Apple tv4 7.1 surround not workin

Unfortunately, it is up to the OS to detect the AC-3 (or EC-3) track and substitute for the AAC stereo track whenever possible. AFAIK, there is no way for media producers to "force a default" on our end, so we're at Apple's mercy to provide a quick and reliable update to solve the problem... The Apple TV 2 and 3 models were pretty rock solid on delivery AC-3, so I'm confident they'll get there. How soon, though, likely depends on the amount of user feedback they receive regarding the issue.

Why not give the tvOS a hand here. If you have the inclination and time, try the following. Use an app like Subler to reset or re-mux a modified copy of the original file with the enabled AAC track disabled and the disabled AC3 5.1 track enabled. Not sure what Subler is doing here since the QT 7 Pro "Properties" window still insists the enable/disable settings are unchanged, but your modified file should now automatically default to the AC3 track when opened in the TV4 "Computers" app player and automatically play correctly if you are in the "Dolby Surround" mode. In addition, the files continue to open and play correctly on TV2 and TV3 using the AC3 5.1 track and QT 7 and IOS mobile devices continue to open using the AAC track while apps like QTX and VLC open with the AC3 track selected but only play 5.1 audio if you have a decoder connected to your computer. It you want to hide the AAC track from your TV4, you can also try the "Fallback" option setting to designate the AAC track as "fallback" for the AC3 track. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to test this latter modification in all other players yet as I am running about 4,000 files behind in "proofing" my library conversions with more media scheduled to arrive today in the mail.

Yes, that would be fun! Perhaps after the dust settles a bit...

Will be looking forward to it...

E-AC-3 is a superset of AC-3. You can encode 1-15 channels. Given an E-AC-3 object how would you get it into the ATV4? Or is there an app for that?

Yes, I did research the extended capabilities/features of the format but not its technical encoding specification differences with standard AC3/A52. Wanted to create and test some 7.1 file content but find none of my current Mac apps can do this. Can you recommend one?

I don't quite follow the discussions above, but would you agree that changing the setting to Dolby surround at least sends the correct Dolby Digital 5.1 signal to the receiver?

Yes, if you are actually playing DD5.1 track content. It works fine for me but many users still insist theirs isn't working. I suspect that, in many if not most cases, the problem is related to the user's "track selection" for the file being played. Unlike older models, the current TV4 appears to unconditionally reset the track selection each time a file is closed and opened. This means that if your file is encoded with more than one audio track, the primary enabled audio track is automatically reset as the "default" audio track each time the file is opened. For those of us using H.264/AAC/AC3/Chapter M4V or MOV files, this means a file will reset to AAC stereo each time the file is opened (if it is not manually recoded to open the AC3 track by the user) and an AAC track playing back in the "Dolby Surround" mode produces anomalous "pseudo-AC3" AVR indications for most users—e.g., the AVR indicates it is playing DD5.1 content but only the FL/FR speakers may actually be playing.

A majority of my rips are done with a 5.1 AAC track and a 5.1 DD track. With the ATV4 set to "Auto", the 5.1 AAC is arriving at my receiver as 2.0 stereo wrapped in 7.1 PCM.

So, the ATV4 seems unable to properly decode 5.1 AAC. (The ATV3 couldn't, either). It seems like it should, though, given its ability to output multichannel PCM. For what it's worth, my Sony Blu-ray player does exactly that - decodes 5.1 AAC and outputs 5.1 PCM.

Jon Walker wrote:

Since I'm not involved with either DD+ 7.1 or "pseudo-AC3" workflows, I have nothing more of value to add—something I'm sure will please at least one other contributor to this forum topic.

...I don't use such content myself and hope/assume you will then be updating your app to include a 7.1 audio test routines for the TV4. Best of luck.

Oh well...

Discoslap wrote:

Have you tried Terminator Genysi, also you should be getting dolby digital PLUS when playing 5.1 content so it doesnt have to be a 7.1 movie.

The new apple TV should be playing 5.1 dolby digital PLUS which is a higher res codec then just plain dolby digital.

Most Netflix movies are Dolby Digital Plus. It won't work regardless as we will have to wait for a firmware update.

I already returned my 2nd unit as Apple suggested i buy another one just in case it was device specific. Well I guess I have to run around trouble shooting when it just Apples crappy streaming device. I have been waiting for this thing just for the Dolby Digital PLUS codec and what a waste.

Any AV person here understands this, the 5.1 content can be matrixed to 7.1 and still be in Dolby Digital Plus so instead of searching for 7.1 just keep an eye out for the PLUS symbol on your receiver that you will never GET!

I am solely interested in getting DD+ 7.1 to function, but I understand and agree with what you are saying. I have no problems with DD5.1 and I dont care about DD+5.1 (which as you say is not working for me either). I've been in this game a while - head over to avsforum and look up my home theater build from many years ago - same user name.

Anyway, I am interested in files I can confirm are properly E-AC3 encoded, which I cant do with Netflix. I will need to buy a terrible movie to test Terminator Genysis via MediaInfo or some other tool and I dont want to do that.

