Help me get Dolby Digital Plus from Netflix app on Apple 4K

[Audit13]

I have an Apple TV 4k running the latest non-beta os and connected to a Marantz receiver. I am able to get Dolby Digital + (7.1) when playing iTunes movies such as the 4k version of Terminator Genysis.

When I use the Netflix app from the Apple TV, I can get nothing except regular Dolby Digital. When I use the Netflix app built into the LG TV to watch the same show, I get Dolby Digital Plus over HDMI ARC.

Is there a special setting I need to enable to get DD+ from the Netflix app?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

 

[archer75]

I have an Apple TV 4k running the latest non-beta os and connected to a Marantz receiver. I am able to get Dolby Digital + (7.1) when playing iTunes movies such as the 4k version of Terminator Genysis.

When I use the Netflix app from the Apple TV, I can get nothing except regular Dolby Digital. When I use the Netflix app built into the LG TV to watch the same show, I get Dolby Digital Plus over HDMI ARC.

Is there a special setting I need to enable to get DD+ from the Netflix app?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

DD+ will show up as PCM. Make sure audio in the ATV settings is set to best available.

 

[Audit13]

DD+ will show up as PCM. Make sure audio in the ATV settings is set to best available.

That's how my Apple TV is set. I get DD+ (i.e. multi-channel PCM) from iTunes movies but not when using the Netflix app on the Apple TV with the same settings. Instead of PCM, the Apple TV is sending DD.

 

[archer75]

That's how my Apple TV is set. I get DD+ (i.e. multi-channel PCM) from iTunes movies but not when using the Netflix app on the Apple TV with the same settings. Instead of PCM, the Apple TV is sending DD.

With audio set to best available you shouldn't see DD at all. In fact I believe passthrough was removed in 11.3 so it should always be PCM. I get multichannel PCM from both iTunes and Netflix.

 

[Audit13]

With audio set to best available you shouldn't see DD at all. In fact I believe passthrough was removed in 11.3 so it should always be PCM. I get multichannel PCM from both iTunes and Netflix.

I do see Dolby Digital when playing anything from Netflix off my ATV and some iTunes movies like Baby Boss. I do get pcm from Alien Covenant and Terminator Genysis. This leads me to conclude that passthrough was not removed when selecting best available. I believe DD is still an option on the apple tv 4ke in addition to best available.

Tried different HDMI cables and inputs too.

I'm going to look into installing the beta of tvos 12.

 

[archer75]

I do see Dolby Digital when playing anything from Netflix off my ATV and some iTunes movies like Baby Boss. I do get pcm from Alien Covenant and Terminator Genysis. This leads me to conclude that passthrough was not removed when selecting best available. I believe DD is still an option on the apple tv 4ke in addition to best available.

Tried different HDMI cables and inputs too.

I'm going to look into installing the beta of tvos 12.

It's an option but it doesn't seem to do anything. I also have the beta too and it's PCM on everything except for atmos on vudu.
There was a lot of talk that passthrough of any kind was removed with 11.3.

What version are you on?

 

[Audit13]

I'm on TvOS 11.4.

I figured it out and the problem was the receiver that was being used with the Apple TV. I tried with a third receiver and I get pcm multichannel from iTunes movies and Netflix, no DD.

I didn't get my hands on a third receiver until today.

Thanks for replying to my thread.

 

[kagharaht]

With audio set to best available you shouldn't see DD at all. In fact I believe passthrough was removed in 11.3 so it should always be PCM. I get multichannel PCM from both iTunes and Netflix.

When I use that setting on ATV, my other 2 back channels for my 7.1 setup produces no sound. I suppose most movies are still 5.1. The only way I can get sound to produce in all 7.1 channels is change ATV to DD.

 

[Audit13]

When I use that setting on ATV, my other 2 back channels for my 7.1 setup produces no sound. I suppose most movies are still 5.1. The only way I can get sound to produce in all 7.1 channels is change ATV to DD.

