Apple TV 4K, Sonos Arc and Dolby Atmos

I have the same issue:

Apple TV 4K connected to TV (brand new amazon basic HDMI)

TV is a 2019 Samsung QE65Q90R

Sonos Arc connected to Samsung TV via Arc HDMI port (there is only 1).

when using Netflix app on the Samsung tv itself I have Atmos support. When instead using the Apple TV app, no Atmos option (and not in the settings either). Someone at Apple recommended using an HDMI splitter, so as to connect the Apple TV directly to the Sonos. Has anyone tested this?

Yeah I have it connected the same way. There’s only one ARC port on the LG C8. So the Sonos is connected to that, and then my ATV is connected to one of the other HDMI ports. There are various settings to check of course, to make sure everything is set up properly for Atmos to work, but there’s also using the right HDMI cable etc. (I’m using the one that came with the Sonos Arc to connect it, and the Belkin Ultra-high speed cable that Apple sells to connect the ATV).

What TV do you have btw?

Then explain why I’m getting Atmos on my LG C8 from my ATV? And it’s not only me, check out various other threads on the Sonos forums or Reddit of users reporting the same. Example: https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/lg-c9-and-sonos-arc-6842322

I believe you are confusing the LPCM issue with Atmos. The current LPCM problem for the LG C9 isn’t that Atmos isn’t working (several users have reported that Atmos in fact works on C9 with ATV). The problem is that NON-Atmos content plays as 2.1 instead of 5.1 because the Sonos Arc doesn’t support LPCM (which they will fix in the future).

Hi Terry,

I'm looking into buying the Sonos ARC and set it up with an Apple TV and a video projector. Different setting from yours but the solution I envision might be helpful for you: I intend to leverage an audio extractor, a small device that split the HDMI signal in a video and audio signal. basically the Apple TV HDMI out would be connected to this device and I would get an HDMI out video signal going to the projector and an audio optical signal going to the Sonos ARC (the Sonos ARC only has HDMI in but I believe it comes with an optical to HDMI converter).

There are several audio extractor available on the market, I'm looking at this one from Kanexpro that seems to support Dolby Atmos: https://www.kanexpro.com/item/?id=HAECOAX3

I'll post a follow up message once I setup and test this solution.

Cheers,

Phil

Sorry to hear you have the same problem. I could t get atmos until is used the apps on my lg tv. There are not many on Netflix if you use that make sure it is offered in atmos. The same deal with amazon prime. At first the appletv app on my lg tv worked for reg sound but no sound for atmos then there was an update from lg and it now works. So I can get atmos but only by using the lg apps I still am waiting for Sonos to update so this will work from a direct stream from ATV make sure you have the latest update on lg and it should work on Netflix I used space force and our planet to test atmos and on amazon I used Jack Ryan but make sure you choose the 4K version as they have two versions on offer

I think the reason is that anyone who has the oled with EARC it will work I have the nano 90 with EARC and it doesn’t guessing its to do with the pass through and software as I have heard others with oled tv and it works. So not only is mine not working because Sonos doesn’t accept LPCM and apple send out mas signal but also the software and maybe hardware on the oled TVs are different to the nano even if both have EARC

I tried something else and got Atmos to work with the regular HDMI port using roku. That tells me pass through is fine with nano90 tv's. the issue remains with Apple TV 4K not working due to arc not accepting LPCM signals.

@Nee Funny you mention that.

I didn’t have the eARC enabled for the first few weeks. Still, I was able to get Dolby atmos (lossy) during that time, and had the Dolby atmos logo showing on my Sonos app.

I’ve since enabled the eARC and sort of hear the difference in sound quality......I think....

Regardless, I think it’s funny that the eARC default is disabled.

Because it sends out their signal xx as MAT so arc won’t accept LPCM

I have the new LG 75NANO90UNA tv which has an earth hdmi, I have that sending the signal to the Sonos Arc and I have the Apple TV connected to a regular hdmi but it refuses to play a sound when it goes into a movie that has atmos. When I go to the menu for the movie the theme music plays and when I play a non atmos movie the sound goes through but the minute I play an atmos movie from atyv it has no sound. I can play atmos from the Netflix app on the tv (Space Force) and it does show on the Sonos App that it is in Dolby Atmos. I am now at a complete loss as to what else to try as the entire reason I bought a brand new tv the Sonos Arc was to be able to play my atmos movies I bought that are on my Apple TV. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them, I have tried every setting I can think of, and the tv has arc set to on and passthrough enable also.

ARGHHHHHH

I’m having a hard time understanding this... Apple undeniably states that atmos isn’t supported over arc, and they even recommended your answer.

However I just got my Sonos Arc, and I’m using it with my LG C8 (it has ARC not eARC) and ATV 4K. I’m getting atmos signal (seeing The Dolby Atmos logo in the Sonos app + it states that atmos is playing in the system information portion of the app).

This is from both Netflix and for movies I have bought in iTunes that include Atmos sound.

I mean, I’m definitely not complaining! I just don’t completely understands the workings here and what’s really going on. As I see it there are 3 possible options:

1. The article from Apple is outdated and they now support Atmos over ARC.
2. The Sonos app is being tricked somehow into thinking that it's getting an Atmos signal, when it in fact isn’t.
3. The LG C8 is doing some sort of voodoo magic to make it all just work.

No idea if any of the these are true, or if something else is going on. But for now I’ll just enjoy the content I guess :)

Quick clarifying question -

Are you connecting your apple tv 4k into your TV using an HDMI ARC port or regular HDMI. I'm unable to get atmos, too. I thought it might be due to the fact that I only have 1 HDMI arc port (and that is what I am connecting my Sonos Arc to). My apple TV 4k is not connected to an HDMI ARC

I have a one week old 2020 LG tv and I can't get atmos on sonos from atv. When I stream from Netflix App in TV. Atmos is working WO any issues. If I set Atmos sound on in Atv. There's no sound at all. I have to change to 5.1 surround to get sound.

Brand new lg 75Nano90UNO and mine is also the same I get atmos when using the lg app from amazon prime and Netflix but no sound from aTv when using it or any apps on it. There might be a difference in the software between nano9 models and oled models that makes some sort of difference in passthru

https://youtu.be/Kvs2Y4lAGUk may be this will help you?