Netflix Dolby Atmos problems with new Apple TV 4k

Maybe that is if you are not using high speed HDMI cables that the problem then is worse and then besides on Netflix also occurs on other Apps that play sound on Dolby Atmos.

It is a very annoying problem and I don't get it why we have to wait so long for a solution. I went from the old Apple TV 4K just because that supported Dolby Atmos and now I have to switch back to 5.1 sound to see series and films without sound interrupts. That is just stupid.

You may expect that it isn't the HDMI cable then.

When after rebooting the Apple TV I start the same serie who has the problem and the problem occurs, I reboot again and the problem occurs not at the same moment in the serie.

Seems to me that you can rule out the source. Maybe there is an overflow somewhere in the Apple TV. The picture stays okay it's only the Dolby Atmos sound.

All brand new equipment for my setup, including individually certified hdmi 2.1 48 gbps cables for all connections. I’ve run the ATV cable test multiple times as well with passing results. I do not suspect the cables.

This is one thread that is up to 24 pages that’s been documenting the same issue for multiple people over the course of several months!! There have been a few TV OS updates over the same time period, and no improvement. It just sucks.

I think the issue with broader recognition of the problem by Apple an all of the “Apple-focused” websites (e.g., Mac Rumors, Apple Insider) is that most people using the new atv4k didn’t set it up as the brains of a +$7k home theater system! Therefore the problem cases are relatively small compared to the larger population of users.

Still this is one well established thread out of several I have found on other Apple focused forums and home theater focused ones. I hope they listen at some point.

I am using a generic cable but it has not been a problem for previous versions/hardware. I will hold off upgrading my cable unless someone can conclusively point to this.

As for feedback from Apple. As far as I can tell they don't communicate back through these forums about bug fixes, etc? So they may indeed be working on this and we don't know.

Some of use here have disabled Atmos in ATV settings. Well, I went even a step further.

Went to the lower Netflix plan altogether. Yep, that's right, even willing to go to 1080p SDR.

Especially with the account sharing soon disabled or, ads coming back (say whaaaat??)

I just cannot justify the high Netflix monthly premium anymore given that you don't even get what you pay for.

Saves 25% per month. And, if I really want to enjoy a movie, I'll go to the much cheaper Disney, Max or Prime.

I mean, many movies on Netflix that actually are available in Atmos on Blu-ray, are still 5.1 on Netflix.

And, then there is not having English subs for a some of the content here (huh!? are we non-native ENG speakers suppose to understand ENG audio better than native speakers!?)

It's highly unlikely to be the cable. Even HDMI. 2.0 cables should be fine for anything the Apple TV 4k can do. Up to about 15 ft. If you're doing 20 ft or more then you need to worry more about the cable. HDMI 2.1 cables are really only helpful if you're doing gaming on the latest PC video cards or gaming consoles that support 4K 120 HZ 10 bit color with 4:4:4 chroma. HDMI 2.1 cables if properly manufactured should be able to handle up to 48 Mbps, HDMI 2.0 cables and the Apple TV 4k max out at around 18 Mbps.

If it is the cable, it's digital so normally you're getting the signal or you're not getting signal and you'll see random dropouts or if it's just barely working maybe some video artifacts or completely random dropouts of audio and video. You're not going to see just Dolby Atmos on certain shows dropping the audio or making loud popping sounds randomly like mine did.

Mine's been working up late and I haven't changed anything so I don't know what's going on for sure. If it's specifically the streaming service and the show and how do the atmos is encoded or if I'm just totally lucking out. Cuz I've had times where it's behavior really well and then others were it's dropping out every 5 or 10 minutes.

Yes, Netflix has always been a rip off, now after the price hikes even more so. Like back in the day with discs you could rent all you wanted but then out of nowhere everything would be out of stock but your friend would have the same title available.

$20? I canceled and will wait until there are a number of shows I really want to watch and not be repeatedly recommended shows they want you to watch. That is why they got rid of reviews, because no one used them... right.

Not to mention they like most all streaming services do not let you hide shows that you know you will never want to watch or even already seen. You may notice how little they really have to offer.

Anyway...

Do you have a newer TV that has Netflix? When the Apple TV got really bad I'd just switch to the built in TV app but that is why I got the Apple TV in the first place, at the time it seems like it had better support for Atmos and DV.

