Awful static on apple tv startup

Are you able to try a different cable, another display?

Maybe not but the fact that it's fixed when the HDMI is disconnected from the display points to aossible cause. Wouldn't hurt to try on another setup or take it in for testing.

It could be, HDMI is the only officially supported method so there may be issues when using converters. Best to rule it out by testing on an HDMI display

I'm having the same issue. ATV3 connected to TV via HDMI and optical to my HiFi speakers via a DAC. when waking the apple tv from sleep with the tv on or off I receive the static for about 5 seconds through the speakers, really annoying. At first I thought it may be the DAC but it's interesting to hear that you have the same problem. No static with the optical cable removed. I need to experiment when I get home what happens when i remove the HDMI but I'm sure I still got the static through the HiFi speakers. Will update.

Have either of you guys tried configuring the ATV3 to use different audio settings? If you set it to a fixed output option, hopefully you would eliminate any glitches due to the negotiation implied by using HDMI, which could conceivably mess up the optical output, too.

airhooo wrote:

you're right, wouldnt hurt for me to try ..

think it might have anyhting to do with the fact that the video cable is actually an hdmi - dvi cable?

probably not right? just fishing for someting !

Negative on the HDMI/DVI cable being a problem. HDMI is fully backwards compatible with DVI, and it's a straight through connection (no "converter" is involved) and cannot be an issue in and of itself. It's something that can be expected to work fine. What can be a problem are the usual problems associated with HDMI and cables in general, e.g. handshaking issues, HDCP and other incompatibilities, bad connectors, etc, along with other bugs in the connected devices. It could very well be your computer monitor is providing EDID info that the Apple TV doesn't like for whatever reason, or it could be a bug in the handshaking on one or both ends, etc, and it would still be a problem if your TV was HDMI, all other things being equal. This is very common in HTPC circles, and if you really want your eyes to glaze over, google /site:avsforum.com edid override/. This won't help you with the Apple TV, but it'll familiarize you with actual problems as you've already gotten some FUD about the DVI/HDMI cable and will almost certainly be receiving some more in this forum now that I've pointed it out. It's pretty much unique to this forum, so just ignore it.

In any case, if your intent is primarily to use the ATV as an Airplay bridge to your stereo, and you have an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad, you might find the Remote App's 1' interface far superior to the ATV 10' interface for selecting music in iTunes. I know I do. Then you don't need to connect the ATV to your monitor except to change settings, which is essentially never, and you've already discovered that it doesn't produce static that way. That's the way I use my ATV2, and it's what I bought it for, but FWIW, it didn't produce static when I briefly connected it to my NEC monitor with a DVI/HDMI cable and optical to my receiver for testing after I made the mistake of allowing my ATV2 to update itself to 4.4. Maybe this is a new ATV3 problem or an iOS 5 problem. I wouldn't know, as I reverted to 4.3 back when it was still possible and won't update ever again as long as I'm using my ATV as a pure Airplay audio bridge and having no problems with it.

FWIW, HDMI is not DVI, HDMI has features DVI doesn't , some of which the Apple TV does use and some which it may use, however I'm not really sure whether these differences could have anything to do with your problem, I'm not here to argue with others, just present you with what I believe is the correct information, you will have to decide yourself who's opinion to follow.

I've just started mine with the HDMI cable removed from the apple tv and just the optical to the stereo via the DAC. Still get the same static for two or three seconds. No different if I chance any of the audio out options in the settings. Wondering if I have a unit that needs replacing?

Unfortunately I don't have a receiver with a hdmi to test it. I'm wondering if my issue is the DAC but I can't test it without as I don't have an optical point on any other device. Oh well, will keep investigating.

I'm having the **exact** same issue - Apple TV 1080 to DAC via optical to Powered Speakers via RCA -- 5-10 seconds of awful static before music starts playing.

Nothing seems to fix it including removing the HDMI. Makes the Apple TV useless as an audio device to stream music. Thus shouldn't be rocket science. sigh.

Tried this again with a different converter and cable, verified a couple of things:

1. Apple TV is sending open signal to TOSlink output BEFORE Apple TV connects to incoming signal.

2. Awful Static seems to be the noise of the wireless connecting. Once connections made no more static.

Question: Since this happens EVERYTIME why did Aple even bother to put in an Optical Out??? Bad Software or Bad Design or BOTH.

I'm glad in a way it's not just me then. I can get round it by waking up the apple tv before switching on the stereo but I shouldn't have to do that. It's not a big enough reason for me to take it back but i hope they can maybe find a software fix for this at some point.