Resolved Apple TV Sound Volume: AppleTV App vs. Music App

[Buadhai]

This on an Apple TV 4 connected via HDMI to a Samsung "smart" TV which is connect to a Samsung sound bar via optical cable.

When watching digital cable TV we set the volume on the sound bar to around 20 (out of what I don't know).

This same volume setting is also fine when listening to the Apple TV Music app, or watching videos via Plex, Netflix, YouTube, etc.

However, when watching a video via the Apple TV app we need to crank the volume up to 50 in order to hear the audio clearly.

What have I done wrong to cause this odd issue?

Oddly, this same issue doesn't happen with a different Apple TV 4, Samsung TV and Sony sound bar. On that system, we can leave the sound bar volume setting the same no matter what the source. So strange.

 

[priitv8]

Reduce loud sounds turned on, by any chance?
PS Dolby Atmos sound is a little quieter by Dolby's recommendation, so I also crank the movies up a little, especially compared to Apple Music.
For reference, various loudness levels used by streaming services:

Loudness Standards - Full Comparison Table (music, film, podcast)

Find the loudness requirements for TV, Gaming, Podcast and Streaming services all in one place.

youlean.co

 

[waw74]

Can you see what kind of audio the sound bar is receiving? Like 5.1, stereo, atmos, or whatever?

Sometimes (may not be as prevalent now) TVs will only send stereo out of their optical ports, It's possible it's just sending the left and right channels or doing it's own down-mix in the TV, Meaning the center channel where the people speaking is usually routed is either not there or very low.

If your TV and soundbar support it, using HDMI-ARC will get you higher quality audio. (is the other TV connected this way?)
If your sound bar supports ARC, but your TV doesn't, check out the arcana fury, It has an HDMI in, then HDMI out for the TV, and an HDMI-ARC port to send audio to audio equipment.

Both of these ways to get HDMI-ARC will also let you use HDMI-CEC if your sound bar supports it, meaning volume control is a bit more reliable than using IR.


I'm not at home to see exactly where this is, but I think in the appleTV audio menu, you can force stereo, that may help you.

 

[Buadhai]

Thank you for the replies.

I only have AppleTV 4s, (not 4K) so Dolby Atmos shouldn't be an issue.

Reduce Loud Sounds is not enabled anywhere. And, why would Reduce Loud Sounds only affect audio on the TV app and not on apps like Plex, YouTube and Netflix?

I don't know how to tell what sort of audio the soundbar is receiving. The soundbar is a SAMSUNG HW-M450/XT 320W, 2.1 Channel Dolby Digital system.

I have three Samsung TVs that support HDMI-ARC. I've never been able to get it to work on any of them. On the subject TV it actually worked for about the first year and then stopped. Sometimes I can get it working again, but the process is odious involving unplugging the TV and Soundbar, waiting a minute, and trying again. It's really not much fun to turn on the TV and discover that ARC is not working again and have to endure the impatient gaze of your spouse while you try, try again. I finally gave up and use optical instead. It never fails. (I have a whole drawer full of various HDMI cables I've purchased trying to get ARC to work.)

What I don't understand is why audio is normal for Plex, YouTube, Netflix and others and is only way too quiet with the TV app. AFAIK there is no separate adjustments for Audio for the TV app, only for the AppleTV device in general.

 

[Buadhai]

Here's how I mostly solved this.

In the Samsung TV Menu > Sound > Additional Settings > Audio Format > Dolby Digital

This significantly increases the volume on the AppleTV app.

The strange thing is that if I watch digital cable TV, the Audio Format automatically changes to PCM. And it stays there and can't be changed to Dolby Digital until you actually start watching a video on the Apple TV app. You can't change it to Dolby Digital while listening to Apple Music or watching a YouTube video.

So, in the end, it's easier to just crank up the volume while watching the AppleTV app rather than going in to the TV menu to change the Audio Format every time.

I really don't understand any of this.

Any explanation out there?

TIA

 

[priitv8]

Reduce Loud Sounds is not enabled anywhere. And, why would Reduce Loud Sounds only affect audio on the TV app and not on apps like Plex, YouTube and Netflix?

This setting makes aTV to obey the Dialogue Level metadata in Dolby Digital streams and compress dynamic range accordingly. I would assume that only apple TV+ videos actually send Dialogue Level in the stream, hence the effect.
PS I wonder that setting audio format on the TV has any effect on the aTV. Because aTV always and only sends PCM from its HDMI (unless you changed the format on tvOS away from Best Available).

 

[Buadhai]

This setting makes aTV to obey the Dialogue Level metadata in Dolby Digital streams and compress dynamic range accordingly. I would assume that only apple TV+ videos actually send Dialogue Level in the stream, hence the effect.
PS I wonder that setting audio format on the TV has any effect on the aTV. Because aTV always and only sends PCM from its HDMI (unless you changed the format on tvOS away from Best Available).

Thank you. I understand a bit more. Since you seem to understand much more than I, what TV Audio settings would you recommend? I posted a screenshot above of what settings I'm using now.

And, given my setup, what tvOS audio settings would you recommend?

 

[priitv8]

I do not know anything about Samsung TV-s, hence I can not say about it's audio settings.
I would connect aTV to soundbar via HDMI, if at all possible.
Your setup (esp. the optical output from TV to soundbar) is the most limiting factor - you can only get stereo PCM or compressed Dolby Digital / DTS surround audio in 5.1
As I said, aTV only outputs PCM in multichannel by default.
You could switch it to change audio format either to Stereo or Dolby Surround - both would also cross optical cable to soundbar.
If you leave it on Best available, it will mean, that your TV must step in and convert audio from PCM multichannel to stereo or Dolby Digita. I personally would avoid TV modifying the audio in any way, but in your setup, that may be the only way (unless you can connect aTV directly to soundbar).

 

[Buadhai]

I would connect aTV to soundbar via HDMI, if at all possible.

Thanks.

I spent a lot of time trying to get this work, but I could never get video passthrough from the Soundbar.

The TV "knew" that there was an aTV out there, but always complained that there was no or insufficient signal.

In retrospect, I can't believe the amount of time I've spent with this TV/Soundbar trying to get ARC to work in the past and now dealing with the weird volume situation.

This is what I followed from the Soundbar manual.

 

[priitv8]

The connections on that pic all look normal and I would connect aTV like that myself.
What video resolutions does the soundbar support?
Do you see the first apple logo, when the aTV boots up? That image is below HD resolution and should show at any rate.
If not, the problem is somewhere in the signal path.
Also, if you have the aTV 4 (HD, not 4K?), then be sure not to enable HDMI enhanced mode on tv or soundbar, leave them at standard setting.

 

[Buadhai]

I have no idea what video resolutions the soundbar supports. I tried looking at the specs on Samsung's web page for the soundbar and they never mention video resolution.

I tried this again with different HDMI cables; both of which were purchased within the last year and both of which work fine with external displays on a Mac.

All I see is a blank screen and no sound. This time there wasn't even a message about there being either no or insufficient signal. Just a blank screen; even when the aTV was booting up. When watching regular TV, no sound out of the soundbar when the input is set to HDMI. If I set it to BlueTooth, then I get the TV station sound.

I'm going back to the optical cable. It works. The sound is good enough for me and my wife.

Enough fiddling.

Thanks again for your help.