Apple TV does not play sound in dolby / surround

Question

hobro19 Author

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Apple TV does not play sound in dolby / surround

Configuration:

ATV3 (SW6.2) -> HDMI -> Samsung TV -> HDMI -> Sony BluRay / Home Theatre System

ATV3 -> optical -> Sony BluRay / Home Theatre System

Video files created with Handbrake 9.9 with two audio tracks:

1) AAC (Core Audio) / Dolby Pro Logic II

2) AC3 Passthru

When I create a .mkv file, put it on an USB stick and play it from my TV I get full dolby

When I play the same file directly from the USB port in the Sony works fine as well.

When I create a .m4v file and play it directly from the USB port in the Sony I only get Stereo.

When I play the .m4v file via home sharing from my iTunes Library on my Mac I only get Stereo.

Change:

I used the same source and created a .m4v file (with Handbrake) that contains ONLY AC3 passthru.

When I play this file directly from the USB port in the Sony I get full surround sound

When I play this file via home sharing from my iTunes Library on my Mac I get no sound at all

Question:

Does ATV3 with home sharing support Dolby / surround sound at all?

If so - how do I get that running in that configuration or what do I have to change?

Any suggestions are much appreciated!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Aug 1, 2014 5:35 PM

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Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2014 5:47 PM in response to hobro19

Are you using Airplay from the Mac to ATV3?

Does your Mac have HDMI or you can use the combined optical/analog from Mac to the Sony and test. Airplay does not support multichannel formats.

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Answer 2

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 6:14 PM in response to Loner T

I'm using "Home sharing", means I run iTunes on my Mac and then access this library from ATV via "Home Sharing". From my understanding that's different to AirPlay, where I run the video on my Mac an mirror sound and screen to ATV?!?

Does "Home Sharing" support multichannel formats?

The Mac doesn't have HDMI :-(

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2014 6:34 PM in response to hobro19

The Mac (unless it predates 2006) should have an analog/optical combined output. You can check in About This Mac -> More Info -> System Report -> Audio.

On the ATV3, there is a setting for Dolby Digital under Audio and Video, which can be set to Auto, On, Off. If you play the AC3 .m4v file on the ATV and modify these settings, the Sony will tell you what format it is receiving from the ATV3.

I have a Sony STRDE945 which has AFD enabled and tells me what format it is receiving.

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Answer 4

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 6:53 PM in response to Loner T

The system report says that there is a combined output - but I would need an adapter for that (which I don't have). I just have standard HDMI cables and the optical cable.

Yes - I know about the setting for Dolby Digital on the ATV: If I set that to "On" there is no sound at all.

My Sony system shows the format as well but only for e.g. the files playing from the USB stick.

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Answer 5

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2014 7:32 PM in response to hobro19

ATV3 -> Optical -> Sony STRDE945 using Dr Who 'The Day of the Doctor' and a Panasonic TV that can handle only 2-channel.

Cloud version + DD Setting=On -> AFD reports DD 5.1 + TV Sound = No

Cloud version + DD Setting=Off -> AFD reports PCM 48Khz and TV Sound = Yes

Cloud version + DD Setting=Auto -> AFD reports PCM 48Khz and TV Sound = Yes

Local Shared Library version + DD Setting=On -> AFD reports DD 5.1 and TV Sound = No

Local Shared Library version + DD Setting=Off -> AFD reports PCM 48Khz and TV Sound = Yes

Local Shared Library version + DD Setting=Auto -> AFD reports PCM 48Khz and TV Sound = Yes

HDMI and Optical output the same format, and there is no independent conversion based on the destination capabilities on ATV3.

HDMI 2.0 is supposed to negotiate sound and video between source and destination independently, if more than one connection path exists.

Optical does not have the bandwidth for Dolby True HD/DTS MA HD/Dolby ATMOS, etc.

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Answer 6

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 7:45 PM in response to Loner T

I'm not sure what you want to tell me we that :-(

Anyway:

Disconnecting the HDMI cable between the TV and Sony to avoid any loops - sound from ATV is still played on the Sony system.

Disconnecting optical cable between ATV and Sony - no sound.

So from my understanding sound is definitely provided via the optical connection.

Is there any way to "load" a video directly in the ATV to avoid the home sharing part?

I reckon Youtube and the other channels do not necessarily support Dolby so I would like to "load" my test file in the ATV.

