ATMOS Streaming Difficulties: Android TVs and Others

[ar surround]

My Oppo 205 reproduces the ATMOS layer, such as George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, as 7.1 TrueHD with no difficulties. However, I tried streaming an ATMOS movie on Disney+ via the ARC HDMI on the Oppo but got only 5.1, not 7.1. My TV is a Sony X900F.

I did some digging and found this:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/disney-atmos-not-working-on-some-platforms.3183705/page-2

My Sony X900F's settings it says that I have Android Version 9 and that the software is up to date. To get ATMOS on Disney+, I would need Android 10. This is very disheartening. My understanding is that I either have to get a newer TV (I bought this one just two years ago), or acquire a service such as Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire. Does anyone have anything to offer on this matter?

[EDIT: JUMP TO POST #8 TO SEE THAT ANDROID 10 HAS YET TO BE ROLLED OUT TO MOST ANDROID TV DEVICES.]

 

[furui_suterioo]

 

[J. PUPSTER]

My Oppo 205 reproduces the ATMOS layer, such as George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, as 7.1 TrueHD with no difficulties. However, I tried streaming an ATMOS movie on Disney+ via the ARC HDMI on the Oppo but got only 5.1, not 7.1. My TV is a Sony X900F.

I did some digging and found this:

View attachment 70083

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/disney-atmos-not-working-on-some-platforms.3183705/page-2

My Sony X900F's settings it says that I have Android Version 9 and that the software is up to date. To get ATMOS on Disney+, I would need Android 10. This is very disheartening. My understanding is that I either have to get a newer TV (I bought this one just two years ago), or acquire a service such as Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire. Does anyone have anything to offer on this matter?

This is all confusing to me ar; I also have an oppo 205 and was hoping to get an Apple TV 4K box (but also the Apple service for Atmos music) just to hear the Atmos music, but not sure if my non Atmos Marantz receiver will get the down mixed Atmos to 5.1, which is currently all my system is. I also have Disney+ service (currently thru ROKU) but want to know what my options are, if any, before I buy an Apple TV 4K box? Do I need an Atmos capable AVR as a minimum?

 

[humprof]

Do I need an Atmos capable AVR as a minimum?

Try this, Pup (scroll down to "How to Listen to Dolby Atmos on Your Apple TV 4K"):
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212182
And:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204069

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Try this, Pup (scroll down to "How to Listen to Dolby Atmos on Your Apple TV 4K"):
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212182
And:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204069

OK, so this is the main part IMO?
However, I'm still confused as to what I'd get if I only had the Apple TV 4K box and not the other devices; I'm really feeling stupid about all this crap; I just want the 5.1 Atmos music downmix without having to buy an expensive AVR! It sounded like @sjcorne was doing it with his set up?

How to listen to Dolby Atmos on your Apple TV 4K
Update your Apple TV 4K to tvOS 14.6 or later. Then make sure that you have one of the following connections:

• HomePod speakers set up as the default speakers
• A Dolby Atmos compatible sound bar, Dolby Atmos enabled AV Receiver, or television that supports Dolby Atmos audio
• AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max
• BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Solo Pro, or Beats Studio Buds

and then...

Audio formats supported on Apple TV
Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD automatically play sound in the highest quality that’s supported by your home entertainment system setup and available with content that you watch.
If your home entertainment system doesn't support the audio format that Apple TV automatically selects, you can manually change the audio format. Go to Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format and turn on Change Format. From here you can choose the following:

• Dolby Digital 5.1: Plays audio on multiple speakers and a subwoofer, like a 5.1 speaker setup.
• Stereo: Supported audio quality for all televisions, movies, and TV shows that plays sound through a right and left channel.

Set up Dolby Atmos
On Apple TV 4K with the latest version of tvOS, you can play sound in Dolby Atmos — an immersive sound experience that moves audio all around you in three-dimensional space.
To play movies and TV shows in Dolby Atmos from your Apple TV 4K, set up your home entertainment system for high-quality audio. Setups that you can use include:

• One or two HomePod speakers
• A television that supports Dolby Atmos audio
• A Dolby Atmos compatible sound bar
• A Dolby Atmos enabled AV Receiver

 

[humprof]

If your home entertainment system doesn't support the audio format that Apple TV automatically selects, you can manually change the audio format. Go to Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format and turn on Change Format. From here you can choose the following:

• Dolby Digital 5.1: Plays audio on multiple speakers and a subwoofer, like a 5.1 speaker setup.
• Stereo: Supported audio quality for all televisions, movies, and TV shows that plays sound through a right and left channel.

That's where I have the most questions, too. These instructions would seem to pertain to Apple TV, not Apple Music. (And it seems like they're implicitly talking about audio formats of the video content coming over whatever streaming channel you're playing from your box.) Ambiguous at best. You need a real-world report from someone with a comparable setup to yours!

