AppleTV+ shows often start playing without sound

[Martinpa]

Sometimes (way more often than it should) when I start a new episode of an AppleTV+ Original (on my Apple TV 4K, don’t really watch on my phone), the video starts playing without any audio (the pre-roll trailers will have sound, but not when the episode starts... sometimes the "previously on" segment will have sound, but after skipping it, the actual show won’t have sound). It also happens sometimes when a new episode automatically starts at the end of another one.

Most times, the only way to make the sound work is to completely quit the Apple TV app and try again (and even then, sometimes the issue persists and I have to do it again)

Am I the only one experiencing this issue? Anyone has a fix?

 

[pmiles]

Haven't experienced this. How is your AppleTV connected to the TV? Anything in between the box and the TV, like say an audio receiver or the like? Using TV speakers for sound? What sound settings are you using on the TV and the AppleTV?

Maybe a reset of the AppleTV is in order.

 

[Martinpa]

Haven't experienced this. How is your AppleTV connected to the TV? Anything in between the box and the TV, like say an audio receiver or the like? Using TV speakers for sound? What sound settings are you using on the TV and the AppleTV?

Maybe a reset of the AppleTV is in order.

AppleTV is connected directly to my TV, with the sound coming out of the TV speakers (soon... SOON I’ll buy a good soundbar). I think my sound settings are all default. Apple TV shows are the only ones having issues. Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, Prime are all fine.

Another thing I didn’t think to mention is that I find myself often restarting my AppleTV because internet gets super sluggish (long loading times, video quality not as good as it could be or just freezing video) at times, even though my internet connection is more than adequate. Restarting the unit always fixes that, though I wish I didn’t have to do that either...

 

[pmiles]

I use a wired connection to the AppleTV... so that's ethernet cable to AppleTV, HDMI to TV. Wireless is always the least reliable solution. Your internet shouldn't be getting super sluggish when the "connection is more than adequate." Poor internet would definitely impact audio playback. If you're using wifi, time to go wired. Wifi is fine for anything but video streaming. Think about it... you're streaming content in 4K to a 60" TV (well a large screen) not to a tablet or a phone. Guess which device requires the best connection?

1. On your Apple TV, select Settings > Audio & Video.
2. Make sure Audio Out is set to Apple TV.
3. Change the Audio Mode from Auto to 16 bit.
4. On Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation), change the Dolby Digital Out setting from On to Off.

Reset or restore your Apple TV to its factory settings - Apple Support

Use these steps to erase your Apple TV, restore it to its factory settings, and remove all information on it.

support.apple.com

I recommend restoring (also known as resetting) the AppleTV. You will have to relog in to everything again but it refreshes the device unlike mere restarting the device.

 

[Martinpa]

I use a wired connection to the AppleTV... so that's ethernet cable to AppleTV, HDMI to TV. Wireless is always the least reliable solution. Your internet shouldn't be getting super sluggish when the "connection is more than adequate." Poor internet would definitely impact audio playback. If you're using wifi, time to go wired. Wifi is fine for anything but video streaming. Think about it... you're streaming content in 4K to a 60" TV (well a large screen) not to a tablet or a phone. Guess which device requires the best connection?

1. On your Apple TV, select Settings > Audio & Video.
2. Make sure Audio Out is set to Apple TV.
3. Change the Audio Mode from Auto to 16 bit.
4. On Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation), change the Dolby Digital Out setting from On to Off.

Reset or restore your Apple TV to its factory settings - Apple Support

Use these steps to erase your Apple TV, restore it to its factory settings, and remove all information on it.

support.apple.com

I recommend restoring (also known as resetting) the AppleTV. You will have to relog in to everything again but it refreshes the device unlike mere restarting the device.

Thanks I’ll check that out

 

[tbfuhrman]

Came in here to say I am having the exact same problem. A new episode starts and the sound drops.

I’m using the Apple TV app (not the Apple TV itself, just the app) on my Sony Bravia. Also happens when I Airplay from my iPhone to the Bravia.

I can exit the app and sound works just fine on all other apps. The only thing that fixes it is completely unplugging the tv and plugging it back in again but it always happens again no matter what. very annoying.

currently using a denon receiver with an HDMI cable running through ARC for audio. receiver and television are plugged in via Ethernet cable.

I feel like it must be either some sort of apple bug, or some audio setting on my Bravia.

Any ideas?

 

[pmiles]

Came in here to say I am having the exact same problem. A new episode starts and the sound drops.

I’m using the Apple TV app (not the Apple TV itself, just the app) on my Sony Bravia. Also happens when I Airplay from my iPhone to the Bravia.

I can exit the app and sound works just fine on all other apps. The only thing that fixes it is completely unplugging the tv and plugging it back in again but it always happens again no matter what. very annoying.

currently using a denon receiver with an HDMI cable running through ARC for audio. receiver and television are plugged in via Ethernet cable.

I feel like it must be either some sort of apple bug, or some audio setting on my Bravia.

