2021 new gen Apple tv 4k Dolby Atmos Problems

[IraG]

I didn't say that the Atmos glitches and dropouts don't or can't also happen with Atmos music playback. I haven't listened to Atmos music enough to say one way or the other. But that other thread is about the audio delay or dropout in the AVR as it resyncs (and blanks the speakers to avoid loud pops) between Atmos and non-Atmos tracks, destroying the gapless music playback. That other tread is describing a completely expected behavior of an AVR when switching between Atmos and non-Atmos tracks, which is a different issue from the topic of this thread.

 

[user 49813]

Received Apple support response today:

"Good day,
If the behavior persists, we’ll then need to rule out the Maranatz receiver. To do so, ypu'll (sic) need to test the Apple TV 4k with that known good cable that was purchased on a known good Receiver or TV (at a friend or family members house, or at an ARS/AASP)."

Man, they really want to make this not their problem. Glad I didn't sell the Onkyo w/Atmos! Pretty sure I've already done this, but who can remember at this point. Will keep the thread updated.

 

[IraG]

Received Apple support response today:

"Good day,
If the behavior persists, we’ll then need to rule out the Maranatz receiver. To do so, ypu'll (sic) need to test the Apple TV 4k with that known good cable that was purchased on a known good Receiver or TV (at a friend or family members house, or at an ARS/AASP)."

Man, they really want to make this not their problem. Glad I didn't sell the Onkyo w/Atmos! Pretty sure I've already done this, but who can remember at this point. Will keep the thread updated.

I wasn't going to reply to this, but if I had pursued this beyond trying a replacement unit, I would likely be in the same position that you are in. They are having you try the next logical troubleshooting step, but they should already have this data point from other Atmos support tickets, or a Google search.

The fact that I have no issue with my Gen 1 unit (on tvOS 15.2), and that "upgrading" tvOS from 14.7 to 15.2 on my Gen 2 unit made the problem far worse, should rule out the HDMI cable and receiver. Did you give Apple links to this and that other forum thread I linked to show them that many others with various hardware configurations have this same problem?

I too would like my Gen 2 unit fixed, but for now I am using other DV/Atmos streaming options. In any case, I suggest that you continue to jump through Apple's hoops, as it should lead them to the conclusion that the problem is endemic to the ATV4k Gen 2.

 

[Robert D]

Received Apple support response today:

"Good day,
If the behavior persists, we’ll then need to rule out the Maranatz receiver. To do so, ypu'll (sic) need to test the Apple TV 4k with that known good cable that was purchased on a known good Receiver or TV (at a friend or family members house, or at an ARS/AASP)."

Man, they really want to make this not their problem. Glad I didn't sell the Onkyo w/Atmos! Pretty sure I've already done this, but who can remember at this point. Will keep the thread updated.

Yeah, it's bullshit. They really don't want to deal with it. Surprised that such a successful company would be like that.
I've had the experience where no other device has trouble streaming Atmos movies. It's only the Apple, and that's on the very sane receiver.

 

[Robert D]

I wasn't going to reply to this, but if I had pursued this beyond trying a replacement unit, I would likely be in the same position that you are in. They are having you try the next logical troubleshooting step, but they should already have this data point from other Atmos support tickets, or a Google search.

The fact that I have no issue with my Gen 1 unit (on tvOS 15.2), and that "upgrading" tvOS from 14.7 to 15.2 on my Gen 2 unit made the problem far worse, should rule out the HDMI cable and receiver. Did you give Apple links to this and that other forum thread I linked to show them that many others with various hardware configurations have this same problem?

I too would like my Gen 2 unit fixed, but for now I am using other DV/Atmos streaming options. In any case, I suggest that you continue to jump through Apple's hoops, as it should lead them to the conclusion that the problem is endemic to the ATV4k Gen 2.

I'm just lucky I didn't update to the newer OS. Mine is streaming fine almost all of the time. One thing that makes the problem not real frequent for me is the fact that the majority of what we watch is in dolby 5.1

I will be watching more of The Witcher tonight on the 2nd gen Apple. The first episode had no issues.

 

[IraG]

Yeah, it's bullshit. They really don't want to deal with it. Surprised that such a successful company would be like that.
I've had the experience where no other device has trouble streaming Atmos movies. It's only the Apple, and that's on the very sane receiver.

You are lucky. All the ATV4k Atmos problems drove my poor Denon receiver insane.

