2021 new gen Apple tv 4k Dolby Atmos Problems

[Robert D]

The Stand has been good so far. I watched The first 3 episodes. It got bad reviews, but I think its ok. I think many of the bad reviews are because the critics feel like the series departs too much from the King novel. I've not read the book myself, so it doesn't bother me.

 

[user 49813]

Watched a bit of Netflix w/Atmos since the tvOS 15 native player is being used. My limited experience is that the problem is slightly better (frequency of occurrence) but obviously still present.

On another note, I stumbled onto an article finally complaining about "the issue": I'm ditching my Apple TV for Roku — here's why

 

[ttocs]

I bought a new cable, a RUIPRO 8K HDMI Fiber Optic Cable CL2 Rated 33 Feet 48Gbps 8K60Hz 4K120Hz Dynamic HDR eARC HDCP2.2/2.3. It's an active cable, but works with or without power injected. I need the longer length so I can move my components to another location.

I've been trying to go through the many posts looking for cable length everyone is using, but not finding much. The the last couple years my cables have been Zeskit 1 Meter cable from ATV4K to processor, and Zeskit 4.5 Meter from processor to tv. Now it's the same Zeskit 1 Meter cable from ATV4K to processor, and the new 10 Meter fiber HDMI cable from processor to tv.

The picture has improved. It's not a small improvement. It's most noticeable with graphics onscreen that used to have artifacts within them but now are absolutely free of artifact. As such, the contrast is better, and the programs from the TiVo, which are not 4K, are sharper.

I only had the one instance of audio dropout with NETFLIX before the new cable. I'll try to watch lots of NETFLIX to see what happens now.

Please list the cable lengths you are using and if they are copper or fiber, and passive or active.

 

[IraG]

The ATV4K Atmos issue made it to the big time!!! Posted today there is a small feature on the MacRumors home page, thanks to the efforts of some posters on the Apple support site. Perhaps the exposure will help motivate Apple to address the issue, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[user 49813]

The ATV4K Atmos issue made it to the big time!!! Posted today there is a small feature on the MacRumors home page, thanks to the efforts of some posters on the Apple support site. Perhaps the exposure will help motivate Apple to address the issue, but I won't hold my breath.

Thanks for bringing to our attention.

Here is the link to the article for anyone interested:
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/05/06/apple-tv-dolby-atmos-audio-issues/
Glad to see this getting some exposure. Maybe Apple is getting ready for a fix and is "allowing" articles about this to finally go to print (half kidding).

 

[Robert D]

The ATV4K Atmos issue made it to the big time!!! Posted today there is a small feature on the MacRumors home page, thanks to the efforts of some posters on the Apple support site. Perhaps the exposure will help motivate Apple to address the issue, but I won't hold my breath.

Well, thats good news. Maybe they have seen this thread too? Im not a member over there. It would be good if someone brought their attention to this thread. We might have some good info here too.

 

[Robert D]

Well, thats good news. Maybe they have seen this thread too? Im not a member over there. It would be good if someone brought their attention to this thread. We might have some good info here too.

" A cluster of Apple TV owners over the last several months have been complaining about several issues when using external speakers with the ‌Apple TV‌ and attempting to listen to Dolby Atmos audio. "

LOL, the problem has been there since day one it was released last spring. I called Apple and told them back last summer and they were aware of it then.

This guy had problems with his gen 1 too!

"Same here with a first generation apple tv 4k and original stereo paired homepods as its default audio output. Turning atmos off in the apple tv settings solves everything.

In my case is not just audio cutting out/being choppy, but occasional volume fluctuations while watching content.

Turning Atmos not only fixe every audio issue for Atmos content, but for 5.1 content as well. "

Seems some people are even having problems with dolby 5.1. Sad.

Some good comments in there.

