using Apple TV4 with spdif (opyical audio)

[TrueBlou]

Well I have a low-end AV Receiver that also doesn't do HDMI audio so I bought one of these from Amazon. It has three options (pass-through, 2ch, 5.1ch) and only configuration I can get to work is to use the "5.1ch" setting with the "Dolby Digital" option set to "on" in the ATV settings.

However, this forces everything to be DD regardless and consequently any content that's actually not in DD is problematic. The issue is that, usually, my amp will recognise stereo input and use Pro Logic to fake 5.1 meaning that the central speaker gets used. However, forcing DD means it can't do this any more and as a result the output is in stereo. There's no way of forcing my amp to use Pro Logic and it would be annoying to manage this anyway.

Any ideas if there's any solution to this? I don't know why the "auto" setting doesn't work for DD—I simply get no audio at all.

That's odd, the 2 channel setting on the box should pass a stereo signal to your amp allowing it to then do pro-logic. Could be a faulty box maybe?

 

[oftheheavens]

it was high end when i bought it. it was in fact, the first sound bar ever made for consumers. i've since seen $50,000 speakers. doesn't mean much to me becuase i have to use closed captioning anyway due to hearing loss.

don't let trolls get under your bridge homie, be proud of what you worked for and are sporting in the theater set up. Most people don't have one at all and our biggest problem is (at least you and I) can't get our darn soundbars to work! I have a HIGH END POLK SOUND BAR!!! ok well it was expensive but def not high end lol just thought it was funny.

 

[TrueBlou]

you mean blast air into the optical port of the tv? It sounds perfect until I am converting the N-ATV from HDMI to the optical. either way I am a retired Marine so my house is actually rather dust free lol but still couldn't hurt!

Yeah, it's always worth a try, you'd be surprised just how much can build up in there over the years even in a clean environment. For the cost of a can of air, it's the cheapest option to try before doing anything more drastic

 

[oftheheavens]

Yeah, it's always worth a try, you'd be surprised just how much can build up in there over the years even in a clean environment. For the cost of a can of air, it's the cheapest option to try before doing anything more drastic

your a good man(?) and I appreciate the calls. I, just woke up and medicated, and though I have no canned air on hand I am going to go blow as hard as I can into the tv and see how that works for me. If I don't respond soon I passed out I suppose hahahahaha.

for real though I will do that regardless but I don't think it is the reason I am getting static, can we brain storm some other ideas? I don't have any other tv with speakers set up to the optical audio option.

 

[rjgaylord]

all the less expensive extractors, inclusing my J-Link, are problematic in their performance. but if you get it from amazon and it doesn't work right, you can return it and try another one. i was going to try the ViewHD if the J-Link didn't work. what annoys me is not that Apple dropped spdif (all technologies become dated) but that they didn't offer us a work-around and MUCH worse that the so-called professional reviewers of the Apple TV4 on websites like this and in major newspapers didn't even mention that spdif was dropped or how to deal with it. frankly, i find these reviewers to be utterly clueless fanboys. I was ready to switch to the Roku 4 except i've always been in the Apple eco-system (since 1984) and i need AirPlay.

 

[TrueBlou]

your a good man(?) and I appreciate the calls. I, just woke up and medicated, and though I have no canned air on hand I am going to go blow as hard as I can into the tv and see how that works for me. If I don't respond soon I passed out I suppose hahahahaha.

for real though I will do that regardless but I don't think it is the reason I am getting static, can we brain storm some other ideas? I don't have any other tv with speakers set up to the optical audio option.

I know the medicated feeling all too well. I'm always up for a natter though Off the top of my head just now, the other thing I can think of is if your TV has any settings for the optical out. Maybe try setting it to PCM if it isn't already.

 

[TrueBlou]

all the less expensive extractors, inclusing my J-Link, are problematic in their performance. but if you get it from amazon and it doesn't work right, you can return it and try another one. i was going to try the ViewHD if the J-Link didn't work. what annoys me is not that Apple dropped spdif (all technologies become dated) but that they didn't offer us a work-around and MUCH worse that the so-called professional reviewers of the Apple TV4 on websites like this and in major newspapers didn't even mention that spdif was dropped or how to deal with it. frankly, i find these reviewers to be utterly clueless fanboys. I was ready to switch to the Roku 4 except i've always been in the Apple eco-system (since 1984) and i need AirPlay.

You'll probably find most of them either hooked it up straight to the tv or through a receiver with HDMI. If it's not an issue for them then it's apparently not an issue for anyone.

 

[Jago]

i have a high end sound bar said no one ever.

This, pretty much.

