Apple Broke Dolby Digital 5.1 Output on Apple TV 4K

Many commentators get their posts deleted when they propose solutions,

my gen 1 atv 4k 5.1 issue resolved once I installed 18.1. I can mention 18.1 now as its now released.

not tried if for a week but hope it’s still fixed.

what generation of atv are you using and are you running the latest release of tvOS?

Now it’s OK after update to TVOS18.1 .My AppleTV shows me now Dolby Digital 5.1 again by my Pioneer receiver. Finally!!!

Just upgraded to 18.1 and problem solved!!

I have more Apple TV's, a 2015's 4th generation HD model (A1625/32GB) and a 2022's 4k version (A2843/128GB). Both updated to the same tvOS version (18.0/22J357). Both of them configured in the Audio Format setting to Change Format and Dolby Digital 5.1. (I have a third one (a 2017's 4k), but it currently are lended over to one friend, so i can not test it)

Only stereo sound came out from the 2022's version in any of the applications have I tried (Netflix, VLC, Youtube). In the other hand, the 2015's model worked fine, the receiver displays Dolby Digital and all of the speakers was sounded perfectly.

My audio setup is a little bit weird and old :D, I have a Creative Labs DTS/DD5.1 optical decoder from the early 2000's which is connected to a mid 2000's 5.1 analogue wooden speaker system. The Apple TV connects to it via an HDMI-Optical Audio extractor device, which was worked fine in the last decade. I tested both Apple TV's with the exactly same configuration, I mean disconnected all of the cables from the old one, and replaced the Apple TV with the other one.

I just updated and 5.1 is back! You have to update to the newest B version. If you aren't seeing that option, try re-logging into your Apple account. I had to do that on one of my ATVs. So happy 5.1 is back.

 I had a play this morning and connected my Apple TV 4K 1st Gen tvOS18 to my LG SN9YG (plus wireless rears) via the HDMI connection on the soundbar. Unfortunately it made no difference. Atmos is fine, but everything else is PCM 2.0. No PCM multichannel and no DD.5.1 even though the Change Format option shows DD.5.1 selected. Reconnected the Panasonic 4k blu ray player to the soundbar and it plays Atmos, DTS X and DD5.1. So, it's got to be tvOS 18 that's broken audio for the Apple TV. Nothing else to do but keep bunging in feedback to Apple and wait I guess. Frustrating doesn't come close. I (and I'm sure many others ) have invested a lot in Apple movie purchases, and at a stroke those purchases have effectively been downgraded in quality. At least they can't remove DD from a Blu ray or DVD.

You must try it in DIRECT MODE, your AVR may call it differently. Mine takes any signal even PCM 2.0 and will convert it into 7.4.2 and will indicate that it is playing through all channels. But the real test is putting the AVR in DIRECT/STRAIGHT/PASS-THROUGH so it doesn't colorized the source. When doing that mine shows PCM 2.0. Please find out what yours say.

I thought the same thing you did, until I realized there was a huge sound quality difference between playing same moving, same content, multiple of same streaming services between the APPLE TV 4K box vs the Apple TV application on the LG TV. Then I realized I was not testing it in DIRECT/STRAIGHT/PASS-THROUGH so my AVR kept upconverting it and indicating it was running thru all channels. All it did was split the sounds as it thought fit, but quality was terrible as it was taking 2.0 and pumping it out to 7.4.2. Once I realized that, I put it in DIRECT, and sure enough, it shows 2.0 is coming from the original source of the APPLETV box, while the correct amount of channels came out of the APPLE TV application on the LG TV.

Thank you very much for posting this information. I own both models A1625(HD),

and A2169(4k). I swapped these units out and the A1625 model outputs 5.1 audio to my Sony non hdmi receiver in 5.1 perfectly using the optical audio cable from my tv to the receiver. Both models are running 18.1 iOS, so it seems to me that is not the software version causing the issue but a bug in the Apple TV 4K units. Problem solved for me at the current time. Thanks!

Interesting. Using the GoogleTV app, Grimm rerun came on, showing Dolby Digital +. Huh.

