Passthrough issue

[Antibus]

My ATV4K decided to update itself to 11.3 even though I had set it to not update automatically. So no passthrough for me. Thanks Apple!

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get multichannel PCM from MrMC. I've turned off passthrough, left the number of output channels at 2.0, and the ATV is still set to Best Quality, but I only see stereo output on DD, DTS, and anything else I've tried. How do I get MrMC to decode these into multichannel? BTW, this is HDMI going to an Onkyo AVR which has correctly shown multichannel in the past (for EAC3, for example).

[cosmoxl]

My ATV4K decided to update itself to 11.3 even though I had set it to not update automatically. So no passthrough for me. Thanks Apple!

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get multichannel PCM from MrMC. I've turned off passthrough, left the number of output channels at 2.0, and the ATV is still set to Best Quality, but I only see stereo output on DD, DTS, and anything else I've tried. How do I get MrMC to decode these into multichannel? BTW, this is HDMI going to an Onkyo AVR which has correctly shown multichannel in the past (for EAC3, for example).

Just increase the number of channels in MrMC to what you actually have. two channels = stereo you know.

[Antibus]

My ATV4K decided to update itself to 11.3 even though I had set it to not update automatically. So no passthrough for me. Thanks Apple!

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get multichannel PCM from MrMC. I've turned off passthrough, left the number of output channels at 2.0, and the ATV is still set to Best Quality, but I only see stereo output on DD, DTS, and anything else I've tried. How do I get MrMC to decode these into multichannel? BTW, this is HDMI going to an Onkyo AVR which has correctly shown multichannel in the past (for EAC3, for example).

Just increase the number of channels in MrMC to what you actually have. two channels = stereo you know.

Yup, that got it working - thanks!

I guess I'm confused where it says that for digital output to leave it at 2.0. I guess that's just for passthrough.

[timstephens24]

I guess I'm confused where it says that for digital output to leave it at 2.0. I guess that's just for passthrough.

Yup, that's just for passthrough. When passthrough is enabled, MrMC just sends the audio as is and does nothing to it.

[monkbolt]

PCM is just the uncompressed version of whatever the audio codec is; the quality is exactly the same. How your receiver's volume works with PCM vs the codec could be different, but it's a volume issue not a quality issue.

I understand that, theoretically, the quality should be the same. But, to my ears, even with the volume adjusted, the same movies sound punchier, more impressive when I play them in MrMC compared to Plex. Is it possible that my receiver applies some EQ when decoding to make up for its deficiencies (I have a rather low-end Yamaha AVR) that it doesn't apply when the decoding is done by my Apple TV? That's the only explanation I could think of, other than some cognitive bias causing me to perceive reality inaccurately (which is more than possible).

[timstephens24]

But, to my ears, even with the volume adjusted, the same movies sound punchier, more impressive when I play them in MrMC compared to Plex.

Is Plex transcoding? I would assume that's the difference (and why the default Plex app sucks).

[Boulder]

If I'm using HDMI to connect the ATV4K my TV and S/PDIF from there to connect to the AVR (because it doesn't support 4K), should I enable Dolby Digital in ATV4K to get proper multichannel output? Passthrough is disabled in MrMC. I'm getting me an HDMI splitter to avoid the whole passthrough issue but while waiting, I'd like to get things working with S/PDIF.

[MarkusSwe]

Hi!
I have a Apple 4K and can’t flirt the sound to work, if I enable passtrough I get a static noice and if I disable it I loose the center channel, I get no dialogue
Connected via hdmi to tv and arc back to The receiver, what to do?

[davilla]

To summarize this thread contents:

Apple broke audio pass through in 11.3. They need to fix it. There is nothing any tvOS App can do to fix it.

[davilla]

Hi!
I have a Apple 4K and can’t flirt the sound to work, if I enable passtrough I get a static noice and if I disable it I loose the center channel, I get no dialogue
Connected via hdmi to tv and arc back to The receiver, what to do?

How is MrMC audio setup ?