----
also go into the audio video settings on the aTV, and make sure you're setup to send dolby digital,

Thanks, I'll try that. I really don't want to give up the simplicity of using the Apple TV remote for 95% of what I do.

 

[OC513]

i've got an aTV4 --> Denon AVR --> panasonic plasma.

hit a button on the aTV4 remote, everything powers on to the correct input.

in the remote section for volume i have auto (HDMI CEC to the denon), Receiver via IR, TV via IR. all of this set up automatically, as the TV information passes through the denon.

the TV remote will also control the aTV for basic navigation.

----
also go into the audio video settings on the aTV, and make sure you're setup to send dolby digital,

This is the set up I am using as well only into a Sony TV. Works perfectly. Apple remote turns on everything with one press of a button.

 

[m7ammed]

Got the ATV4 yesterday. I have a Sony receiver and a Samsung TV.

ATV4 --> Sony --> TV. ATV4 manages to turn everything up. Only thing I noticed when playing music only front speakers will work, no sound coming from the rear. Is it suppose to be like that?

Will try Netflix and to watch a TV show through home sharing from iTunes and see if the rear speakers will work.

 

[AFEPPL]

depends on the music stream and what you have the mode set to on the amp.

 

[waw74]

Only thing I noticed when playing music only front speakers will work, no sound coming from the rear. Is it suppose to be like that?

music is only stereo, so only sending sound to the front left and right speakers.

if you want sound out of the other speakers, you'll need to change the surround mode in your receiver, which will then generate the signal for the other speakers.