See this post I made a couple of weeks or so ago - https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-had-antennae-in.1913761/page-2#post-22071923 - the member I replied to has a similar quandary, or, rather had a quandary. I included a link to a product I use on Amazon's site. I heard back today and it's working well. Maybe that will help you! Cheers!
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Had to cancel my ATV4 because no optical audio, question...
- Thread starter SRLMJ23
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Thanks. I did pick one of these up, but I know it's time to update my audio system as well. Anyone have any suggestions for a sub $300 system with HDMI in? Was mainly looking as Samsung and Sony, but am open to suggestions
are you looking for a sound bar ? If so here are a few options: http://amzn.to/1H8yEel , http://amzn.to/1OWb2BK , http://amzn.to/1H8zA2l .
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Nice to know, a nice little unit. As to recommendations, I'm considering a few Sony units for my simple needs, but I already have a couple of Sony MDR-HW700DS wireless headphones (the Japan import version, less coin than the US version plus more switching options) for my watching pleasure - I hardly fire up the head unit any more! With Black Friday coming up, I'm cruising the early ads for toys.
I've currently got 2 apple TVs and both use the optical port. The one in Living room is connected to telly over HDMI and connected to hifi over optical, means I can listen to music without the telly being on. Upstairs one connected to projector via Sony AV amp which is not that old and has no audio over HDMI. So I'm not too happy about losing the optical port either, I think it was worth including.
I still have an Airport express somewhere, I'll probably end up plugging that into Hifi depending on where I put new Apple TV. Could I plug it into AV amp and Airplay to that?
I still have an Airport express somewhere, I'll probably end up plugging that into Hifi depending on where I put new Apple TV. Could I plug it into AV amp and Airplay to that?
Except of course it will. A digital stream of bits is a digital stream of bits regardless of whether you use a 10$ or a 1000$ splitter. Please don't say you've bought into the whole "hi-fi ethernet cables" circus and the like.
Look at Yamaha. I bought an RX-V771 about 3 years ago at a discount sale and couldn't be happier for the price I paid.
Yep in fact the Airport is a bit better for music as it is bit perfict for 16/44 digital - the ATV resamples every thing to 16/48 so it resamples most music. I use a airport for music in my main audio system connected to a DAC and it sounds quite good, shame it does not do 24 bi, most of my collection is 16 lossless CD rips so is perfect for that.
And my old Betamax kicks VHS to death, markets and times change. Golden ears are a special breed.
Ok lets make this very clear and simple - the ATV can be used for music via airplay connection to iTunes and direct with Apple Music - its one of the core apps.
All this music is in 2 channel (or stereo if you like )
Optical is still the standard digital connection for 2 channel systems - period - 99% of all current 2 channel systems from $100 to $10,000 + will use optical and not have HDMI
So by not providing optical out Apple have made it hard for this entire group - yes you can buy adapters but that clumsy and the cheap ones suck.
Given it would have cost very little to include optical, and theres plenty of room on the back it just seems a silly move.
YES if were talking only video movies and HT / multi channel systems than HDMI is the way to go and I see no compelling reason to include optical
In the end it is but hard to see why apple would do this and lose a piece of the market, even if its only 10% that still a chunk of money.
I for one would have bought 4 to replace all the ATV 3's in my systems- now I will get 1 for the main AV set up and keep the others a T+ATV#
Another fair size market that needs optical is students in dorms and living at home bed room systems that use head phones - again HDMI is not found on headphone amps so again out of luck or off to buy a crapy adapter ;(
All this music is in 2 channel (or stereo if you like )
Optical is still the standard digital connection for 2 channel systems - period - 99% of all current 2 channel systems from $100 to $10,000 + will use optical and not have HDMI
So by not providing optical out Apple have made it hard for this entire group - yes you can buy adapters but that clumsy and the cheap ones suck.
Given it would have cost very little to include optical, and theres plenty of room on the back it just seems a silly move.
