I just tried the new series, Informer, and all I am getting is stereo. But I selected the movie Next, and it’s outputti in 5.1. I don’t get it.
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Apple TV 4 Amazon Prime and 5.1
- Thread starter MagicBoy
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When it comes to Jack Ryan remember that there are two versions of it on Prime. One is the Full HD-Version. That one only comes with Stereo-Sound (Why I don't know). The other version is in 4K with HDR and that version comes with Atmos-Sound. Unfortunately unlike Netflix, Amazon still uses seperate versions for their content. So if a show is available in Full HD and 4K on Prime, you don't automatically get the 4K-Version. You need to specifically search for the 4K-Version (which often times doesn't work, because apparently amazon things making the 4K-versions difficult to find is a good thing...) and you only get it offered if you connected to a 4K-TV. Often times the 4K-Versions do have Dolby 5.1 or Dolby Atmos, while there Full-HD counterparts do not. Again why amazon does it like that I don't now.
Using seperate streams for Full-HD and 4K get's especially ridiculous if you live in another country. In Germany there are often times 4 or more versions of the same show. You get Full-HD in Englisch, Full-HD in German, 4K in English, 4K in German. Sometimes there are even more additional versions that offer both languages.
I will never understand why amazon doensn't just offer "One-fits-all"-Streams like Netflix does.
Using seperate streams for Full-HD and 4K get's especially ridiculous if you live in another country. In Germany there are often times 4 or more versions of the same show. You get Full-HD in Englisch, Full-HD in German, 4K in English, 4K in German. Sometimes there are even more additional versions that offer both languages.
I will never understand why amazon doensn't just offer "One-fits-all"-Streams like Netflix does.
Thanks. So if I understand you, you can get 5.1 but only with the 4K version of the show. And even though I have the 4K ATV, I won’t find the 4K version because I don’t have a 4K TV. So I am stuck with an HD show that only outputs stereo.
But yet I can watch a movie in HD, not 4K, and get 5.1 sound. Sounds like Amazon has screwed up with their originals or they are trying to get folks to my a Fire device. I’ve got to believe it’s a coding screw up if movies can out[it 5.1 but Prime Originals can’t with my configuration. SMH.
I just wish I knew who to contact at Amazon to figure this out.
But yet I can watch a movie in HD, not 4K, and get 5.1 sound. Sounds like Amazon has screwed up with their originals or they are trying to get folks to my a Fire device. I’ve got to believe it’s a coding screw up if movies can out[it 5.1 but Prime Originals can’t with my configuration. SMH.
I just wish I knew who to contact at Amazon to figure this out.
I have noticed it only now, and maybe it changed after the last update (Feb. 1st). On the episodes selection now Prime Video shows 5.1 in the description, like it has been in Android TV since ever. At least with "The Grand Tour". I'll have to check other TV Shows.
Here a sample:
![upload_2019-2-4_12-27-55.png]( "upload_2019-2-4_12-27-55.png")
PS: Yup. I checked other TV Shows. It seems to show 5.1 where available.
PPS: It also shows 5.1 in the main screen, in the TV Show/Movie description on the top.
Here a sample:
PS: Yup. I checked other TV Shows. It seems to show 5.1 where available.
PPS: It also shows 5.1 in the main screen, in the TV Show/Movie description on the top.
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Previously I wasn’t able to see Dolby Atmos while watching Jack Ryan HDR on the A4K, but after reading the above I checked again and was pleasantly surprised to see Dolby Atmos advertised and Atmos picked up by my Pioneer 901. I live in the UK, FYI, so maybe we have received an update not present before Christmas.
Sorry, but I *AM* selecting the 4K UHD version. But without a 4K set, all I get is STEREO from Jack Ryan on the AppleTV 4K. My Nvidia Shield at least gives me 5.1. I think it's ridiculous I should have to buy an expensive HDFury Vertex to "fool" Prime and Vudu into giving me Atmos sound when 4K and Atmos are not connected together what-so-ever (i.e. there are plenty of Atmos 1080p Blu-rays, etc. and on ATV 4K, Netflix works in Atmos with 1080p as does iTunes).
The shows I’m watching all have the 5.1 symbol in the description but only outputting 2.0 stereo. And I’m having the same problem as MVM. I’m running an Apple TV 4K without a 4K TV.
Doesn’t make any sense but that has to be the common denominator in this. I have emailed Amazon support and they opened a ticket and escalated it to the tech team, whatever that all means. If I get any updates, I will post them.
And like I said above, my PlayStation 3 plays all these Originals in 5.1. So this has to be some coding error by Amazon. Hope they get it fixed soon.
Doesn’t make any sense but that has to be the common denominator in this. I have emailed Amazon support and they opened a ticket and escalated it to the tech team, whatever that all means. If I get any updates, I will post them.
And like I said above, my PlayStation 3 plays all these Originals in 5.1. So this has to be some coding error by Amazon. Hope they get it fixed soon.
It’s set to Best available. I also tried 5.1 but it didn’t make any difference. The ATV has no problem outputting 5.1 on Netflix, Vudu, etc.