Mostly it's turned out to be supper buggy. Many of the apps crash or get stuck especially after turning it off. Then you have to restart it and even then I had one app that I had to delete and reinstall to get it to work. This is my first Apple product since may Apple IIc and I think it will be my last. It's been out for how long and it's still supper buggy but I thought only PCs and Android had any kind of issues? I had hopes for the all new HBO Max app but no, it still gets stuck and crashes.

Definitely not solved. Just forced the update for Netflix on ATV4K and restarted the ATV. Watched the opening scene of the Adam Project, which has been a problem with audio drop outs, and all was good! Then put on Sol Levante, which has a heavy amount of Dolby Atmos content. Made it about 1 minute in and choppy sound.

Definitely not fixed!

We shouldn't be surprised really. Apple is all about keeping you tight into the Apple eco system. This neatly fits into that. You shouldn't be connecting any external different branded stuff in the first place.

Buy an Apple $$$ headphone and all is well. Or better more for the whole family.

Or, we just have to wait for an Apple TV monitor thing with a build-in AVR and integrated ceiling Atmos speakers and we are good to go!

Ok ok, getting carried away here. I'm sure they'll fix it one day.

...right?

I have brand new certified 48gb hdmi cables through my theater, my Apple TV is out in the open, and I’m on the latest fw. 5 minutes after updating yesterday I was getting popping and drop outs. I tried the Adam project, Army of the Dead, and Underground 6 and they all had issues.

And I also had Apple replace my Apple TV under warranty and I still have the same issues, so at this point I’m thinking apple doesn’t care to fix the issue, and I’m not 100% sure that it’s software related.

I submitted a link to this thread and and explanation of the issue to both MR and AI just now. Everyone get over there and submit as well and maybe they will pick it up. We should also make sure to get Tim a bunch of emails as well.

After serval days of no single audio dropout, the problem reoccurred in Netflix only. Dolby Atmos on HBOmax keeps spared of the dropouts. I really thought that the problem was gone.

Rebooting the Apple TV doesn't solve the issue and the Apple TV is also not hot.

I give up.

Since upgrading to 15.4.1 my '21 ATV 4K had drop outs for sound in Slow Horses on ATV+ almost every episode. When it happened exiting the episode and resuming seemed to solve it. At least for me. But very frustrating. I'm using the ATV 4K connected up to a Yamaha receiver.

I wish at this point there was an "Advanced" sound option to enable bitstream from ATV 4K -> Receiver so that those who don't care about sound effects or Siri could just get the raw transmission sent through to the receiver. I suspect this would solve this problem (even though Apple should solve it anyway). And yes I know LPCM is supposedly the exact same "feed" just decoded on the ATV.

You didn’t mention the MAT 2.0 stream that accompanies the LPCM 5.1 stream and carries the Atmos metadata. Months ago, I posted my thoughts that this is where the problem is. I believe the ATV4K Gen 2 is introducing timing issues or other errors in the MAT 2.0 stream. I believe the Atmos decoding is fine, since other audio formats have no issues. I have found certain programs, such as Drive to Survive on Netflix, to be more problematic. I believe this is because the video has more bandwidth and perhaps a busier Atmos track.

HDMI cable quality made no sense to me, since it seemed absurd that it could target Atmos only and leave all other audio formats and more susceptible video completely free of artifacts. I initially considered a thermal problem, but quickly ruled that out when I had dropouts within a minute or two of plugging in my ATV4K. My Gen 1 unit has been flawless in the same setup. And yes, a bitstream option would obviously solve the Atmos problem, and this has often been suggested here and in other threads.

I get a chuckle at posts that say the problem is 100% software. It isn’t that simple. For example, there could be a subtle hardware change that was overlooked in the software. For example, the software could have a bit of asynchronous code that expects the hardware to run at a certain speed. With the faster Gen 2 hardware, this could cause a timing issue. This could possibly explain why the Gen 1 and Gen 2 ATV4K do not behave identically with respect to the Atmos issue, assuming the same software. However, I do believe that the problem can be fixed or mitigated through software, since the Atmos problem was an order of magnitude less frequent on tvOS 14x.

Apple has been a major disappointment. If they aren’t going to fix the problem, either due to lack of effort or talent, they should give us a refund. We should not have to put up with these Atmos problems.