Apple TV + KD49XG9005 = Only 2 channel audio

[chwikan]

I have an Apple TV hooked up to HDMI 2 on my KD49XG9005. On HDMI 3 I have a Denon AVR-X1000 receiver.

When I use the Netflix app on the TV I get propper multi channel sound over ARC, Dolby Digital +. But if I use the Netflix app on the Apple TV I only get 2 channel sound over ARC.

It seems like something is not correct between the Apple TV and the TV. The HDMI cable between the two works flawlessly with 4k 50Hz Dolby Vision. The TV says that both the Apple TV and the X1000 are Bravia Sync compatible, and everything else seems to work fine.

Since the X1000 doesn't support 4k I have no other option than to connect it over ARC.

[Peter_S. · Accepted solution]

Hi chwikan,

Can you please try to set the audio format of the Apple TV to Dolby Digital (not DD+) and see if it works?

Cheers

Peter

[royabrown2]

@chwikan 

Which generation of AppleTV?

Are you sure you have Netflix on this device set for surround?

I would suggest, as a test, plugging the AppleTV into the Denon amp; although it may not be able to show 4K, it should be able to handle the audio from the AppleTV. And if this remains stereo, it will tell you the problem is not with the TV; but if you get the sound you expect, this will pinpoint the issue to what the TV can actually handle.

Try this, and report back.

[chwikan]

@Peter_S. , @royabrown2 

Thanks for the input!

Before I got this TV I connected both sound and video through the receiver and the sound worked flawlessly between the Apple TV and the receiver. If I connect the Apple TV in the same way everything is back to normal regarding sound, but I'm limited to 1080p SDR.

I thought I experimented with locking the Apple TV to Dolby Digital 5.1 yesterday, but when I tried it again today I actually got the TV to forward that to the receiver.

So the problem boils down to that the Apple TV never negotiates anything better than stereo when set to auto. I even tried disconnecting the receiver and I still only get stereo. I don't know why it's not using the best possible sound that the TV can handle.

I also tried connecting a BD player directly to the TV, and the BD player also negotiates stereo sound. So my thinking is that the TV is the problem here.

I'm on the fence here about the Apple TV. It has an app from my IPTV-provider that is not available for Android TV. I can replace that with a set top box instead. But I also feel that the apps on Android TV doesn't work as well as on Apple TV. Netflix crashed on me twice during testing. 😞

[chwikan]

I marked locking the audio output from Apple TV to DD5.1 as a solution, but I don't really think that this problem is fully solved. DD5.1 is not the best audio that either of these units can support. I expect the TV to allow other formats such as DTS etc. through to the receiver.