 

[Robert D]

Wow, look at this. This guy buys Atmos movies on Apple and then Apple removed the Atmos track from it later on and now there is no Atmos on the movie. No refund offered. Glad I dont buy my movies on Apple. Ive been using Amazon and they have Atmos.

"

[IMG alt="Biglethal69"]https://forums.macrumors.com/data/avatars/m/1166/1166992.jpg?1550818898[/IMG]
Biglethal69
macrumors regular

• Today at 4:08 PM
• #101

One of the biggest things is I only buy movies with atmos when on sale now Apple are removing the atmos from the movies I have 10 movies that no longer have Atmos. If you buy it with it it should stay with it or refund my money Apple. Talked to a senior advisor he tried to tell me that they didn’t have Atmos to start with. Funny how I was able to show him screen shots. He had nothing to say then.
Ripped of by a trillion dollar company again."

 

[Robert D]

LOL. This article from Friday says this:

" Because of this, many Apple TV users decided to fix the problem themselves. Most of them claimed that they were able to fix the audio bug after changing the sound settings and disabling Dolby Atmos. "

So just turn off the Atmos and forget about ever having it on there, man why didnt I think of that!?

How To Fix Dolby Atmos Audio Issue? Apple TV Users Still Affected—Is There an Official Solution? | Tech Times

At least it is getting more press now. Hopefully they will get more pressure to solve the problem, especially if the public hears this and sales of the device drop. One can only hope.

 

[user 49813]

Well, thats good news. Maybe they have seen this thread too? Im not a member over there. It would be good if someone brought their attention to this thread. We might have some good info here too.

I noticed someone linked back to this thread. Assuming it was someone here. I signed up just to comment. There are some really stupid things being said over there lol:

“Another thing is that just because your receiver has Dolby atmos labeled all over it, does not mean your speakers are Dolby atmos capable, just watch out for these small things and you will have zero problems!”

jfc!

 

[Robert D]

Anyone else notice that many apps like FX and AMC only put out a stereo signal? I have my receiver mix it into Atmos but it doesn't really sound right. It's OK. You'd think that they could at least have a 5.1 dolby signal.

 

[user 49813]

Anyone else notice that many apps like FX and AMC only put out a stereo signal? I have my receiver mix it into Atmos but it doesn't really sound right. It's OK. You'd think that they could at least have a 5.1 dolby signal.

Yeah, it is annoying. Have a few apps that only do 2.0, like the PBS app. I almost subscribed to AMC+ or whatever its called for the new season of Better Call Saul, but apparently there are tons of issues with the app (according to App Store reviews). Thankfully, I realized one of my Plex friends gets it, so I get 5.1 and no crappy app!

 

[Robert D]

Yeah, it is annoying. Have a few apps that only do 2.0, like the PBS app. I almost subscribed to AMC+ or whatever its called for the new season of Better Call Saul, but apparently there are tons of issues with the app (according to App Store reviews). Thankfully, I realized one of my Plex friends gets it, so I get 5.1 and no crappy app!

Ok, so you answered one of my questions! I didn't know if AMC + has 5.1 or greater. We dont have it, I'm too cheap and we just watch the commercials. Does it have any Atmos? Paramount + does but I've not watched any yet.

Oh, we haven't started the last season of Saul yet. I checked the app yesterday and see that each episode has a deadline for when it's going away! So we better start soon. Fear the Walking Dead does not. I've not seen deadlines that before on AMC and it's within the next couple of weeks!

 

[user 49813]

Ok, so you answered one of my questions! I didn't know if AMC + has 5.1 or greater. We dont have it, I'm too cheap and we just watch the commercials. Does it have any Atmos? Paramount + does but I've not watched any yet.

Oh, we haven't started the last season of Saul yet. I checked the app yesterday and see that each episode has a deadline for when it's going away! So we better start soon. Fear the Walking Dead does not. I've not seen deadlines that before on AMC and it's within the next couple of weeks!

