Apple Broke Dolby Digital 5.1 Output on Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV box has always done PCM Multichannel out, for the “Auto”/best quality audio format setting. PCM does not mean 2.0 per se; it can be up to 7.1 for Apple TV, if the HDMI connection allows for that. The Apple TV box will not output Dolby Digital Plus, nor did it do so recently, even when that was the input. There is no passthrough option (since tvOS 10, I think).

1. While the conversion to PCM Multichannel will be lossless, your audio equipment can decide to treat these two formats differently, in post-processing. That may depend on your audio system and/​or its settings.
2. There could be HDMI bandwidth restrictions that force a lesser format, but if you are getting Dolby Atmos, then this wouldn’t apply.

I am willing to guess, the update broke the AppleTV 4K device

It didn’t. It just says 7.1 on my 7.1 AV receiver for Apple TV 4K on tvOS 18, for 7.1 sources.

Please FIX the problem… I am going to ask that you fix the problem!

Apple will not see your concern here in the forums. To notify Apple on structural issues, please use the feedback form. Feedback - Apple TV - Apple

Before the update, my Apple TV defaulted to DD5.1 audio when set to auto. Sound came from all channels. After the update non Atmos sources play as PCM stereo. Nothing from rears or surrounds. The only thing that has changed was the update. Therefore, I think it's reasonable to suggest that the update is the culprit.

Not necessarily what you want to hear, but I have found that using an Amazon fire stick 4K and using the Apple app (not Apple+) then you can stream your iTunes movie library (and other sources) from there.

Because I have lip sync issues with Atmos content from the Apple TV box, I might just end up selling it on altogether.

I have a 1sr generation Apple 4K TV

Before the latest update iOS 18, I was able to get digital sound through my Yamaha speakers through optical out now the Apple TV unit is only giving me pro logic,

I’m able to get digital sound when I’m using Disney+ or Apple TV app via my LG TV

So I clearly know it’s not my sound system or the TV it is actually Apple TV unit itself.

not sure when Apple will find a patch for this probably in 18.1 I’m hoping

I’ve had the same experience on my Apple TV HD. tvOS 18 seems to break Dolby Digital playback. I downgraded to 17.6 and it was all ok. Stupidly I forgot to switch off auto update 😩. So now all audio is stuck Stereo PCM and it sounds awful.

I want to add to this. I was going nuts because I have paid extra for Dolby Atmos on Netflix, Prime, Max, Paramount and Disney.

Netflix, Disney and Prime have lost Atmos on the Apple TV......It is now labled "Spacial Audio" so those three services are not handshaking with the Apple TV version 18.1. My Sonos APP says the Spacial Audio is 5.1. On the bright side, Max and Paramount Plus are still reporting Dolby Atmos and my APP says that's what I'm getting. The Apple TV on screen display reports the DOLBY ATMOS in the upper right as well.

I own a Fire TV that is Atmos compatible and I tried it on the same TV setup as the Apple TV and amazingly Netflix reported Atmos on the Fire TV and also on my Sonos APP. The same movie on the Apple TV reported as Spacial Audio.

There is something seriously amiss with the Apple TV and the three streaming services I mentioned.

I encourage everyone to call in to report this issue either via the support app on their iPhone or actually calling Apple support to provide diagnostic data. The more voices we add to this the more likely we will get it fixed.

Same here since tvOS 18

I have sonos beam 2 (eARC)+ Lg g1

Passtrough setting on the tv give me LPCM 7.1 (wich is not sound good)

Auto setting on tv give me stereo instead of digital 5.1 before the update

Please Apple fix this that working properly

Apple TV 4th 2nd gen to AVR onkyo 5.1 Dolby decoding no longer available, just 2.1 PCM since the 17.04 iOS software update. I’m a french customer, for what it’s worth. Apple Tech support, please do something soon

Oh my god, I am so glad I found this forum. Currently I have a slightly older Sony TV (75x900f)with only Arc (no eArc), Apple TV 4k, and a Bose 900 sounbar with woofer. Since the TV only passes through up to DD 5.1 and can't pass through Dolby Atmos, I had learned to be content with that for the past year or so. Then I noticed last week that the soundbar suddenly only output LPCM 2.0 on all Apple TV content. The Sony TV's native apps output DDP 5.1 no problem, so I knew it wasn't the cords or ports fault. I spent hours last night troubleshooting, swapping wires/configurations, resetting devices, etc, until a couple google searches in this forum popped up. Glad to know it's at least not a hardware issue and to finally have an answer.

For reference, it's an older 4k Apple TV (maybe 2020?). I have it connected to the Sony TV and passed through to the Bose 900 soundbar via Optical (I had used the Arc HDMI channel for awhile, but it was unreliable, and wouldn't pass through Dolby Atmos anyways since it wasn't eArc so there was no real advantage). While troubleshooting I used an older HDMI audio splitter from HDfury/Arcana and was able to get the Apple TV to send Dolby Atmos to the Bose 900. BUT the HDfury has always been temperamental so is not a long term solution.

At least no I know the issue is Apple's OS. I have hope they'll figure it out in the near future now that they're aware.

The newer Apple TV downstairs in the movie room is on version 17.6 and is working fine with the receiver and outputting Dolby Atmos and multi channel fine. So I turned off auto updates just in case.

Same. Was working great on tvOS 17. Updated to 18, it took me about half a day to realize where are my rear speakers? Nothing worked. I got into my system settings, and futzed with video and audio/audio mode, I set that to 16 bit and then, suddenly I had rear speakers. Audio format at the time was set to 5.1 surround, but I have change format turned off now. I put audio mode back to auto and it is still working. My audio output is pointed to my Samsung M47A 4.0 sound bar it only has front left and right and rear left and right but no center channel but it does have a massive subwoofer. When that is not connected via Bluetooth, the sound goes into my Kenwood VR 209 5.1 system by default, and I was only getting my left and right sidefill speakers, but none of my center or my rear speakers. But the subwoofer was working on both systems.

I don’t know if it was any of my settings changes that caused it to work, and at this point, I will not reboot the system, until I know what will happen.