There's 2 issues going here. The first is the difference between PCM (Auto Setting) and DD/DD+ (Dolby Digital Setting). The second is having Apple TV select the surround track vs. the AAC 2.0 track in ripped media added to iTunes.

Regarding the first issue. It boils down to where the decoding of the audio track is being doing. If it is being done on the Apple TV using the Auto Setting then it send PCM to the receiver which is actually better quality than DD/DD+. Most people only feel the warm and fuzzies when the DD light goes on on their receiver but PCM is arguably better. On the other hand by using the Dolby Digital Setting Apple TV does NOT decode the audio and just passes the AC3 stream off to the receiver to decode if there is one. If there isn't one Apple TV encodes the stream there is into DD and sends it off to the receiver to decode. In either case the DD light goes on (even of there's only 2 channels) and people think they're getting better audio, but not really. Realistically speaking though most people probably can't hear the difference. Is Apple wrong? Is this behavior a bug? Not really but it is also not what is expected as most other consumer electronic devices don't behave this way.

Regarding the second issue. Almost all the conversion software people use to rip personal media to iTunes includes 2 tracks. An AAC 2.0 track for iDevices and a AC3 DD 5.1 track. For media purchased from iTunes internal "flags" are set so that Apple TV picks up the 5.1 track put iDevices play the 2.0 track. Most of this conversion software used (Handbrake etc.) does set not the "flags" in their output file. Apple TV and iDevices will both play the first audio track by default if there are no flags. Again, is Apple wrong? Is this a bug? On the one hand Apple TV and iDevices chose the correct audio track on iTunes purchased content. It's "home made" content that has the problem. One could argue that Apple should, in the absence of the proper flags, not default to the first track but to pick the "best" track (read 5.1 for AppleTV) for the device doing the playback. This can be fixed using Subler on Mac or MP4Box GUI on Windows but beware you may lose your meta data and adding the meta data back in after fixing the file my unfix the file.

Discoslap wrote:

Have you tried Terminator Genysi, also you should be getting dolby digital PLUS when playing 5.1 content so it doesnt have to be a 7.1 movie.

The new apple TV should be playing 5.1 dolby digital PLUS which is a higher res codec then just plain dolby digital.

Most Netflix movies are Dolby Digital Plus. It won't work regardless as we will have to wait for a firmware update.

I already returned my 2nd unit as Apple suggested i buy another one just in case it was device specific. Well I guess I have to run around trouble shooting when it just Apples crappy streaming device. I have been waiting for this thing just for the Dolby Digital PLUS codec and what a waste.

Any AV person here understands this, the 5.1 content can be matrixed to 7.1 and still be in Dolby Digital Plus so instead of searching for 7.1 just keep an eye out for the PLUS symbol on your receiver that you will never GET!

I am solely interested in getting DD+ 7.1 to function, but I understand and agree with what you are saying. I have no problems with DD5.1 and I dont care about DD+5.1 (which as you say is not working for me either). I've been in this game a while - head over to avsforum and look up my home theater build from many years ago - same user name.

Anyway, I am interested in files I can confirm are properly E-AC3 encoded, which I cant do with Netflix. I will need to buy a terrible movie to test Terminator Genysis via MediaInfo or some other tool and I dont want to do that.

I would like someone to point to a file they are sending to ATV4 that is proven to be E-AC3 7.1 (using mediaInfo or something similar)> Bottom line is those of us with 7.1 systems get nothing out of the rear channels regardless what is thrown at the ATV4 and AVR...b

If you have followed this thread all the way through you know we have covered every technical variation and detail, bu nobody has shown a file that is guaranteed to be E-AC3 7.1 encoded. iTunes has Terminator Genysis, but that hasn't passed the media sniffer test, Handbrake can't output a DD+ 7.1 file, I just tried a .mkv Dolby test file through the Plex app and even Plex says it's E-AC3 5.1. The source files can be found here:

http://www.demo-world.eu/2d-demo-trailers-hd/

Nobody can prove that Netflix is actually streaming 7.1....

So how do we really test the DD+7.1?????

Again, we have covered a lot of ground here so be sure you're up to speed before jumping in.

Agreed Disco. It just doesn't work properly. I've been messing around with A/V for a long time. Receivers, speakers, Apple TV's, Macs, etc. I never get Dolby Digital + no matter what settings I use. Have my old ATV3 plugged in currently. Everything working as expected. Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital +, etc. all working properly depending on the source be it my own music or movie files, Netflix, HBO Go, etc. I'm with you.

I know. Plug your ATV3 back in. I had to. I got too frustrated. I'm waiting to see a software fix in an update or something. I really doubt the way it's "working" on the ATV4 is by design. ***** because I like the ATV4 and it has a lot of promise. I got the new one to continue to use it as I did the ATV3 (which obviously isn't working for us) and the faster processing, faster WIFI, new apps, new remote, etc. The audio issue is the only thing keeping me from using it but for me (audio/video junkie), it's a showstopper.

We'll see what pans out.

Just curious - my ATV5 handles DD5.1 fine, what does going back to ATV3 get you, unless your ATV4 didn't handle DD5.1 for some reason?

The comment about people calling in to support made me laugh....