Apple TV HD Audio Issues

[Airsculpture]

I have my ATV feeding a Marantz 6012 receiver



In settings on the ATV:

If I have Audio set to auto, I get full multi channel audio from all speakers. Unfortunately when I play music, that is also output to the Marantz in 5.1



If I have Audio set to Change Format DD 5.1, I get my music back in stereo but I also get my movies played in stereo as it seems to be reading the alternate audio track on my movies ( they are made with both stereo and multi channel audio obviously )



There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium where the ATV outputs the correct track so that the Marantz can just decode the movies and the music tracks accordingly.



Any help would be appreciated as it is starting to drive me nuts



I am currently on 14.4 and do not want to update the OS



Rebooting the ATV seems to be a temporary fix. Music back to stereo, movies in multi channel. So it is possible for the ATV to behave correctly which is also weird. However, play a movie again, then go back to music and the music is being fed as 5.1 again.

 

[Airsculpture]

Experimented by downgrading the TVOS to 13.4

On 13.4, same issues when when audio is set to auto. Play a surround sound movie, then go to music and the music is output to the receiver as multi channel PCM. However, if you set audio to change format 5.1, movies are output multi channel 5.1 BUT music is correct in PCM stereo.

I would stay on 13.4 for this reason, however, Netflix now no longer launches on 13.4 and an update is required to 14 to make Netflix work.

For family harmony, looks like I’m going to have to upgrade again and live with the annoying sound issue.

 

[Airsculpture]

The only way around is when going from a movie to music, go to settings and set the change format to stereo.

This of course is one huge pain, and I will probably end up just plugging my FiiO Digital Music Player directly into my receiver. Not as convenient as using the ATV for music, but at least my hires music isn’t downsampled as well.

Wish Apple would fix the issue though.

 

[priitv8]

Are you sure your AVR is not set to multichannel output?
If you have your own movies and only get stereo, have you checked that the audio fallback has been set correctly in the m4v file?
The surround track needs its fallback to be set ti aac stereo track of same language.

 

[Airsculpture]

All that you state in your post is true of the m4v files I use in my movie collection. I can play multi channel on the ATV and I can view the same files on my iPad and hear the back up stereo track of the same movie.

1. Yes. I can see both source input and output
2. Movies aren’t the issue generally. I’m getting PCM multi channel
However, switch to music and then the fun starts

The Marantz is set to auto and as you can see from the screenshot it is receiving multi channel while listening to a stereo music track

I can of course force the Receiver to output stereo but that doesn’t alter the fact that it is receiving multi channel and doesn’t solve the issue unfortunately

 

[HDFan]

Unfortunately when I play music, that is also output to the Marantz in 5.1

Which Apple TV application do you use to play music? On my 8015 Tidal and Music (computer sharing of iTunes from my Mac) come in as 2 channel, but Plex is 5.1.

Which Apple TV do you have?

 

[Airsculpture]

Home sharing

 

[gecko579]

I have a Marantz NR1603 with ATV. I had counless issues like this but FWIW when I changed it to only decode PCM (instead of “auto“ which I agree *should* work) it seems to decode TV and music appropriately.

 

[Airsculpture]

How did you do it ?

 

[HDFan]

With Home Sharing from my iMac, as stated above, I get two channel input to my 8015. ATV Audio Format is Auto - Atmos Available, Audio Mode Auto.

 

[Airsculpture]

Weird, same settings as myself.

Happened again yesterday.

Usually happens after watching a movie and then listening to music but not always.
Tried it yesterday after watching The Godfather. Played a music track all 7 channels lit up and sound coming from all speakers. Rebooted the ATV. Played the same track and I get correct 2.1 sound. So it’s not the tracks, it’s the way ATV is handling the audio.

 

[Airsculpture]

Still get this on 14.5

If I’ve been watching a movie in 5.1 and then I play a music track, it is output as 5.1. If I then do a restart of the Apple TV and play the music file, it’s correctly in stereo output to my amp.

Very strange behaviour

 

[Airsculpture]

TvOS 15 cured my issue.

Very pleased so far , touch wood.