Apple TV 4K WILL NOT play 5.1 surround sound through home theater

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Apple TV 4K WILL NOT play 5.1 surround sound through home theater

I just purchased an Apple TV 4K and I have just spent four hours unsuccessfully trying to get it to play 5.1 surround sound. Here’s the setup:

Apple TV 4K 2021 updated to tvOS 15.4

Pioneer VSX-53 capable of ARC

LG CX TV updated to latest version of WebOS

I’m connecting the Apple TV to the receiver’s Streaming Box HDMI input with a 4K HDMI cable.

From there, the receiver is connected from the TV out HDMI port to the ARC-capable HDMI.

ARC has been activated on the receiver.

The TV’s sound setting has been set to HDMI ARC.

The LG’s Digital Sound Out’s setting is at Pass Through and eARC is off (was on at one point)

In tvOS, the Default Audio Output is set to Receiver Speakers

Audio Format is set to Auto; I tried setting it to 5.1 Surround with no success

The Audio Mode is set to Auto; I tried setting it 16 bit with no success.

Initially, the sound from the Apple TV was very echo-y/reverbish in nature. After several restarts and preference fiddling, I was able to get rid of the echo, but now the sound is only coming from the front speakers.

I’m using YouTube TV to test the sound. I can play the same content on the LG’s native YTTV app and get perfect 5.1 surround. The Apple TV is either converting the sound to stereo or just straight up refusing to play anything through the back speakers.

I have had the Apple TV for literally five hours at this point, and four of this has been trying to figure out why this stupid thing won’t play sound properly. Maybe I’m holding the remote wrong. I’m ready to send this thing back ASAP.

I’ll be placing a support call to Apple later today. I eagerly await them telling me it’s LG’s or Pioneer’s problem. Until then, if anyone has any insight or similar experience, any help is appreciated.

Posted on May 8, 2022 9:31 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Mattand Author

Level 1

9 points

May 12, 2022 6:11 AM in response to Mattand

From the "There's No Such Thing as Too Much Research" Department:

Sooooo, I did my due diligence to make sure Apple TV 4k supported YouTube TV. What I should have done was push that a little further and see if YYTV actually supported 5.1 surround on ATV4K.

Which, as of this writing, it doesn't and apparently never had. Looks like most streaming boxes can't output 5.1 surround YTTV at the moment.

Gah.

Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix are fine. Redbox doesn't appear to have it yet.

Big mea culpa to the Apple TV crew on the initial post. Sorry about that.

Now let us never speak of this again.

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Answer 2

May 9, 2022 5:25 PM in response to Mattand

Have you tried setting tvOS Default Audio to "TV Speakers" (Apple TV icon with "TV Speakers" next to it). In older tvOS version this was an Apple TV icon with the word "HDMI" next to it) this tells the Apple to send audio out over HDMI. Apple made it more confusing by changing it to "TV Speakers"

I have my connected as Apple TV > AVR > LG TV with HDMI, and that is the tvOS Default Audio setting I use, not have no problem getting 5.1 or Atmos

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Answer 3

Mattand Author

Level 1

9 points

May 9, 2022 11:17 PM in response to Mattand

Hey, Mac,

Thanks for the reply. I kept getting “TV speakers” in the default audio, but when that happened I would wind up with basically only the center and front speakers working.

Eventually on the Pioneer, I turned off Auto Surround and used Pure Direct. The ATV is finally showing Receiver Speakers as default. I’ve got Audio Format set to Auto.

The big problem I’m facing now is that YouTube TV keeps losing the 5.1 surround, although Prime Video and HBO Max don’t. I may wind up setting Audio Format to 5.1 and see what happens.

I’ve been using Apple stuff for nearly 30 years. Normally this stuff is plug and play, but this ATV4K setup has been the absolute worst. I shouldn’t have to be jumping through all these hoops for basic 5.1 surround. I got the ATV because it’s supposedly more secure, but the old “Apple stuff just works” completely blew up in my face.

I most likely will be sending this thing back. The LG apps all worked perfectly with my receiver and gave me 5.1 surround with no hassle. Starting to look like I should have stayed with that.

Thanks again for the help.

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