When selecting Best available, I always get PCM showing on the receiver's front end, not Dolby Digital when using 1 of my three receivers. The other 2 receivers always show Dolby Digital regardless of the Apple TV's settings.

When you select Dolby Digital, is it possible that your receiver is taking the Dolby Digital 5.1 signal and expanding it to 7.1 using a DSP setting?

Dolby Digital (https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-digital.html) cannot provide more than 5.1 channels of information while Dolby Digital Plus (https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-digital-plus.html) can.

 

[kagharaht]

When selecting Best available, I always get PCM showing on the receiver's front end, not Dolby Digital when using 1 of my three receivers. The other 2 receivers always show Dolby Digital regardless of the Apple TV's settings.

When you select Dolby Digital, is it possible that your receiver is taking the Dolby Digital 5.1 signal and expanding it to 7.1 using a DSP setting?

Dolby Digital (https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-digital.html) cannot provide more than 5.1 channels of information while Dolby Digital Plus (https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-digital-plus.html) can.

Most likely yes.

 

[960design]

For me 4k HDR at 60Hz is amazing via the AppleTV. I noticed while watching Oblivion ( iTunes ) that I thought it was raining outside during a scene. It sounded like Dolby Atmos may have been kicking in, because I could hear the rain from above. My wife did not believe it and had to get up and open the blinds to verify that it was indeed overcast, but no rain. Pretty freaky.

My receiver is Dolby Atmos capable but did not seem to change settings when the movie started playing. Still indicated Dolby DTS:X. More research required.

Side Notes: I did notice that I had to change a setting on my TV from HDMI 1.4 to 2.0. AppleTV 4k running TV OS 12. ARC return channel may limit 4K to 30Hz on many TVs. I do not believe my TV will play 60Hz on the ARC HDMI input, but does on the other HDMI inputs.

 

[Audit13]

I think oblivion has a video rate of 2160p @ 23.976 or 24.000 frames per second. I'll have to confirm later today.

 

[archer75]

Most likely yes.

Yes, most movies are 5.1
When you set to DD you're receiver is doing some processing to give you "fake" 7.1

 

[priitv8]

This article explains it the best and the statements still hold:
https://developer.dolby.com/blog/dolby-audio-support-on-apple-tv/
Now, with the DD+Atmos offering, appleTV is able to pass Atmos objects along with the PCM 7.1 signal.
But it still does not pass through the original bitstream.
This means, you will never see your AVR say Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 because it will never receive input like that from tvOS.
You may see it say Dolby Digital 5.1 but then it has re-encoded audio into this format by itself. Still no original stream.

 

[Audit13]

This article explains it the best and the statements still hold:
https://developer.dolby.com/blog/dolby-audio-support-on-apple-tv/
Now, with the DD+Atmos offering, appleTV is able to pass Atmos objects along with the PCM 7.1 signal.
But it still does not pass through the original bitstream.
This means, you will never see your AVR say Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 because it will never receive input like that from tvOS.
You may see it say Dolby Digital 5.1 but then it has re-encoded audio into this format by itself. Still no original stream.

Am I correct to assume that the decoded DD+ signal from the ATV would be the same as the decoded DD+ signal from a receiver if the ATV were to have a passthrough option?

I used to have a Blu-ray player that could internally decode DTS-HD and TrueHD without downsampling and send the multichannel PCM signal to my receiver without changing the original's sampling frequency or bit rate. When I purchased a receiver that could handle the new lossless formats, I could not detect a difference in sound between having the player and receiver decode the lossless signal.

 

[priitv8]

Am I correct to assume that the decoded DD+ signal from the ATV would be the same as the decoded DD+ signal from a receiver if the ATV were to have a passthrough option?

That depends on the minute details of each individual decoder, but by and large the differences should also be minute.

 

[Audit13]

That depends on the minute details of each individual decoder, but by and large the differences should also be minute.

I compared DD+ from the Netflix app on my windows HTPC, pcm from the Netflix app on the apple tv, and DD from the apple tv using the same movies.

I could not hear a difference between DD+ and pcm. DD did not sound as good as DD+ or pcm.