Actually not having a 4K TV doesn't make much of a difference. I do have a 4K-TV and I still get only Stereo on a lot of shows and movies that have the 5.1-Logo. The only shows that are pretty much guaranteed to have 5.1 (or Atmos) for me are the Prime-4K-Series. I'm not sure why you can even select those when you don't have a 4K-TV connected though. I didn't even get these offered with my old Full-HD TV. It makes sense though, that a 4K show (with Atmos) would only output stereo depending on how your Apple TV is connected. If it's connected directly to the TV and your using ARC to your Receiver then it's probably a DRM issue, because I don't think ARC support Atmos. I think eARC is requiered for that. Maybe that could have something to do with your specific problem of Jack Ryan 4K only outputting stereo. Or maybe the Prime App recognizes that you only have a Full-HD TV connected and defaults you automatically to the Full HD version which only offers stereo on the Apple TV Prime-App.
But the generel problem remains. Some movies/shows that have 5.1 on other streaming devices don't offer it on the Apple TV-Prime App and it doesn't matter which TV is used really. It's totally random as far as I can see.
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Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app? That has worked in the past.
I think that this is the issue:
“Or maybe the Prime App recognizes that you only have a Full-HD TV connected and defaults you automatically to the Full HD version which only offers stereo on the Apple TV Prime-App.“
But it doesn’t make sense to do that in the first place. And I’m not using ARC. I’m running the ATV into my receiver via HDMI then to the TV also via HDMI. And I don’t think I’m getting the 4K versions of the Originals. At least I don’t recall seeing 4K on the banner. But I am seeing 5.1 on the banner. We’ll see what Amazon does with this.
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Yep. A number of times. No luck.
i just watched the first season the The Expanse on Prime video via my ATV 4K and the sound was 5.1 Dolby Digital. This seems to enforce the idea that somehow Amazon has screwed up it's own Originals when they play via an ATV. It will be interesting to see what happens with season 4, which will be the first season under the Amazon flag. Hope they get this figured out by then.
On a positive note, I have to say the picture was fantastic via the ATV. SyFy on my cable provider Spectrum is truly awful. Borders on worse then SD and on a decent 65" TV, it helps the picture look bad. I guess SyFy broadcasts in 1080i and it just looks bad. I had the same issue with 12 Monkeys and have the same problem now with The Magicians. A broadcaster like SyFy (Universal NBC) should do better, especially for a network that concentrates in medial with lots of special effects. Rant over.
On a positive note, I have to say the picture was fantastic via the ATV. SyFy on my cable provider Spectrum is truly awful. Borders on worse then SD and on a decent 65" TV, it helps the picture look bad. I guess SyFy broadcasts in 1080i and it just looks bad. I had the same issue with 12 Monkeys and have the same problem now with The Magicians. A broadcaster like SyFy (Universal NBC) should do better, especially for a network that concentrates in medial with lots of special effects. Rant over.
^^^ You're talking about the network responsible for Sharknado...yeah, I don't think "quality" is one of their biggest concerns. 
I have got some shows that recently lost the 5.1 audio as well. "The Grand Tour" included (which shows HDR and 5.1, so it must be the 4K version I suppose). "Agent Carter" (Season 2) was 5.1 (checked), it shows 5.1 in the description but now it plays as 2.0. "The Tudors" instead plays 5.1 channels.It doesn't matter if I play in English or Italian (I'm in Italy if that matters).
I believe that happens after the last "bug fixing" update but I can't swear on it. I'd call Prime Video support, but usually they are useless, unlike their colleagues dealing with the Amazon store. Quite annoying, it plays decently only on 5ch stereo (I checked because it was sounding like crap).
PS: I've also uninstalled and reinstalled the app. That fixed another issue I had with the app missing the "Language" option.
PPS: the same shows, from the Android TV's app of my Bravia, play on 5.1 via HDMI ARC
I get 5.1 on movies in general from Prime with ATV4K , but not Jack Ryan (4K or regular version; both output stereo here). My Shield at least gives me 5.1 with Jack Ryan. I guess I'd need a Vertex (or a new 4K projector) to get Atmos, which is a shame since Atmos works fine on Netflix and iTunes in 2K here.
Thanks for your reply. I may look for some other streaming device in that case for Amazon Prime videos, Netflix and Disney+.
I haven't watched Jack Ryan yet but Carnival Row was in 5.1 DD for me via the Apple TV app.
Still happens on occasion. I recently had it when watching The Tick.
However, I have recently had the exact same issue with Netflix where a couple of episodes of Mindhunter were only 2.0. I’m beginning to wonder if actually this may be an Apple TV bug that just happens to surface mostly with Amazon Prime.
Sorry I'll clarify. The Apple TV is fine. It's Amazon Prime's software or content that's the issue on occasion. I've recently watched three episodes of Jack Ryan Season 2. Two were in 5.1, one was 2.0. That episode plays in 5.1 on my old PlayStation 3.
I watched the first 5 episodes of Man in the High Castle this weekend and all were in Dolby 5.1....which shows as PCM on my receiver. But the sound was great.
I got Apple TV 4K last weekend to replace my old Apple TV Second Generation. I tested Prime videos and they were playing in DD 5.1. Also Disney+ movies playing in DD 5.1.