That’s a pretty crappy way to run a streaming service. I recall something like that from a few years back (deadlines). Funny thing is, if those app reviews were better and didn’t allude to crappy business practices, I would have subscribed without a second thought. Instead, I’ve found “alternate means” to achieve my goal. I suspect the pendulum is going to swing back in that direction for many as streaming services start to abuse their customers. As an example, I started watching the new Bosch spinoff on Prime. But it’s not really Prime, it’s FreeVee (formerly IMDbTV) which is ad supported. So is Amazon going to start delivering new original content via ad supported channels? I suspect this is some sort of experiment to gauge viability. Granted, the ads are pretty short and there are not many, but we all know how long that will last. Plus, it’s the principle of the thing.

 

[Robert D]

I have our dvr set to record the AMC show and could watch it all on there, fast forward through ads. I don't watch that though because the picture sucks compared to streaming. Steaming with the Apple it Upscale it to dolby vision, and the cable is stuck at 1080p Upscale to 4k by the TV. No comparison. The sound though on cable is 5.1! It doesn't seem to be as clear and seems less "high res". So I stream.

 

[IraG]

I sent an email to Ara Derderian, cohost of “HT Guys”, one of the few podcasts I listen to. I remembered that last year Ara said he was going to upgrade his ATV4K’s to the just released Gen 2. So, I thought I would ask Ara if he had experienced the Atmos problem. Ara replied to my email and said that he had never noticed any issues with ATMOS. He then tried Drive to Survive, which I had said was the most problematic for me, always cutting out within the first 10 minutes. Well, within 10 minutes, Ara said he heard the Atmos problems I was talking about.

Ara also noticed something significant, which I will save for a future post. This post was mostly to share that Ara said that they will discuss my email on the podcast and see if other listeners have any thoughts on the subject. So, I recommend you check out the next "HT Guys" podcast.

 

[Robert D]

I sent an email to Ara Derderian, cohost of “HT Guys”, one of the few podcasts I listen to. I remembered that last year Ara said he was going to upgrade his ATV4K’s to the just released Gen 2. So, I thought I would ask Ara if he had experienced the Atmos problem. Ara replied to my email and said that he had never noticed any issues with ATMOS. He then tried Drive to Survive, which I had said was the most problematic for me, always cutting out within the first 10 minutes. Well, within 10 minutes, Ara said he heard the Atmos problems I was talking about.

Ara also noticed something significant, which I will save for a future post. This post was mostly to share that Ara said that they will discuss my email on the podcast and see if other listeners have any thoughts on the subject. So, you may want to check out their next podcast.

That's great. The more this is discussed, the better.

 

[user 49813]

He then tried Drive to Survive, which I had said was the most problematic for me, always cutting out within the first 10 minutes. Well, within 10 minutes, Ara said he heard the Atmos problems I was talking about.

That's great! Well, I mean it sucks, but love the exposure.

Ara also noticed something significant, which I will save for a future post.

Don't leave us hanging! lol

 

[IraG]

See how long it takes for the 1st episode of 'Drive to Survive' on Netflix for the Atmos to start dropping out. I always suspected that the stream's characteristics were a factor, and that show always starts dropping out within about a minute for me.

I believe that shows with a more active Atmos track are more prone to the Atmos dropouts. Higher bandwidth video streams may also contribute to the problem. This goes beyond just whether or not the material is in 4K and DV, but also how much detail and motion are in the video. This can also vary between different streaming providers, as they can vary the bandwidth based on network conditions and their target compression rates.

Tying that into my belief that the problem is timing or other errors in the creation of the MAT 2.0 Atmos metadata, it would make sense that a busier Atmos track should experience more frequent Atmos issues. All speculation, but my best guess why some shows seem more prone to the Atmos problem than others, at least in my experience.

Ara noticed that Drive to Survive was 50Hz. I had to go into my Denon app to confirm, as there is no display of the video frame rate on my Denon AVR or Sony TV. I had been speculating that a busier Atmos track and higher bandwidth video were factors in the Atmos dropouts, and the reason I have found Drive to Survive to be a most problematic program, but now we have proof.

