AppleTV Audio Dropouts

Question

Level 1

4 points

AppleTV Audio Dropouts

I use multiple streaming devices on multiple TVs and Apple TV (multiple versions) is the ONLY device that has 1-2 second audio dropouts, especially during commercials between the various ads.

I am not the only one who has complained about this issue, which is your device, and it never seems to be resolved. Or, one of your techs asks a litany of useless questions about cables, etc. I am IT professional adept at troubleshooting. The problem is YOUR device.

You have a software problem that I wish you would address, otherwise I will simply replace all my AppleTVs with Roku, which doesn't have the issue.

I just loaded the most recent software 17.6 - same issue.

Apple TV 4K

Posted on Jul 30, 2024 5:42 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Urquhart1244

Level 10

149,250 points

Jul 30, 2024 9:46 AM in response to jcaviani

… which is your device … one of your techs … The problem is YOUR device.

This is a user-to-user forum. You are not addressing Apple here.

… 1-2 second audio dropouts, especially during commercials between the various ads.

Please check your settings. Do you have Match Frame Rate and/or Match Dynamic Range activated?

The automatic switch for frame rate or dynamic range will cause the TV to take “some time” to adjust. Unless your relatively new, higher end, TV supports QMS (Quick Media Switching), in which case it can adjust within one frame (for Apple TV 4K (3rd generation)).

If you turn off the Match Content settings, then no adjustment needs to be made for a changed HDMI signal, and you will not have dropouts for this reason.

Reply

Answer 2

jcaviani Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 30, 2024 4:04 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Thanks for the suggestion. No, despite recommendations by some YouTube channels to use Match Frame Rate and/or Match Dynamic Range, I do not. I have tried various combinations of audio and video settings and the sound dropout happens with all. I was going to edit the post to include information about it happening with the Xfinity app, which could also be the source of the problem but it was too late to edit. It happens with multiple TVs and multiple versions of AppleTV, all now on iOS 17.6. I'm pretty sure the issue didn't start until I loaded iOS 17. I Believe I had a version of iOS 16.x when I first got the devices and don't recall experiencing this issue. I don't know what version of Xfinity I started with or if it has updated. I have tried multiple audio settings and have deleted and reloaded the Xfinity app as well as performed a complete system wipe. Changing audio settings (stereo rather than default) or rebooting seems to fix the issue temporarily, which mostly occurs between when one commercial ends and another begins and when the commercial ends and regular programming resumes but it eventually comes back, almost like there is a memory leak of some kind.

Anyway, I have read every comment about this issue online. None of them really addresses my issue. In fact, since this is just a user forum I'd prefer to delete the comment. I guess I should be happy that I have a built in partial ad filter.

Reply