I have video/audio going directly to my TV, but I have audio going to my surround system. The old Apple TV had separate outputs for HDMI and digital audio. What have others done to solve this situation?
My surround processor does have HDMI input but can't process 4K, and I don't want to have to use surround whenever I watch Apple TV 4K.
I just need to choose one that is better quality that won't impact the 4K signal and also passes all the digital audio formats to my surround preamp.
You’ll want an audio splitter/extractor with 4K support, thus HDMI 2.0 ports (18 Gbps) and HDCP 2.2 support. Do not get an HDMI 1.4 version, even if they claim 4K, because 4K without HDCP 2.2 support is useless.
For digital audio, you’ll want Toslink (optical) or RCA (coaxial copper, typically orange colored cables) to carry the S/PDIF protocol signal. Of course look to match the capabilities of your audio equipment (Toslink or RCA digital audio).
The common red/white RCA ports carry analog stereo audio, so that is not good enough for your use. More of a ‘last resort’.
The signal is digital, so it will go through 100%, or not at all. There should be no further processing.
Quality differences will be in the build, not the signal.
I just need to choose one that is better quality that won't impact the 4K signal and also passes all the digital audio formats to my surround preamp.
You’ll want an audio splitter/extractor with 4K support, thus HDMI 2.0 ports (18 Gbps) and HDCP 2.2 support. Do not get an HDMI 1.4 version, even if they claim 4K, because 4K without HDCP 2.2 support is useless.
For digital audio, you’ll want Toslink (optical) or RCA (coaxial copper, typically orange colored cables) to carry the S/PDIF protocol signal. Of course look to match the capabilities of your audio equipment (Toslink or RCA digital audio).
The common red/white RCA ports carry analog stereo audio, so that is not good enough for your use. More of a ‘last resort’.
The signal is digital, so it will go through 100%, or not at all. There should be no further processing.
Quality differences will be in the build, not the signal.
I output my Apple TV to my 4K Tv then use the SPDIF on the TV to Output to the DAC. (Also have a Sony XBR).
AV receivers that can handle Dolby Atmos, can also passthrough 4K, as far as I have seen. So then it wouldn’t be an issue to have the receiver as hub in the middle, which I think is preferable whenever possible: Apple TV→AV receiver→TV.
Dolby Atmos from Apple TV also requires a direct connection to the receiver, as that uses more bandwidth than ARC (reverse direction) can allocate.
Thanks for the reply. I've looked into your first solution; all HDMI sources on the Sony XBR TV are filled at the moment. If I use the Toslink output I have to choose between TV speakers or Toslink output, which negates using just the TV speakers.
I think I will have to go with your second solution, the HDMI audio splitter. I just need to choose one that is better quality that won't impact the 4K signal and also passes all the digital audio formats to my surround preamp.
Thanks for the detail. I'm upgrading from an older Apple TV so I have a Toslink connection already established to my preamp. My only concern is the name brands of the audio extractors; I've never heard of them. How reliable are they? Which have better track record than others?
How is the Dolby Atmos set up?
How do I connect Apple 4K TV to separate audio and video devices
