Can't control volume

Question

Can't control volume

I've got an Apple TV 4 (tvOS 9.2.1) with a Philips BDM4065UC 40" monitor (not a TV) connected via HDMI. Everything works OK, except that I cannot control the volume with the Apple remote control.

In the volume control settings I can choose between "Auto", "TV via IR" and "Off". Obviously "Off" doesn't work. But neither do the other two.

I have asked Philips support whether the BDM4065UC supports HDMI-CEC, which I understand to be a prerequisite for Apple TV, and I'll report their answer when I get it. However, my understanding is that the options "Auto" and "TV via IR" wouldn't be displayed if HDMI-CEC were not supported for the monitor.

I can't train a new setting because the BDM4065UC doesn't have a remote control to train with.

I have tried using an Apple HDMI cable and the HDMI cable delivered with the BDM4065UC.

Any thoughts?

Steve

Apple TV, tvOS 9.2.1

Posted on Jun 23, 2016 2:45 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 23, 2016 3:35 AM in response to there must be an easier way

I would expect the volume of a computer monitor (if it has speakers) to be controlled from the device that it's connected to. Does the monitor come with a remote control, if not I suspect it won't have the receivers to receive a signal from one.

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Answer 2

Jun 23, 2016 4:57 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I also expected the volume to be controlled from the device (in the case the Apple TV).

No, the monitor has no remote control.

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Answer 3

Jun 23, 2016 5:03 AM in response to there must be an easier way

But your trying to control it from the remote not from the device (Apple TV)

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Answer 4

Jun 23, 2016 5:13 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Doesn't the remote control the Apple TV? The light on the Apple TV certainly flickers whenever I do anything with the remote.

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Answer 5

Jun 23, 2016 5:26 AM in response to there must be an easier way

The volume control part controls the audio device (in your case your monitor) the Apple TV simply sends out a line volume (a fixed volume), if you could control the volume of the signal from the Apple TV you may well blow your speakers (or perhaps just your hearing 😁) when you changed sources.

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Answer 6

Jun 23, 2016 6:13 AM in response to there must be an easier way

As far as I can tell, there is no way to adjust the volume of the audio output by ATV 4. Remember, it's a possibly complex digital steam, and it's transmitted ithout adjustment. It seems to be assumed that there will be a device capable of control by IR. Your computer monitor is meant to interface with a computer, where volume is adjusted via the comouter GUI.

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Answer 7

Jun 23, 2016 6:36 AM in response to Diana.McCall

Diana.McCall wrote:

As far as I can tell, there is no way to adjust the volume of the audio output by ATV 4. Remember, it's a possibly complex digital steam, and it's transmitted ithout adjustment.

I don't believe it would be a complicated matter to have an option to adjust the output from the Apple TV (indeed they've done exactly this before), they simply choose not to for the reasons I've already stated.

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Answer 8

Jul 4, 2016 10:05 AM in response to there must be an easier way

Just to tie up this discussion for any future visitors: the Philips BDM4065UC does not support HDMI-CEC according to Philips support. So you cannot control the volume from the Apple TV.

And since there is no remote for the monitor the only way to adjust the volume is by walking up to the device and fiddling with the strange button on its back. Life is hard as a couch potato :-)

The very helpful people at Portrait Displays Inc., who make the PC software for controlling the BDM4065UC, say it uses the VESA MCCS 2.2 standard (DDC/CI based on I2C), which I guess is an alternative to HDMI-CEC. I briefly pondered writing a tvOS app to use this, but I suspect it isn't possible.

I still don't understand why Apple should decide not to control the output volume in the Apple TV. It seems to me that the proposition of the Apple TV is to have one device and one remote control for everything. They seem to be currently requiring a TV in addition, which I don't get.

Steve

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