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Answer 7

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2014 8:06 PM in response to hobro19

hobro19 wrote:

Question:

Does ATV3 with home sharing support Dolby / surround sound at all?

Yes, it does. That was the reason for posting my test results. The iTunes Local shared library version will stream DD 5.1 via ATV3, if Dolby Digital is set to On. The downstream equipment should decode the format.

hobro19 wrote:

If so - how do I get that running in that configuration or what do I have to change?

Set Dolby Digital to 'on' on the ATV3 and connect to the Sony decoder. Caveat, the ATV3 HDMI connection will also output DD 5.1 which apparently the Samsung TV cannot handle.

Also see this from Dec 2013 - http://www.cnet.com/news/20-tvs-tested-which-sets-can-pass-surround-sound-to-a-s ound-bar/

There is no way to 'load' a video, Streaming is the only method for ATV2/3, but ATV1 is a different animal altogether.

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Answer 8

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 8:16 PM in response to Loner T

First: Thanks for your help and patience :-)

So even the ATV is directly connected to the Sony via Optical connection, you think that the HDMI connection to the Samsung TV interferes and avoids the correct playing of surround sound on the Sony?

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Answer 9

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2014 8:37 PM in response to hobro19

What I am suggesting is that BOTH Optical and HDMI are controlled by a single setting on the ATV3. If it is DD = On, then both HDMI and Sony will get DD 5.1, but if the TV cannot handle, it may not play any sound, but external speakers connected to the Sony Receiver should play full DD.

If you connect the Samsung HDMI ARC back to the Sony, you have two audio sources, the Optical direct from ATV3 (which is passing DD 5.1) to the Sony and the DD 5.1 to Samsung ( which discards it).

On the Sony, if your input source is HDMI, there will be no sound at all.

If the input source on the Sony is Optical it should play DD5.1 on external speakers, and the Samsung will be silent, because it cannot decode DD5.1 and it will not pass DD 5.1 back to Sony over the HDMI ARC.

If your Sony has HDMI pass through, a better connection is

ATV3 -> HDMI -> Sony (set DD=on on ATV3).

Samsung ARC HDMI -> Sony

Programs on TV in DD5.1 will be passed from the TV Tuner in DD 5.1 to the Sony.

You will get multichannel when the source is multichannel, but Samsung TV speakers are of little use in such a connection.

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Answer 10

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 9:39 PM in response to Loner T

What I am suggesting is that BOTH Optical and HDMI are controlled by a single setting on the ATV3. If it is DD = On, then both HDMI and Sony will get DD 5.1, but if the TV cannot handle, it may not play any sound, but external speakers connected to the Sony Receiver should play full DD.

That's what I thought as well, but if DD = On, there is no sound at all (not on Samsung TV (which makes sense) nor on Sony system)

If the input source on the Sony is Optical it should play DD5.1 on external speakers, and the Samsung will be silent, because it cannot decode DD5.1 and it will not pass DD 5.1 back to Sony over the HDMI ARC.

At the Sony the input source is definitely optical (I get sound on the Sony, when I unplug the optical cable then there is no sound)

ATV3 -> HDMI -> Sony (set DD=on on ATV3).

Samsung ARC HDMI -> Sony

That's what I have + Optical cable ATV to Sony (The Sony has only one HDMI out btw.)

You will get multichannel when the source is multichannel, but Samsung TV speakers are of little use in such a connection.

I don't care about the TV speakers - Both devices use Anynet+, when I switch on the TV, the Sony switches on as well - sound goes always through the Sony sound system.

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Answer 11

hobro19 Author

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Aug 1, 2014 10:04 PM in response to hobro19

I think I got it :-)

ATV = DD has to be ON

Sony = ARC has to be OFF

That forces to play the sound from ATV via Optical connection to Sony

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Answer 12

Loner T

Level 9

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Aug 2, 2014 5:15 AM in response to hobro19

What are the model numbers of the Sony and Samsung?

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Answer 13

hobro19 Author

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Aug 2, 2014 1:39 PM in response to Loner T

Sony BDV-E970W

Samsung UA55F6400

Note: with the configuration above I don't get sound from the TV anymore. Which I don't really care about because we get TV channels via satellite and I connected the satellite receiver with audio cables to the Sony. So if I want to watch TV with surround sound I just switch the input source at the Sony. Not ideal but it works.

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