GoogleTV - Dolby Digital +

Plex - Dolby Digital + (playing my rips)

Peacock- broken

Paramount- broken

curiosity Stream -broken

Discovery + unknown

ESPN- broken

Prime- broken

Max - broken

Netflix- broken

Disney + -broken

AppleTV + - broken

On my 4k Rotel preamp, while I don’t see DTS or Dolby anymore, multi-channel content is detected, but shows up now as Multichannel PCM. Why the GoogleTV app is working, I leave to Apple (assuming they’re even aware of this). This should never have made it out into the public. Did they even test for function??

I can confirm. I turned on my AppleTV 4K today, and noticed I had to accept the "Terms and Conditions" which usually means I received an update. I checked my AppleTV 4K version and it is TvOS 18. Any content other than Dolby Atmos movies will not decode correctly. It will show up as PCM (2.0). For example, I am watching "The Man In The Iron Mask" on my AppleTV 4K which is natively English Dolby 5.1, AAC (according to Apple's website) but decodes as PCM 2.0. I know some of you will argue that "it means loss-less" which I will tell you now, it is nonsense, because there is a sound quality difference between my AppleTV 4K vs using the Apple TV Application on my LG TV. On My LG TV using the AppleTV application, it decodes correctly as Dolby Digital+ and has a much fuller sound. I am willing to guess, the update broke the AppleTV 4K device and aside from movies with Dolby Atmos, it is playing in Stereo 2.0 and when my AVR upconverts it, it sounds terrible. Please FIX the problem if you want me to continue to use your device. I could easily just use the native AppleTV application on my LG, but because I want to like Apple products, I am going to ask that you fix the problem! PLEASE SEE IMAGE BELOW of APPLETV4K vs THE LG APPLETV Application.

@Payton Garner, I've just tried that video. Playing it from the You Tube app on my Apple TV and it's in 5.1, and the soundbar reports Dolby Audio. Switch to an iTunes movie labelled with DD5.1 and it reverts to PCM2.0. No change to settings on either TV, Apple TV or Soundbar. This is so frustrating but to a layman like me, it all points to a software / ATV bug on Apple's side, especially as everything else, 4K blu, TV on board apps are all working. The only change has been the tvOS update so in my case at least, it's got to be that.

Having a similar issue since I’ve downloaded TV iOS 18, my Yamaha digital set was giving me 5.1 digital sound with optical out and now it’s only giving me ProLogic. However, when I use the Apple TV app, Disney app, etc., on my LG TV, I’m getting 5.1 digital sound so clearly it’s the Apple TV unit and the download. I hope Apple comes up with a patch.

I got back my 2017's 4k version, so here is the final verdict for the current situation. All devices are plugged on the exactly same cables (same HDMI, LAN and power cable), and I been checked it sequentially one by one with the exactly same contents. All of the Apple TV's audio settings was configured to "Change Format" enable with the "Dolby Digital 5.1" option.

Apple TV HD (2015; A1625/32GB, 18.0/22J357)

- netflix: 5.1 OK (tested with couple of movies where the Netflix displays the "5.1" logo)

- youtube: 5.1 OK

- vlc: 5.1 OK

Apple TV 4k (2017; A1842/64 GB, 18.0/22J357):

- netflix: stereo (some of the previously tested movies have a "spatial" logo instead of the previusly visible "5.1" (the others still displays "5.1"), but all plays back with stereo only)

- youtube: 5.1 OK

- vlc: 5.1 OK

Apple TV 4k (2022; A2843/128GB, 18.0/22J357):

- netflix: stereo (none of the previously tested movies had any "spatial" or "5.1" logo)

- youtube: stereo

- vlc: stereo

Exactly the same problem here (in the U.K.) after auto update to TV OS18 with my 1st gen 4K TV Box. I thought it was a problem with the Netflix app so updated that. Now I've tested my other streaming apps and I can't get 5.1 sound from anything. I have over 100 films purchased in iTunes and no 5.1 sound from them either.

I have a Denon avrx2200 receiver and it clearly tells me what sound I've got on the display and I'm now back to Dolby surround.

I wish I never turned auto update on but I've never had an issue before. Personally I'm fuming about this because I always listen to 99% of content in 5.1 sound. This is a huge step downwards & I feel like I'm missing half the content.