AppleTV4K Netflix & VideoPrime only background sound, no dialogue.

Question

Level 1

9 points

AppleTV4K Netflix & VideoPrime only background sound, no dialogue.

This problem was mentioned before, including an answer that referred to the online AppleTV manual. That seemed an easy solution, but the manual does not tell you how to adjust the balance between background sound and voices of speaking actors. I think this is impossible anyway.

The problem occurred out of nowhere, first with Amazon Prime, then with Netflix. No settings where changed, not on the AppleTV nor on Netflix or Prime.

When I stream to the AppleTV from a computer (using Firefox, login to Netflix, screen mirroring) there is no problem. So it seems that using the Netflix or Prime app on the AppleTV itself is the cause.

Anybody an idea? Referring to the manual is no help. Thanks, Jacques ( The Netherlands)

Posted on Mar 28, 2021 1:14 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Rudegar

Level 10

181,980 points

Mar 28, 2021 1:56 AM in response to jhamvdo

if you have set your appletv to play surround sound but has not surround speaker connected

and play normal stereo material it plays normally

but if you play material which is surround sound enabled then your 2 speakers will play front left and front right

where most talking and the likes would be playing out of the center speaker which is absent from your setup

to resolve it is to change from surround sound to stereo in the settings

Reply

Answer 2

jhamvdo Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 29, 2021 1:39 AM in response to jhamvdo

I stand corrected! It was indeed the audio setting which had moved to Dolby Surround 5.1 (without my knowing...after a system update?).

Probably the ATV needed a restart after changing the audio setting, because I had tried this solution before with no result.

Thanks anyway!

Reply

Answer 3

jhamvdo Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 28, 2021 4:14 AM in response to Rudegar

Thank you for the reply.

The disappearance of dialogue sound came out of the blue and not because I changed any settings in my AppleTV.

So it has nothing to do with the surround (Dolby 5.1) or stereo audio setting. I looked at the setting, changed it back and forth, but nothing happened.

Also: when I stream Netflix or Prime from my computer, there is no problem with the audio. Had the AppleTV audio settings been wrong, I would have had the same problem, wouldn’t I?

Reply

AppleTV4K Netflix & VideoPrime only background sound, no dialogue.

Similar questions