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Colonel Badger

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 30, 2008
369
49
That hasn't been the case with us. There has always been a significant variance in dynamic range between ATV and the rest of the devices. If anything, its worse now.
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I would tend to agree its the source. The bizarre thing is the previews don't have a dynamic range issue. Its like they've added some sort of compression to the files themselves.

Then why would Netflix have the same issue? The very same material played using my TV's Netflix app is much more dynamic. The only commonality between itunes movies and Netflix are they're both decoded by ATV and then the PCM sent to the receiver. Whereas the TV sends the raw stream to the receiver for decoding.
 

Snoopy4

macrumors 6502a
Dec 29, 2014
662
2,968
Then why would Netflix have the same issue? The very same material played using my TV's Netflix app is much more dynamic. The only commonality between itunes movies and Netflix are they're both decoded by ATV and then the PCM sent to the receiver. Whereas the TV sends the raw stream to the receiver for decoding.

Could simply be the required compression method. Honestly I don't understand it at all. It makes no sense to me that some sources in the same box have better dynamic range.
 

AppleFan360

macrumors 68020
Jan 26, 2008
2,213
720
With the release of the new Apple TV software can anyone tell a difference? I tried it last night and movies still sound compressed.

This whole thing really irritating. Using the Apple TV was one of my favorite ways to watching streaming movies in my home theater. Now it sits un-used and I have switched to the ROKU.
 

cyclocommuter

macrumors member
Aug 27, 2016
32
114
With the release of the new Apple TV software can anyone tell a difference? I tried it last night and movies still sound compressed.

This whole thing really irritating. Using the Apple TV was one of my favorite ways to watching streaming movies in my home theater. Now it sits un-used and I have switched to the ROKU.

Compared to Blu-rays the sound from my Apple TV with the latest software is still very much lacking in dynamic range. I still have to crank up the volume way higher when using my ATV4 as source compared to my other sources. Even then the dynamic range is still limited.
 

Jackintosh

macrumors 6502a
Mar 21, 2009
573
4
With the release of the new Apple TV software can anyone tell a difference? I tried it last night and movies still sound compressed.

This whole thing really irritating. Using the Apple TV was one of my favorite ways to watching streaming movies in my home theater. Now it sits un-used and I have switched to the ROKU.

My thoughts too. I slightly regret not going with the Roku Ultra that has kept the optical port.
 

JamesPDX

Suspended
Aug 26, 2014
1,056
495
USA
This is why I'd prefer that HT receivers have sends and returns for each channel. I'm generally not a fan of built-in dynamics processors and I would rather use a few external analog compressors (limiters) to govern the often untamable levels, regardless of the CALM act. http://www.tcelectronic.com/loudness/loudness-explained/

Hey, checkout the connectors on this one: Too bad you can't use it with the nMBP:

http://www.tcelectronic.com/lm2/
 

bluespark

macrumors 68040
Jul 11, 2009
3,098
4,010
Chicago
My thoughts too. I slightly regret not going with the Roku Ultra that has kept the optical port.

Finally got a Roku and greatly prefer it to the ATV 4. Really disappointed with Apple on this, as I have been an ATV user since the first generation.
 

Jackintosh

macrumors 6502a
Mar 21, 2009
573
4
Finally got a Roku and greatly prefer it to the ATV 4. Really disappointed with Apple on this, as I have been an ATV user since the first generation.

Good choice on the Roku, at least for better audio. Here with my Apple-centric architecture (Mac, iPads, iTunes), have to stay with ATV 4. Except for the audio (lack of optical and other potential sound issues), the ATV 4's UI is excellent.
 

JamesPDX

Suspended
Aug 26, 2014
1,056
495
USA
Seems like something that could be tweaked with a "optional dynamics" toolkit via an XCode build. Maybe not and it's burned into a Dolby chip. IDK who makes the cards for Dolby.
 