 

[Robert D]

You are lucky. All the ATV4k Atmos problems drove my poor Denon receiver insane.

Well, watching The Witcher episode 3 the sound just glitched out for about 3 seconds and then came back on. I heard a few faint popping noises too.

 

[Nuri58]

Yeah, it's bullshit. They really don't want to deal with it. Surprised that such a successful company would be like that.
I've had the experience where no other device has trouble streaming Atmos movies. It's only the Apple, and that's on the very sane receiver.

No mind you Apple's profit is so low that the have to prioritise their support resources

 

[Robert D]

No mind you Apple's profit is so low that the have to prioritise their support resources

Maybe they can blame it on covid.

 

[IEnjoyOLED]

Some scattered reports on AVS forum that beta 15.3 addressed some audio dropout issues. Let’s hope that all of the audio issues are resolved.

 

[user 49813]

Some scattered reports on AVS forum that beta 15.3 addressed some audio dropout issues. Let’s hope that all of the audio issues are resolved.

That's great to hear. Also, reporting that I heard crackling on AppleTV+ while watching some previews. Was not as bad as Netflix, and recovered quickly, but it was definitely there.

 

[user 49813]

Some scattered reports on AVS forum that beta 15.3 addressed some audio dropout issues. Let’s hope that all of the audio issues are resolved.

So, I signed up for the public betas today and installed 15.3. So far so good! Watched various content (mostly Netflix) and no issues yet! My volume issue (3-4dB jumps instead of the 0.5dB increments) also seems fixed! I’m a happy camper so far. I would imagine the final release drops soon.

Also, on a side note, I’ve always eschewed any of the dynamic volume modes (not DEQ) on my Marantz, but came across some recommendations to try the “light” mode. I have to say it really helps with dialogue in movies and recommend giving it a shot.

Edit: spoke too soon. Had a 5sec dropout upon unpausing a movie. Damn it.

 

[Robert D]

That's great to hear. Also, reporting that I heard crackling on AppleTV+ while watching some previews. Was not as bad as Netflix, and recovered quickly, but it was definitely there.

That's been my experience, mostly crackling sound. I did have sound drop out once recently on For All Mankind. Earlier this year during the summer I had spent dropping just about as much on Apple tv + as I did on Netflix. It's better now.

 

[Robert D]

So, I signed up for the public betas today and installed 15.3. So far so good! Watched various content (mostly Netflix) and no issues yet! My volume issue (3-4dB jumps instead of the 0.5dB increments) also seems fixed! I’m a happy camper so far. I would imagine the final release drops soon.

Also, on a side note, I’ve always eschewed any of the dynamic volume modes (not DEQ) on my Marantz, but came across some recommendations to try the “light” mode. I have to say it really helps with dialogue in movies and recommend giving it a shot.

Edit: spoke too soon. Had a 5sec dropout upon unpausing a movie. Damn it.

I lost faith. You brought it back for a minute there.

 

[user 49813]

I lost faith. You brought it back for a minute there.

Yep, jinxed myself. I was happy there for a short bit.
I will say though that my volume issue still has not returned, so I guess there’s that

 

[Robert D]

Yep, jinxed myself. I was happy there for a short bit.
I will say though that my volume issue still has not returned, so I guess there’s that

I'm holding strong on using the old OS and apps for now. I've been able to watch the 1st 4 episodes of The Witcher with just one drop out and a few sequences of light crackling.

I have a habit of pausing the shows every so often to go to the bathroom or grab some food/drink. I wonder if somehow that helps the problem? Maybe it helps stream without issues. I know that, if a show drops out audio, when i hit pause and then play again the audio is normal.

I haven't changed the way i watch and the problem somehow got better when I got a new box. I've always paused the show to do things like get food, at least 1x in a 50 min show. So that didn't change when I got the new box.

Just throwing out the idea that maybe if you watch a show all the way through without pausing, that you'll have a higher chance of audio problems.

 

[user 49813]

I'm holding strong on using the old OS and apps for now. I've been able to watch the 1st 4 episodes of The Witcher with just one drop out and a few sequences of light crackling.

I have a habit of pausing the shows every so often to go to the bathroom or grab some food/drink. I wonder if somehow that helps the problem? Maybe it helps stream without issues. I know that, if a show drops out audio, when i hit pause and then play again the audio is normal.

I haven't changed the way i watch and the problem somehow got better when I got a new box. I've always paused the show to do things like get food, at least 1x in a 50 min show. So that didn't change when I got the new box.