 

[rjgaylord]

i couldn't get audio on my J-Link until i set the Apple TV4 for 16 bit audio (their tech support staff suggested it to me). i have no idea what i'm losing audio-wise by doing that but i do get audio and i get DD and DD+ (for Netflix).

these companies are really screwed up (or maybe they just really screw the consumer up).. i wanted to get bluetooth headphones to use on my iPhone but i read it won't sync the audio with the video from Netflix.

 

[TrueBlou]

This, pretty much.

Does it really matter? Has it come to the stage now where someone can't ask for help without being ridiculed, rather than, oh I don't know, maybe trying to help the guy out.

 

[TrueBlou]

i couldn't get audio on my J-Link until i set the Apple TV4 for 16 bit audio (their tech support staff suggested it to me). i have no idea what i'm losing audio-wise by doing that but i do get audio and i get DD and DD+ (for Netflix).

these companies are really screwed up (or maybe they just really screw the consumer up).. i wanted to get bluetooth headphones to use on my iPhone but i read it won't sync the audio with the video from Netflix.

Bluetooth can introduce a small delay in the audio, just due to the transmission and deciding if the audio signal. In most cases this can be avoided by either, finding a really good set of headphones (often expensive) or finding ones that offer a software solution to adjust the audio delay. It's certainly possible to get ones that will work just fine.

 

[oftheheavens]

This, pretty much.

really dude...Im not an in home audio file but he didn't ask your very uneducated opinion on something that brings him happiness, he asked how to make it work. I have a HIGH END polk sound bar and HIGH END wireless polk sub due to the lay out of the room. We can now officially say that at least 2 people have said that now, so no longer do we need to hear "says no one ever" to this topic.... Great addition to your post count though.

i couldn't get audio on my J-Link until i set the Apple TV4 for 16 bit audio (their tech support staff suggested it to me). i have no idea what i'm losing audio-wise by doing that but i do get audio and i get DD and DD+ (for Netflix).

these companies are really screwed up (or maybe they just really screw the consumer up).. i wanted to get bluetooth headphones to use on my iPhone but i read it won't sync the audio with the video from Netflix.

I hate to say this as it isn't a solution, but give it an update or two, like a .1 or .X.1 update once they start getting diagnostics back from all the new users.

Does it really matter? Has it come to the stage now where someone can't ask for help without being ridiculed, rather than, oh I don't know, maybe trying to help the guy out.

Thank you...what is the point of coming here if you can't get help on a topic that doesn't have an existing thread? It is always "try searching next time noob" or "you suck for whatever you said".

end rant

 

[rjgaylord]

i'm sure that's what they did. but they are also often ignorant and they are not doing their job right. there will be lots of people who will go out ansd buy an Apple TV4 only to find that it won't work for them.

and Apple doesn't help either. when i got the first generation Apple TV3, it only took took me 20 minutes to realize it dropped the Wi-Fi connection whenever it went into sleep mode. but not a single refiewer ever mentioned the problem and Apple NEVER admitted this was even a problem for an entire year, then they did let you swap the Apple TV3 out for a new Apple TV3. i solved the problem myself by using an ethernet cable but i shouldn't have to figure this stuff out for myself. i give them $ and i think they should give me non-defective products or at least admit it publicly.

 

[rjgaylord]

can you provide some names of bluetooth headphones that work with the iPhone? thanks.

 

[TrueBlou]

can you provide some names of bluetooth headphones that work with the iPhone? thanks.

That would really depend on how much you want to spend on a set, what kind you want (in ear, on ear, over ear) there's a lot of choice out there. Also, what model of iPhone do you have? as the BlueTooth version varies in each revision.

 

[rjgaylord]

i have a 6 Plus. but i have no idea what sort of headphone i want. i've never used headphones before. i posted EVERYTHING i learnt during the set up of my Apple TV4 in order to help others through the information, mis-information and lack of information thicket. it is very frustrating that none of these websites even bother to set up information resources. and even more that they are utterly incompetent. are they just in it for the $. they really disgust me (though not as much as my many totally incompetent medical specialists i have to deal with daily). i am just tired of this utter lack of pride people seem to have in what they do. i was raised to do everything i did as best as i could. but these bozos don't seem to care at all. it is disgraceful and another reason this country is going to hell.

 

[matrix07]

 

[jeve_stobs]

That's odd, the 2 channel setting on the box should pass a stereo signal to your amp allowing it to then do pro-logic. Could be a faulty box maybe?

That's the thing, I don't want to micro-manage it—especially as the box is tucked away out of sight. Previously, it just worked automatically so it's a bit annoying.