Cory Bauer

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2003
615
233
I checked out the newly-added "The Jungle Book" on Netflix this morning; same weak-sauce dynamic range as found on Disney movies from iTunes. Sounds what I would expect a movie to sound like if "Reduce Loud Sounds" was selected, which it is not.

What's the point of having the "Full Dynamic Range" feature if content providers are going to castrate the sound on their end before delivery?
 

jgrgnt

macrumors newbie
Mar 30, 2005
6
4
Update: The 10.1 update seems to have fixed the dynamic range issue for me. I immediately noticed a difference during playback of movies through the Movies app. It caught me off guard, so I went back and rewatched some key scenes from a few reference movies (like the opening of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, the liftoff scene from Apollo 13, and the opening thump in Jurassic Park). The impact and presence of those scenes has been restored through this update. Loud scenes are no longer throttled back in volume. It's refreshing after so many months of mediocre audio quality. "Full Dynamic Range" finally does what it's supposed to do.

This is fantastic news, as just a few weeks ago I hooked up my ATV3 side by side with the new one, thinking I would just have to watch movies through the older device to get the best audio. Now I don't have to switch back and forth.

Anyone else notice a difference?

Setup: ATV4 into Marantz 8002 receiver, all ATV settings on default (best quality, etc.)
 
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Snoopy4

macrumors 6502a
Dec 29, 2014
662
2,968
Same here. Noticed last night when we were watching. Finally!

Won't go on about how I had to completely reset my ATV after the update.
 

kagharaht

macrumors 65816
Oct 7, 2007
1,451
978
I've seen some movies in iTunes that says 7.1. Does it really play in 7.1 through ATV 4?
 

JamesPDX

Suspended
Aug 26, 2014
1,056
495
USA
I checked out the newly-added "The Jungle Book" on Netflix this morning; same weak-sauce dynamic range as found on Disney movies from iTunes. Sounds what I would expect a movie to sound like if "Reduce Loud Sounds" was selected, which it is not.

What's the point of having the "Full Dynamic Range" feature if content providers are going to castrate the sound on their end before delivery?

So that the signal won't clip, especially when it's "folded" to stereo. It also depends on who's making the "executive production decisions" if they are showing up at post to give the OK to a final mix. Some people want mumbly and quiet dialog so that when "Let it Go" plays, it will practically tear the flesh from one's face.

It's difficult for me to watch some movies because I'm always (mentally) pulling faders up or down, and adjusting the threshold on the main program's compressor/limiter.
 

Colonel Badger

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 30, 2008
369
49
Update: The 10.1 update seems to have fixed the dynamic range issue for me. I immediately noticed a difference during playback of movies through the Movies app. It caught me off guard, so I went back and rewatched some key scenes from a few reference movies (like the opening of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, the liftoff scene from Apollo 13, and the opening thump in Jurassic Park). The impact and presence of those scenes has been restored through this update. Loud scenes are no longer throttled back in volume. It's refreshing after so many months of mediocre audio quality. "Full Dynamic Range" finally does what it's supposed to do.

This is fantastic news, as just a few weeks ago I hooked up my ATV3 side by side with the new one, thinking I would just have to watch movies through the older device to get the best audio. Now I don't have to switch back and forth.

Anyone else notice a difference?

Setup: ATV4 into Marantz 8002 receiver, all ATV settings on default (best quality, etc.)

Yup. Seems fixed for me too.

To be completely transparent I had Apple executive team contact me about this thread and the issues discussed. They spent the better part of a month on and off discussing the issue and told me it would be fixed in 10.1. So glad they were right. I didn't want to say anything here because I didn't want to get people's hopes up until it was fixed.

But this was a testament to Apples support process and they do care about this product.
 
Last edited:

cyclocommuter

macrumors member
Aug 27, 2016
32
114
Yeah can confirm that this issue appears to have been resolved after the latest update. I no longer have to pump up the volume when switching from Blu-ray playback... The dynamic range is now wider. Too bad it took so long for Apple to fix it but better late than never I guess.
 
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