I am not sure this quite the right place for this post but as it is the EJ Atmos tracks that set me going along this road it seems as good as anywhere. So, based on the Atmos blu-rays I have which play very well in 5.1 (I have no Atmos set up and unlikely to for some time) I thought, great I will subscribe to Tidal and at least fold down the Atmos mixes to 5.1. I have, however, now reached the point of believing that "Tidal" is streaming parlance for "nightmare"!!
I started on this dead-end road with the deluded thought that I could use my Roku Express to stream the much admired EJ Diamonds tracks. I should say that I have this Roku device so that I can stream Disney+ with 5.1 sound (5.1 is not possible via my laptop for some reason) and it is fine for that. The Tidal account via Roku gives two options at £9.95 pm or £19.95 pm for the hi-res access. I opted for the hi-res/Master account and started looking for the Atmos albums without finding them at all. I did manage to find an Atmos sampler but it played only in stereo. Further research done revealed that Tidal only streams up to CD quality on the Roku - so why offer and take a subscription for hi-res that it cannot deliver??!!
So, a day later (and a suitable cooling off period) I logged into Tidal eventually after being blocked on several occasions as there is "a robot on my IP address" via my laptop connected via HDMI to my Cambridge CXU. The laptop recognised the capability up to 7.1 in DTS, DD and DD Plus so all good there. But whatever I tried the best I could get was stereo, admittedly it did include the hi-res Master audio file of some albums. Definitely no 5.1 though.
The ability to search for Dolby Atmos albums or tracks on Tidal is stupifyingly difficult. I know I have seen the new Abba album available in Atmos but blowed if I can find it again. Also, Fleetwood Mac Rumours is in Atmos and at Master audio quality but switch to EJ Diamonds and it drops to Hi_Fi (presumably CD 16/44). In any event always stereo only. The menus and search facility is about the worst I have encountered on any website. How on earth will Atmos become a well used system if it cannot be found easily by someone, like me, who knows what they are looking for? Why no dedicated Atmos button? The search does not bring up very much at all despite the albums being present.
And if Tidal have somehow set up their system only to work with a limited pieces of specified Atmos approved equipment but not 5.1 systems, how crazy is that? I am, after only four days, on the point of cancelling a £20 pm subscription as it is way too hard to use. I should be very grateful to anyone who may have some suggestions about how I might access the Atmos music on Tidal, otherwise.........
Bring back physical product to save the sanity of audio world users! I hope that EJ brick is coming! Maybe it will be on the merch stand at Watford football club when he plays there on 4 July! Well I can hope (especially at Aus $300!)
I started on this dead-end road with the deluded thought that I could use my Roku Express to stream the much admired EJ Diamonds tracks. I should say that I have this Roku device so that I can stream Disney+ with 5.1 sound (5.1 is not possible via my laptop for some reason) and it is fine for that. The Tidal account via Roku gives two options at £9.95 pm or £19.95 pm for the hi-res access. I opted for the hi-res/Master account and started looking for the Atmos albums without finding them at all. I did manage to find an Atmos sampler but it played only in stereo. Further research done revealed that Tidal only streams up to CD quality on the Roku - so why offer and take a subscription for hi-res that it cannot deliver??!!
So, a day later (and a suitable cooling off period) I logged into Tidal eventually after being blocked on several occasions as there is "a robot on my IP address" via my laptop connected via HDMI to my Cambridge CXU. The laptop recognised the capability up to 7.1 in DTS, DD and DD Plus so all good there. But whatever I tried the best I could get was stereo, admittedly it did include the hi-res Master audio file of some albums. Definitely no 5.1 though.
The ability to search for Dolby Atmos albums or tracks on Tidal is stupifyingly difficult. I know I have seen the new Abba album available in Atmos but blowed if I can find it again. Also, Fleetwood Mac Rumours is in Atmos and at Master audio quality but switch to EJ Diamonds and it drops to Hi_Fi (presumably CD 16/44). In any event always stereo only. The menus and search facility is about the worst I have encountered on any website. How on earth will Atmos become a well used system if it cannot be found easily by someone, like me, who knows what they are looking for? Why no dedicated Atmos button? The search does not bring up very much at all despite the albums being present.
And if Tidal have somehow set up their system only to work with a limited pieces of specified Atmos approved equipment but not 5.1 systems, how crazy is that? I am, after only four days, on the point of cancelling a £20 pm subscription as it is way too hard to use. I should be very grateful to anyone who may have some suggestions about how I might access the Atmos music on Tidal, otherwise.........
Bring back physical product to save the sanity of audio world users! I hope that EJ brick is coming! Maybe it will be on the merch stand at Watford football club when he plays there on 4 July! Well I can hope (especially at Aus $300!)