Netflix Dolby Atmos problems with new Apple TV 4k

I really don't understand how it is not a huge issue to where Apple would recall the devices. It's ridiculous. Are there people who do not have this issue?

I am using my Sony A80J built in apps which actually work really well. The picture and the sound is great because of the XR processor. I bought the 2nd gen Apple when I bought the Sony and I wish I hadn't.

Unfortunately they're like a lot of companies but they've got a ton of money and they want to keep it off. I'm sure they could fix this but only affects a certain number of people that actually try to use Dolby Atmos.

It's unfortunate to see the affect and aura of Steve Jobs is alive and well. I'm sure we're just holding it wrong.

I work in Dolby Atmos... and there's a lot of content mixed in it on Netflix, Apple, Disney +. Also Tidal and Apple Music are offering it extensively, so it does need fixing... and sounds amazing when it works!

Amazon Prime app on AppleTV also still refusing to make auto framerate work already for a while. Seems recurring issue.

Netflix and Prime only via Android TV for me. A real shame. Really looking forward to a one-stop-for-all-streamer. Well, it ain't the AppleTV, so much is clear.

Not saying it don't need fixing just that very few folks use it and know it's there and most shows do not have it and then if they do, most do nothing with it. There were even a few talking head dramas with it and they don't even do much with 5.1 let alone 7.2.4 surround. The last thing I watched with Atmos as Space Force and I never noticed anything from the Atmos speakers.

I don't know what to tell you, out of the very few shows that I want to watch that have it I can not tell it's there. There have only been a few times I can tell something is coming from the 4 ceiling speakers and thats with them boosted a bit too.

For a time it was not bad, I'd just restart the Apple TV 4k when there was a dropout and it would be good for the rest of the day. The other day watching Space Force this did little to help and I kept getting dropouts.

Yes. I have a Denon receiver with Atmos setup (height speakers). It all works beautifully with xbox and even with Apple TV—unless I try streaming Netflix via Apple TV in Atmos. And even that works fine until the program or movie has a segment that has dialogue and music starting at the same time. That causes clipping and drop-outs. It's not the HDMI cable bc no problem with other streaming devices—or even other services—or even Netflix without Atmos. It's not the connection which is wired ethernet tied directly to a fiber line. No wifi involved.

It's definitely a software issue in the Apple TV 4K second generation when running Netflix in Atmos....

I get the audio drop outs problem on Disney+, HBO Max, Prime, Paramount + and of course Netflix when streaming Atmos on either Gen 1 or Gen 2 Apple TV 4K.

I solved it, sort of, by changing (downgrading) audio options to 5.1 instead of Atmos capable and then I upmix with Dolby Surround Sound from my AVP and get ample sound from all speakers in a 7.2.4 system. I can also use native apps on the LG TV and use eARC but it is less convenient as I have to select eARC each time. I believe we have more complaints from Netflix simply because it is the most used streamer compared to all others.

Regarding 15.4.1: I disconnected my gen-1 AppleTV 4k from my receiver and reconnected my 2021 AppleTV 4k a few days ago and updated it to 15.4.1. Short answer: not fixed.

We've been watching "Severance" on AppleTV+ but have been using the AppleTV+ app on Sony's GoogleTV system on my A90J using eARCto a Denon AVR-8500HA receiver. Atmos was working well there and the sound was spectacular.

After the update, I switched back to the AppleTV for a couple of episodes. I was pleased to get through the first episode with just a couple of 1/2-second dropouts and thought great! That's tolerable and maybe not the AppleTV's fault. But when starting the next episode, the clicking and stuttering returned and I gave up.

