Strange Apple TV audio and video issues (no center channel, or no video, or no audio at all - grab bag of issues)

Original setup - latest generation Apple TV 4K, Pioneer Receiver, LG OLED77C2PUA HDTV.

With the above setup I connected the Apple TV directly to LG TV via Ultra High speed HDMI 2.1 cable, and then connected the LG HDTV to the Pioneer Receiver via the ARC HDMI TV input with 2.1 HDMI cable.  My main remote was the Apple TV remote and it functioned pretty well.  I'd hit the power button on the Apple TV remote and the LG HDTV would turn on and the Pioneer Receiver would turn on.  Volume buttons on the Apple TV remote controlled the Pioneer receiver during usage, and the Apple TV remote would power off all the devices.  

Then one day it quit working so well.  Maybe after one of the devices ran an update, I'm not sure.  The power button on the Apple TV remote would still turn on all the devices, but Audio glitches were very prevalent.  Mainly the CEC was no longer communicating with the Pioneer receiver consistently.  Sometimes I'd get zero audio.  Sometimes I'd get audio from just the HDTV speakers.  It was all over the place.  I researched for months on how to fix this and adjusted every setting on the Apple TV and LG HDTV and I never found a consistent resolution.  I reset devices to factory condition with no help.  

So finally out of frustration I went a completely different direction and replaced my Pioneer Receiver with the LG SC9s Sound Bar and the LG SPQ8S rear speaker set.  I figured I'm getting to old to figure out CEC nonsense and I went for simplicity.

My connection was Apple TV-->SC9s Sound Bar-->LG HDTV.  The sound bar has 4K Passthrough etc.  This was the recommended setup.  Unfortunately, I had "No Signal" video problems manifest quite regularly.  I once again reset devices to factory condition, changed Dolby Vision settings, etc. but had no luck finding the right setting that cleared up my issues.  One really weird thing that I did figure out.  If, after pressing the power button, I was looking at a "No Signal" screen on my LG HDTV, I could rapidly click the TV button on the Apple TV remote and video would appear.  I know how this sounds, but I repeated this many times.  I couldn't just hit the TV button once or twice.  I'd rapidly click it like 5 times, and the Apple TV grid of apps would appear.  

Not happy with this workaround, I decided to try a different connection method.  I am now connected Apple TV-->LG HDTV, and LG HDTV-->LG SC9s Sound Bar (HDMI).  Initially I thought it was working great.  But then I noticed sometimes I was getting only the center channel with my Audio.  No commentators audio when watching golf, just the background sounds.  Watching Law & Order I'd hear the distinctive "chum chum" sound but no voice dialogues.  It seems like I could try a different app and get full audio, and then go back to what I was previously watching  and now the audio is completely working.  My theory was it was something to do with the Dolby Atmos but I'm pretty sure I was having the same problem even when I turned Atmos off.  But honestly, at this point my brain is frazzled and I don't have a good handle on what I've tried anymore.  

My gut feeling is that this is all Apple TV problems and hopefully a new update will resolve these issues.  I've even considered joining the beta program to see if that helps.

I see many people across the internet have similar issues but so far I haven't found a resolution. Anyone here have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.