Apple Releases First Public Beta of tvOS 15

[xyz01]

Thank you for confirming it’s been enabled. Read on Reddit that this version of Spatial audio in iOS or tvOS 15 converts any 5.1 to a Spatial Audio experience. Many confirmed that it works with Netflix as well.

Just tried again now. Seems to work on most streaming services - Netflix is the exception, and only sends stereo to the headphones.

There's also information about what is being sent to the headphones, and for Netflix the information is "Spatial audio - stereo". The others have "Spatial audio - multichannel", IIRC.

 

[JPOWA]

Just tried again now. Seems to work on most streaming services - Netflix is the exception, and only sends stereo to the headphones.

There's also information about what is being sent to the headphones, and for Netflix the information is "Spatial audio - stereo". The others have "Spatial audio - multichannel", IIRC.

That only changed this week, after Netflix updated the app.

From day 1 of WWDC I’ve been using Spacial audio with my AirPods Max on Netflix flawlessly.

I bet they have updated the app to block Spacial Audio

 

[knigma]

Tried to update from 14.7 beta to 15.0 beta twice. Both times, my 4th generation HD Apple TV gets stuck with a slow flashing LED and blank screen.

 

[HeyDanos]

That only changed this week, after Netflix updated the app.

From day 1 of WWDC I’ve been using Spacial audio with my AirPods Max on Netflix flawlessly.

I bet they have updated the app to block Spacial Audio

Funny enough, the Netflix App on iOS/iPadOS now supports spatial audio. I originally wanted to test how good the stereo-to-spatial conversion of iOS 15 works on Netflix content. To my surprise, once I enable spatial audio on my iPad, its not showing that conversion ist enabled, but instead says ‘Netflix – Dolby Atmos’ or ‘Netflix – Multichannel’ based on what content I am watching. Once I turn off spatial audio, however, the text is not reading ‘Spatial Audio off – Atmos available’, but instead gives me a convert stereo to spatial button. Thus, I think this is what happens:

If you are watching Apple TV+ on your iPhone, the device receives an Atmos signal, even if your AirPods are not connected, but the iPhone converts this down to stereo. If your AirPods are connected, it will offer switching to spatial audio. If spatial audio is not enabled, however, you are receiving the downconverted stereo mix.

If you are watching Netflix on your iPhone, the device will receive a stereo signal if spatial audio is not enabled/your AirPods are not connected. If your AirPods are connected and you are not using spatial audio, you will get a stereo source, not an Atmos to stereo conversion like on ATV+. Thus, iOS will only offer upconverting this stereo to spatial, as there is no Atmos audio signal…yet! Because if you opt-in upconverting, the Netflix App recognizes that you are now using spatial audio and thus, it will (which is new) request the multichannel/Atmos stream from the server. Thus, you will not get a stereo-to-atmos upmix, but the actual atmos stream!

However, when watching Netflix on the Apple TV, this update seems to break that stereo-to-atmos switch and thus, there won‘t be a server request from the Netflix app. Before this update, the Apple TV simply took the stream it was going to send towards your AV Receiver/TV and gave it to the AirPods. Now, something seems to be broken.

However, there is a good chance that this feature is going to come back, why else would Netflix finally implement spatial audio support on iOS/iPadOS. Disabling this support on the Apple TV at the same time on purpose would be kinda… counter-intuitive.

 

[JPOWA]

Funny enough, the Netflix App on iOS/iPadOS now supports spatial audio. I originally wanted to test how good the stereo-to-spatial conversion of iOS 15 works on Netflix content. To my surprise, once I enable spatial audio on my iPad, its not showing that conversion ist enabled, but instead says ‘Netflix – Dolby Atmos’ or ‘Netflix – Multichannel’ based on what content I am watching. Once I turn off spatial audio, however, the text is not reading ‘Spatial Audio off – Atmos available’, but instead gives me a convert stereo to spatial button. Thus, I think this is what happens:

If you are watching Apple TV+ on your iPhone, the device receives an Atmos signal, even if your AirPods are not connected, but the iPhone converts this down to stereo. If your AirPods are connected, it will offer switching to spatial audio. If spatial audio is not enabled, however, you are receiving the downconverted stereo mix.

If you are watching Netflix on your iPhone, the device will receive a stereo signal if spatial audio is not enabled/your AirPods are not connected. If your AirPods are connected and you are not using spatial audio, you will get a stereo source, not an Atmos to stereo conversion like on ATV+. Thus, iOS will only offer upconverting this stereo to spatial, as there is no Atmos audio signal…yet! Because if you opt-in upconverting, the Netflix App recognizes that you are now using spatial audio and thus, it will (which is new) request the multichannel/Atmos stream from the server. Thus, you will not get a stereo-to-atmos upmix, but the actual atmos stream!

However, when watching Netflix on the Apple TV, this update seems to break that stereo-to-atmos switch and thus, there won‘t be a server request from the Netflix app. Before this update, the Apple TV simply took the stream it was going to send towards your AV Receiver/TV and gave it to the AirPods. Now, something seems to be broken.

However, there is a good chance that this feature is going to come back, why else would Netflix finally implement spatial audio support on iOS/iPadOS. Disabling this support on the Apple TV at the same time on purpose would be kinda… counter-intuitive.

Are you sure about Netflix on iOS??

Just tried on my iPhone 12 Pro Max and all I can get is Stereo converted to Spacial Audio. It’s working but only from a system point a view.

None of the content I’ve tried has gave me multichannel nor Atmos

 

[HeyDanos]

Are you sure about Netflix on iOS??

Just tried on my iPhone 12 Pro Max and all I can get is Stereo converted to Spacial Audio. It’s working but only from a system point a view.

None of the content I’ve tried has gave me multichannel nor Atmos

Yup, it‘s real atmos/multichannel audio. Talked to others who (using the same combination of devices and iOS/Netflix versions) don‘t have this yet. So it might be something that‘s being A/B tested by the server.
Also see this video, where I switch between stereo and multichannel (5.1), which still is a little bit buggy as Netflix supplies different audio streams from the server:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1410674116072513536