As further proof, I performed an experiment setting my ATV4K to 1080p with DV, with both match Frame Rate and Dynamic Range ON. I played an entire episode of Drive to Survive at 1080p 50Hz and the Atmos was flawless. This proves that higher B/W video, independent of Frame Rate, is the catalyst for the Atmos problem. This isn’t much of a surprise, except when you consider that the faster ATV4K Gen 2 is supposed to support 4K video at up to 120Hz due to having HDMI 2.1, an upgrade over the Gen 1 with HDMI 2.0. We also know that DV is not a factor, as Drive to Survive is not available to stream in DV. It is video bandwidth alone -- not Frame Rate or DV.

The next experiment I will perform is to see if Drive to Survive plays Atmos perfectly in 4K on my ATV4k Gen 1. I have never had an Atmos issue on the Gen 1, but I never tested it with 4K at 50Hz.

Knowing the Atmos problem is related to high bandwidth video doesn't help us solve the problem, but lowering the resolution to 1080p is a viable workaround for those that prefer Atmos over 4K. We don't know if the Atmos dropouts are caused by a hardware issue in the Gen 2 units, but it should be possible to significantly mitigate the problem in software based on my tvOS 14.x experience. It is all up to Apple and whether or not they care to do anything about the problem. At this point, it doesn't seem they do.

 

[user 49813]

Ara noticed that Drive to Survive was 50Hz. I had to go into my Denon app to confirm, as there is no display of the video frame rate on my Denon AVR or Sony TV. I had been speculating that a busier Atmos track and higher bandwidth video were a factor in the Atmos dropouts, and the reason I have found Drive to Survive to be a most problematic program, but now we have proof.

As further proof, I ran the experiment of setting my ATV4K to 1080p with DV, with both match Frame Rate and Dynamic Range ON. I played an entire episode of Drive to Survive at 1080p 50Hz and the Atmos was flawless. This proves that higher B/W video, independent of Frame Rate, is the catalyst for the Atmos problem. This isn’t much of a surprise, except when you consider that the faster ATV4K Gen 2 is supposed to support 4K video at up to 120Hz due to having HDMI 2.1, an upgrade over the Gen 1 with HDMI 2.0. We also know that DV is not a factor, as Drive to Survive is not available to stream in DV. It is video bandwidth alone -- not Frame Rate or DV.

The next experiment I will perform is to see if Drive to Survive plays Atmos perfectly in 4K on my ATV4k Gen 1. I have never had an Atmos issue on the Gen 1, but I never tested it with 4K at 50Hz.

Knowing the Atmos problem is related to high bandwidth video doesn't help us solve the problem, but lowering the resolution to 1080p is a viable workaround for those that prefer Atmos over 4K. We don't know if the Atmos dropouts are caused by a hardware issue in the Gen 2 units, but it should at least be possible to significantly mitigate the problem in software based on my tvOS 14.x experience. It is all up to Apple and whether or not they care to do anything about the problem. At this point, it doesn't seem they do.

Interesting. I think I recall also changing resolution and having the issue disappear.

I'm still hanging on to a sliver of hope that it gets resolved in tvOS 16 with the assumption that the issue is deeply ingrained into the OS, and the fix would require multiple sprints to resolve making it a candidate for a major release rather than a minor one. But the discrepancy between the different hardware versions is just so weird.

eta: I recall having issues with 50Hz content in the past. I think I currently have Match Frame Rate disabled and let my TV handle it. I get weird lip sync issues with it on and have to manually set to 211ms; auto lip sync on my AVR doesn't seem to resolve. Likely a totally different issue, but I've always wondered about the correlation to the MAT 2.0 timing and this. I recall someone posting about some MAT 2.0 timing threshold or something that was 250ms.