Just throwing out the idea that maybe if you watch a show all the way through without pausing, that you'll have a higher chance of audio problems.

Funny you mention this, because I was theorizing that (for 15.3 beta) maybe the problem was only arising after pausing; I had watched over an hour of content without issue, until I paused it and returned. Like maybe they fixed something upon the initial playback, but forgot to apply the fix to unpausing content. Obviously, just speculation, but wanted to test this out a little more tonight. To note: I previously had this issue without regard to pausing, etc.; it happened all the time. But, maybe 15.3 is "better"? Need to play more tonight.

 

[IraG]

I currently have both my Gen 1 and Gen 2 ATV4K units connected to my Denon AVR. The Atmos on the Gen 1 unit works flawlessly on tvOS 15.2.

I installed the latest tvOS 15.3 beta last night on my Gen 2 unit and tried playing a DV/Atmos program. I heard some ticking sounds right at the start, but when I restarted the program, the audio dropped out within a minute and did not recover until I stopped and restarted the stream. My initial opinion is that there is no improvement in 15.3 with respect to the Atmos problem.

Any reports to the contrary may be due to the placebo effect, or a misplaced faith that Apple will fix the problem. With the Apple TV user base being relatively small, and Atmos setups likely comprising only a small fraction of that, I doubt Apple sees this as a problem worth fixing. Without 100% working Atmos, the ATV4K Gen 2 cannot be considered a high end streaming device. If Apple isn't going to fix the problem, they should offer us a refund.

 

[Robert D]

I currently have both my Gen 1 and Gen 2 ATV4K units connected to my Denon AVR. The Atmos on the Gen 1 unit works flawlessly on tvOS 15.2.

I installed the latest tvOS 15.3 beta last night on my Gen 2 unit and tried playing a DV/Atmos program. I heard some ticking sounds right at the start, but when I restarted the program, the audio dropped out within a minute and did not recover until I stopped and restarted the stream. My initial opinion is that there is no improvement in 15.3 with respect to the Atmos problem.

Any reports to the contrary may be due to the placebo effect, or a misplaced faith that Apple will fix the problem. With the Apple TV user base being relatively small, and Atmos setups likely comprising only a small fraction of that, I doubt Apple sees this as a problem worth fixing. Without 100% working Atmos, the ATV4K Gen 2 cannot be considered a high end streaming device. If Apple isn't going to fix the problem, they should offer us a refund.

Im with you 100%. Everything you said is what ive been thinking too.

Im now wondering what streamer is best for doing dolby vision with atoms. I want a unit that works 100% great all of the time and produces high quality sound and picture. Id be willing to pay decent $$ for it too. Some have mentioned the Nvidia Shield. Can I be assured that it doesnt have the problems that the new Apple does?

Crazy how the old gen 1 Apple tv is better than Gen 2. Have any of you called Apple yet to report that the latest update did not fix the problem? I need to but just hate spending all the time calling them and waiting, and then nothing happens because of it. They just blame our receiver or other equipment for the issue. They never take responsibility.

 

[IraG]

Im with you 100%. Everything you said is what ive been thinking too.

Im now wondering what streamer is best for doing dolby vision with atoms. I want a unit that works 100% great all of the time and produces high quality sound and picture. Id be willing to pay decent $$ for it too. Some have mentioned the Nvidia Shield. Can I be assured that it doesnt have the problems that the new Apple does?

Crazy how the old gen 1 Apple tv is better than Gen 2. Have any of you called Apple yet to report that the latest update did not fix the problem? I need to but just hate spending all the time calling them and waiting, and then nothing happens because of it. They just blame our receiver or other equipment for the issue. They never take responsibility.

The latest Roku Ultra and Shield Pro models should be fine for both DV and Atmos. There shouldn't be much difference in image and sound quality. However, I don't believe the Roku will match the frame rate for Netflix or Hulu. The Shield has a "match frame rate (beta)" option you need to select (I believe after starting the stream). Both support bitstreaming, though. I am not crazy about Roku's simplistic interface, but it is rock solid. The Shield TV has the most sophisticated interface, but is not without its quirks.

Why not just get a Gen 1 ATV4K? Amazon has the 32GB version for $154.95 (new). You can use the Gen 2 remote with it. It has seamless frame rate matching, but of course no bitstreaming (which is why we are here).

I believe there is an online option to post feedback on the tvOS 15.3 beta.