After switching back to eARC, I also noticed the surround sound was much richer. The AppleTV sounded kind of thin by comparison, with less bass and muddier dialog from the center channel. I was actually shocked by how much better eARC sounded, with crystal-clear dialogue. I can only chalk this up to the AppleTV doing the surround sound decoding instead of the Denon receiver. I'm not sure how well the Audyssey room correction works with what's effectively a multi-channel input over HDMI from the AppleTV. I switched back to the AppleTV for a bit to confirm. In particular, the AppleTV+ show logo at the beginning of a program has some fantastic, deep bass. It sounded a bit anemic over AppleTV while it rattled the dishes in the kitchen over GoogleTV which makes me think that Audyssey room correction is maybe not as effective or the AppleTV is not decoding correctly.

I will say that I enjoyed the AppleTV interface, including the "up next" list immensely and the promos were offering some movies on HBO Max that I didn't know were already available. The GoogleTV AppleTV+ app only lists shows in up next that are available in the app -- for me that's AppleTV+, purchased movies and MoviesAnywhere, along with Paramount+/Showtime since I get that discounted through AppleTV channels. Watching other programming over the AppleTV, like Stephen Colbert was fine -- but that's not Atmos.

We desperately need a pass-throuugh mode -- at this point, I can't see returning to the AppleTV full-time without that.

I'm suffering Netflix Atmos dropouts on my 2021 Apple TV 4k, for me all other streaming services work fine. I swapped over to my original Apple TV4k and the problem disappears.

Does anyone have an idea if Apple/Netflix are working on a fix otherwise I will ditch the Apple TV and move on.

Thanks

If you read through this lengthy thread, you'll find it's not just Netflix, but also AppleTV+, Disney+ and HBO Max that have this problem with the AppleTV 4k 2021 version. Apple has not been forthcoming with when a fix will be available, if ever. If you can return your 2021 box, I'd do that because you can always buy it again when the problem is fixed and use your previous box in the meantime. That's what I initially did, but to avoid the hassle of switching, I use the 2021 AppleTV 4k for non-Atmos programming and the TV's GoogleTV app for Atmos. It's a nuisance, but no more difficult than having both AppleTVs hooked up and trying to remember which one I'm currently using.

Also, I found Atmos over either AppleTV doesn't sound nearly as good as Atmos in GoogleTV over eARC, probably because the AppleTV is doing the decoding and sending multi-channel PCM to the receiver so it can't apply as much magic and room optimization as it could if it was doing the decoding. AppleTV needs a passthrough mode.

I am on the latest tvOS 15.5 b.e.t.a and manually updated all my streaming apps (they had not yet auto-updated yet), including Netflix, and the Atmos dropouts took less than a minute to show up on 'Drive to Survive'. I also have a Gen 1 ATV4K with no Atmos issues in the same setup.

Considering this and the Martin Logan Gen 2 Atmos problem threads are over 6 months old, I would assume Apple is ignoring the problem.

I was able to return my 2021 ATV 4K to BestBuy and picked up an Nvidia Shield instead and am very glad I did.

Now I can enjoy Atmos shows without sitting there waiting for the Audio problems to start. I no longer have to watch for the latest TVOS updates, apply them, only to discover that nothing has changed.

I would advise anyone who can return the ATV to do so…why live with this aggravation?

I've done exactly the same as Christopher. Have returned my latest AppleTV... Total waste of money if it doesn't work.

As it may be of interest to some... I'm a content creator. We finished our film The Accidental President in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. The Quality Control (QC) process demanded to upload the film to Apple is rightly endless and complex, so that the film plays flawlessly. It's therefore incredibly disappointing that AppleTV (having worked perfectly before) isn't delivering for those of us that went to extra effort and expense with Dolby Atmos.

I've been trying to watch Drive to Survive on Netflix on AppleTV, which is ruined by the audio dropouts.

I'm going to contact our person at Dolby. None of this makes any sense.

It's too late for many of us to return the Gen 2. It wasn't until tvOS 15.x that the Atmos problem really got bad, so returning it wasn't really a consideration until it was no longer an option. I would prefer to just move the Gen 2 to a non-Atmos setup, since it is still a great streamer. I like it more than my Rokus and Shields.