 

[bruinsrme]

A very high home theater setup?
Does that $25k tv have an optical out.
A tv costing that much you should be able to take the hdmi audio into the tv and have the tv process the audio to the optical out to the sound bar.

no. it only has a L &R stereo out. it's a question of how old the system is. mine is 7 yrs. old (it's a Panasonic. - they don't make it anymore. they also used to make a 100" plama monitor but it cost $150,000 and they had to remove a side of your house to get it inside - i couldn't aford it and it was too big to fit into my condo unit. the 85" only cleared the entrance by 1/8".). they didn't even do HDMI audio in those days (my soundbar is a Yamaha 1100 YSP - not made anymore either). and it's a plasma display. i don't think anyone makes plasma displays anymore. but it's a better display than any LCD or LED. still waiting for an OLED over 85" or bigger. Bang & Olefin has an 85" LCD 4K for only $27K.

i read that Tom Cruise just had an IMAX consumer system installed into his house. only costs $2,000,000.

i'm so old that remote control was your father telling you to et up and change the channel for him. the TV's were B&W. and had rotary channel selectors - one for UHF and one for VHF.

i owned the first commercial betamax sold (i think it cost $1K and was top loading and had an naog clock and dould only be programmed to go on once 19 hours in advance and only recorded for 1 hour.. and the first Faroudja line doubler that converted 480i to 480p for only $15K.tere was no such thing as HD, let alone 4K.

when i bought additional RAM for my Mac II, it cost over $450 per Mb.

heck, i had a 15' C satellite dish. that was before there was direcT or DISH or even cable TV

the saying goes " early adopters are the first to have their equipment becme obsolete.

An inexpensive modern receiver will make your system brand new.
Look at 9to5toys.com they listed a pioneer receiver that will bring your system to new levels.

I remember all to well the days of uhf/vhf programming, 8 track, when it was socially acceptable for parents to entrap their children in cigarette smoke filled cars for hours.

 

[rjgaylord]

thanks for the info. but the $430 pioneer receiver just went off sale. actually, i'm happy with my entire system (i could use a bigger monitor though LOL. (but i can only watch a screen that doesn't require me to move my head (becuase my eyes don't move correctly when my head moves and i get oscillopsia - i can't even use a 27" mac display for this reason) so i can't go to movie theaters anymore (can't go in bad weather anyway becuase my powerchair won't make it through the chicago snow and rain)

I remember all to well the days of uhf/vhf programming, 8 track, when it was socially acceptable for parents to entrap their children in cigarette smoke filled cars for hours.[/QUOTE]

oh yes, 8 tracks. and cassette audio tapes. even dvd's are near death. and my father smoked cigars in the car.

 

[Mackinjosh]

Does it really matter? Has it come to the stage now where someone can't ask for help without being ridiculed, rather than, oh I don't know, maybe trying to help the guy out.

This place unfortunately is full of self-important Apple snobs. Not all of us, but unfortunately a great many. It happens on most sites dedicated to only one brand.

 

[TrueBlou]

This place unfortunately is full of self-important Apple snobs. Not all of us, but unfortunately a great many. It happens on most sites dedicated to only one brand.

Yeah so true, sometimes it just winds me up, especially in the morning before my pills kick in

 

[rjgaylord]

son - you are just too young. the Yamaha YSP 1100 was produced in 2005 and was the best of its kind 10 years ago.

Yamaha's YSP-1 Digital Sound Projector won the Best of Show award at the January 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. As well as large left and right drivers, it had a phased array of about 40 small centre drivers.[citation needed] These would be configured automatically by running a setup program with included test microphone to control sound reflected from the walls of the room. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundbar)

http://www.cnet.com/products/yamaha-digital-sound-projector-ysp-1100/

they didn't use HDMI inputs in any soundbars 10 years ago.

 

[TrueBlou]

son - you are just too young. the Yamaha YSP 1100 was produced in 2005 and was the best of its kind 10 years ago.

Yamaha's YSP-1 Digital Sound Projector won the Best of Show award at the January 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. As well as large left and right drivers, it had a phased array of about 40 small centre drivers.[citation needed] These would be configured automatically by running a setup program with included test microphone to control sound reflected from the walls of the room. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundbar)

http://www.cnet.com/products/yamaha-digital-sound-projector-ysp-1100/

they didn't use HDMI inputs in any soundbars 10 years ago.

10 years ago HDMI was still in nappies (diapers) it had only really been publicly available for a year or so. I remember back then, much like now, new standards weren't immediately adopted by every manufacturer under the sun, so it was still very uncommon.

 

[ZeRoLiMiT]

with all that HIGH end stuff and all the money you invested in your home theater why would you go for cheap? doesn't make sence!