YES if were talking only video movies and HT / multi channel systems than HDMI is the way to go and I see no compelling reason to include optical
In the end it is but hard to see why apple would do this and lose a piece of the market, even if its only 10% that still a chunk of money.
I for one would have bought 4 to replace all the ATV 3's in my systems- now I will get 1 for the main AV set up and keep the others a T+ATV#
Another fair size market that needs optical is students in dorms and living at home bed room systems that use head phones - again HDMI is not found on headphone amps so again out of luck or off to buy a crapy adapter ;(
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Except of course it won't. Stating it as fact doesn't make it so.
Hifi Ethernet cables are nothing to do with this. Chucking that in to underline an unrelated point is a cheap trick worthy only of our press.
As I say, my amp has hdmi so this is no issue for me. I can however see and sympathise that it is for some.
I picked this pack up 18 months ago.
http://www.beyondtelevision.co.uk/H...atre-Package-with-BDS673-Receiver_BDPK598.htm
Although I paid £370 for it at the time. It's been an excellent purchase, considering you get the speakers and sub and effectively get a decent Bluray player in the fold. I'm sure there are deals around for something similar.
You are better off buying something like this compared to a soundbar anyway.
http://www.beyondtelevision.co.uk/H...atre-Package-with-BDS673-Receiver_BDPK598.htm
Although I paid £370 for it at the time. It's been an excellent purchase, considering you get the speakers and sub and effectively get a decent Bluray player in the fold. I'm sure there are deals around for something similar.
You are better off buying something like this compared to a soundbar anyway.
The issue that is puzzling is that I have an older Yamaha receiver (2002) with digital audio input. I have digital output on my Samsung LCD TV (2012). Connecting ATV 3rd GEN via HDMI to TV and then digital audio from TV to receiver as a test for ATV 4th GEN, no digital audio output. Why? What is not working?
You might need to go into the settings on your TV and tell it to use the digital output instead of the built in speakers.
I thought of that but I can't seem to make that work. I can't find a direct command to digital output. I have the sense that I am indeed missing something. Thanks for the thought.
So, this is definitely unfortunate...I personally have an ATV connected to the TV via HDMI, and connected separately to a receiver via optical. The TV is also connected to the receiver as a separate input (optical, I think..can't remember and too lazy to check). The reason I have the ATV connected with two outputs is so that I don't have to keep the TV on if I'm just streaming music. Likewise I don't have to turn on the stereo to watch something if I don't want to. I had not realized this shortcoming in the new ATV. While I will still likely get one eventually, I'll have to rethink the entire wiring strategy.
Oh and to the folks suggesting that it's time to upgrade all the audio gear, I can think of hundreds of reasons why that's not an option...and they are all dollars. It's always fun to read some of the posts on these forums that seem to imply (true or not) that income is completely disposable. Sorry, as a typical suburban dad with two teenage kids I can tell you that this is NOT the case.
Oh and to the folks suggesting that it's time to upgrade all the audio gear, I can think of hundreds of reasons why that's not an option...and they are all dollars. It's always fun to read some of the posts on these forums that seem to imply (true or not) that income is completely disposable. Sorry, as a typical suburban dad with two teenage kids I can tell you that this is NOT the case.
What a stupid post. Optical hasn't died. If it did, you wouldn't see those ports on every single Xbox One and PS4 sold. People like me forsake having a stereo receiver (lol how outdated) and just run all optical outputs into our wireless headphone mixamp. But dumping ports people actually use is nothing to new to Apple. All it cost them was a sale to me. That's fine. I'll buy a Roku. It's a better device anyway.
Why are you not connecting the ATV to the Yamaha, then outputting via HDMI to the TV? That way you will get the sound from the Yahama speaker setup and the video on the TV?
The whining isn't half as annoying as the blind, senseless devotion to a company that routinely discards ports people still use.
There is no need for optical now seeing as HDMI does everything Optical can provide and more.
Very possibly Apple has also made that decision as well.
Good luck playing decent games on your Roku?
Apple doesn't care it lost a whole sale to you. They probably saved several dollars per unit.
Enjoy watching iTunes movies and games on your Roku.