Any ideas?

Sony has terrible support for Apps on their smart TVs. I know, I own one. The whole concept of "smart" TV's is a farce. What a smart TV is a TV with an ethernet port or wireless receiver. The apps that come on them are the sole responsibility of the TV manufacturer to maintain and update. Trust me, it is not in their best interest to make it work for you... they want you to buy a new TV instead.

Get yourself a streaming box. It doesn't have to be Apple's, it could be Roku, Fire, or even the FREE one that Comcast will give you. These devices exist for the sole purpose of running apps and only apps. They are always more reliable and offer more support and more of everything over any smart TV on the market. ANY SMART TV ON THE MARKET.

Your frustrations will only continue if you rely on Sony to allow you to stream to an app residing within their interface.

Apple isn't responsible for making their app work on a Sony TV, Sony is. My Sony Bravia TV dropped almost all support for apps on it a while ago. It's not their flagship model anymore. Just saying.

 

[residentgalah]

I’ve been having the same problem (playing with no sound until you exit) since I upgraded to the new Apple TV 4K, funnily enough with the previous (4th gen HD) I had the occasional opposite issue: sometimes sound and no picture after a trailer until you quit the app and reopened. If there’s no trailer it’s always been fine. I’ve always found the Apple TV app to be a bit buggy though.

 

[residentgalah]

Update - Not sure if this is helpful for anyone else, but I’ve discovered that this issue disappears completely for me if I turn off Atmos on the Apple TV. Was happening almost every time I watched a show on Apple TV+ until I did that, since disabling Atmos it hasn’t happened once.

 

[PolarBare]

I am experiencing the same issue. When watching Netflix on my Apple TV HD (4rth generation, with TvOS 14.6), upon automatic transition to a new episode within a series (i.e. as one episode completes, Netflix automatically starts the next episode after a short pause), the center channel often drops out.

My Apple TV HD is connected to a Pioneer Elite home theatre receiver (HTR). The HTR will indicate 5.1 channel LPCM signal input when working correctly with the first episode (played during the viewing session - I don't mean, literally, the first episode of the series).

I suspect what is happening is this... when Netflix transitions to the new episode, the Pioneer Elite HTR detects a switch to stereo at some point during the cutover to the new episode (maybe the Netflix auto transition screen outputs in stereo or the preview at the beginning of an episode is in stereo), so it changes its output to stereo (I can't watch the TV at the same time I monitor the HTR display because they are not in the same rooms of my home). Then, when the next episode begins, the Netflix audio switches back to 5.1 LPCM; however, the receiver doesn't pick up on the switch back to 5.1 LPCM; the HTR still only detects only 2 channel (stereo) LPCM. With the ATV outputting 5.1 channels and the receiver playing only Left + Right, it is evident why the dialogue would be missing. Of the 5.1 channels, only 2 are playing, with 3.1 one of them getting lost. If I stop playing the (new) episode and then restart playing the episode, the full 5.1 LPCM comes back. The question is what is causing the Pioneer Elite HTR to not see the transition back to 5.1 LPCM.

 

[Allyance]

I have the opposite problem, no audio on trailers, but full audio on all shows. Weird.

 

[interstella]

I have the opposite problem, no audio on trailers, but full audio on all shows. Weird.

I hope I’m not stating the obvious but you do know that you only get audio on trailers if you swipe up to full screen?

 

[Mardigras1961]

I have an audio that recently emerged when streaming AppleTV+ on my MacBookPro. Everything was working fine and then one day I went to watch the next episode of Ted Lasso and there was no audio. I checked all settings, and I still have audio for all other applications, so it's not a problem with my internal speakers or settings. I've looked in all forums and can't find anything on the matter. Any suggestions?

 

[altx0012]

Sony has terrible support for Apps on their smart TVs. I know, I own one. The whole concept of "smart" TV's is a farce. What a smart TV is a TV with an ethernet port or wireless receiver. The apps that come on them are the sole responsibility of the TV manufacturer to maintain and update. Trust me, it is not in their best interest to make it work for you... they want you to buy a new TV instead.

Get yourself a streaming box. It doesn't have to be Apple's, it could be Roku, Fire, or even the FREE one that Comcast will give you. These devices exist for the sole purpose of running apps and only apps. They are always more reliable and offer more support and more of everything over any smart TV on the market. ANY SMART TV ON THE MARKET.

Your frustrations will only continue if you rely on Sony to allow you to stream to an app residing within their interface.

Apple isn't responsible for making their app work on a Sony TV, Sony is. My Sony Bravia TV dropped almost all support for apps on it a while ago. It's not their flagship model anymore. Just saying.

Apple makes an app for viewing on smart tv's. Saying it "isn't their job" to make sure it works on those tv's is ridiculous. I have a brand new Samsung OLED with this issue. It also happens on my 4 year old Sony, and my son's Hisense that is less than a year old. Seems Apple made an app that doesn't work reliably on ANY tv.