Does Apple TV App not output Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on 5.1 non-Atmos content?

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Does Apple TV App not output Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on 5.1 non-Atmos content?

I've been watching non-Atmos movies which are just regular 5.1 and I am not able to get Dolby Digital Plus like I can with other streaming apps. If I watch the movie using the Apple TV App on my LG internal app or external Roku for example, they all say the audio is Dolby Digital (DD). However, if I view the same movie on a different app like Vudu, I do get the DD+ symbol.

So does Apple TV not output DD+ unless it is specifically Atmos? Is that on purpose or a bug?

Posted on Mar 22, 2021 5:34 PM

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Answer 1

bossland9 Author

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Mar 22, 2021 8:20 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Happens on all devices. LG CX internal app, Roku Ultra, even over airplay. I know that some titles will have Atmos badge but I’m only talking about titles without the Atmos badge. Some good examples are This Is the End and Bill and Ted Face the Music. Both are non-atmos and in the apple tv app I only get Dolby Digital. However the same movies in Vudu give me Dolby Digital Plus. Any thoughts?

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Answer 2

Urquhart1244

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146,704 points

Mar 22, 2021 8:58 PM in response to bossland9

Apparently Columbia Pictures supplied a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack to the iTunes Store for This Is the End.

Apparently Orion Releasing supplied a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack to the iTunes Store for Bill and Ted Face the Music.

It is what it is. You can stream through the Apple TV app in the offered audio qualities for that title. The options may be different elsewhere. The studios decided that way initially for reasons only known to them.

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Answer 3

Urquhart1244

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146,704 points

Mar 22, 2021 7:51 PM in response to bossland9

On what device is this happening?

Some titles may have Atmos, some titles will be 7.1 (DD+), other titles may be 5.1 (DD). Can you give an example title?

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Answer 4

bossland9 Author

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Mar 22, 2021 9:31 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Totally see what you are saying and it does make sense. Guess I’m trying to figure out if this is an Apple quirk/problem. Because those were just two examples but for every single non-Atmos title in 5.1, it always shows Dolby Digital and never Dolby Digital Plus. So is that just Apple? Because I doubt every studio / movie would be released to iTunes like that.

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Answer 5

bossland9 Author

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Mar 22, 2021 9:56 PM in response to bossland9

To clarify the above. I do see what you mean now. Some titles do specifically show the Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 in the iTunes description links. I guess I’m surprised that for a ton of titles Apple doesn’t have them in DD+ when places like Vudu do for the same title? How’s that?

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Does Apple TV App not output Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on 5.1 non-Atmos content?

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