 

[EricKalet]

By far the easiest way to get Atmos in any form is to connect the ATV4K via HDMI to an Atmos enabled AVR or pre/pro. You can then configure from there for full Atmos or downmix to 7.1 or 5.1

 

[ar surround]

By far the easiest way to get Atmos in any form is to connect the ATV4K via HDMI to an Atmos enabled AVR or pre/pro. You can then configure from there for full Atmos or downmix to 7.1 or 5.1

Thanks Eric. But do you have to pay for the Apple TV 4K service for this device to work? For example, can one simply download Disney+ onto the device and leave it at that in order to enjoy ATMOS sound on those Disney movies that have the codec?

Back to Android: Doing additional research, it seems that Android 10 has not been rolled out to a majority of TV devices. Android 10 is required on Android TV's like my Sony X900F in order to get ATMOS on Disney+. Android 9 was rolled out only late last year:

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-tv-buyers-guide-1161044/

 

[EricKalet]

Thanks Eric. But do you have to pay for the Apple TV 4K service for this device to work? For example, can one simply download Disney+ onto the device and leave it at that in order to enjoy ATMOS sound on those Disney movies that have the codec?
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-tv-buyers-guide-1161044/

You do not have to pay or subscribe to any app or service you don't want. Apple TV+ service is optional. Download Disney+ make sure your settings in audio are set to "Atmos best available" and your good to go.

 

[VisionMan]

Hi Folks!

I'm new here , but a long time multichannel/immersive audio fan. I have a question for the group. I subscribe to Tidal, Hi Fi level, and have the HDMI output of my Apple MacBook connected to one of the HDMI inputs in my Marantz 8805 processor. I get Tidal thru this with good quality. The Marantz says it is getting a 5.1 format at 48k, even when the source is 2 channel, and all the Atmos material I tried is simply two channel. Is there any way around this? Or do I need to use Apple TV+ or some other streaming service to get Amos streaming into my Marantz?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[EricKalet]

Hi Folks!

I'm new here , but a long time multichannel/immersive audio fan. I have a question for the group. I subscribe to Tidal, Hi Fi level, and have the HDMI output of my Apple MacBook connected to one of the HDMI inputs in my Marantz 8805 processor. I get Tidal thru this with good quality. The Marantz says it is getting a 5.1 format at 48k, even when the source is 2 channel, and all the Atmos material I tried is simply two channel. Is there any way around this? Or do I need to use Apple TV+ or some other streaming service to get Amos streaming into my Marantz?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Can’t do Atmos via MacBook and HDMI sadly it is not supported right now. Use the ATV4K.

 

[Audiowannabee]

By far the easiest way to get Atmos in any form is to connect the ATV4K via HDMI to an Atmos enabled AVR or pre/pro. You can then configure from there for full Atmos or downmix to 7.1 or 5.1

Question???

Has anyone tried connecting Apple 4ktv to their Oppo HDMI input to get atmos music to go thru avr via its analogs???

 

[VisionMan]

Thanks for the above responses. Just may have to get an ATV4K. Bummer. I wonder if this is a Tidal issue, or a Dolby issue? Or is there some technical reason that the interface does not work?

 

[halbroome]

Yet another reason to have the hard media and a good AVR. . . .

 

[ar surround]

Question???

Has anyone tried connecting Apple 4ktv to their Oppo HDMI input to get atmos music to go thru avr via its analogs???

I have not tried this, but you should be able to connect the ATV4K to that Oppo HDMI input. However, the best the Oppo could send through its analog outputs is 7.1 TrueHD given that the Oppo does not decode ATMOS. I know that when playing an ATMOS disc, the Oppo will send ATMOS via bitstream through its HDMI output to an ATMOS capable receiver; and 7.1 TrueHD via its analog outputs.

 

[perzon57]

Yet another reason to have the hard media and a good AVR. . . .

There are lots of Atmos music on Apple Music that's not and may never be on hard media.

 

[EricKalet]

Thanks for the above responses. Just may have to get an ATV4K. Bummer. I wonder if this is a Tidal issue, or a Dolby issue? Or is there some technical reason that the interface does not work?

It’s an Apple thing. Mac Books in general don’t support Atmos, they just aren’t programmed to recognize the codec.

 

[elee532]

Yet another reason to have the hard media and a good AVR. . . .

I’m all for owning hard media. But, there is more Atmos music coming out than I can afford to buy on hard media and other stuff that I may like to hear, but not enough to buy it. It’s not an either/or proposition. I’m enjoying the best of both worlds. Just this week I checked out Billie Eilish, Yello, and Kraftwerk streaming in Atmos on Tidal for the first time. The latter two were super fun, but I can’t see myself listening enough to warrant spending $20 or $30 for hard media. But sure glad I have the ability for an occasional listen.

 

[elee532]

It’s an Apple thing. Mac Books in general don’t support Atmos, they just aren’t programmed to recognize the codec.

Is it really an “Apple thing” though? I know Tidal only supports Atmos on certain devices (e.g. Nvidia Shield but not PC) and it has nothing to do with whether devices are Apple or non-Apple.

 

[EricKalet]

@elee532 Good point, I only know Apple's ecosystem, haven't had a PC in over 20+ years or use devices that are PC based or Android based.