Apple TV and Surround Sound

[LGShepherd]

Hi MR!

I have an Apple TV 2 and play a lot of various content on it, but I have started to notice that the movie/TV show is playing through 2.1 sound as opposed to 5.1. I have checked each sound track on each file, but this doesn't change.

I either rip my DVD in Handbrake using the ATV2 preset or convert the file using MKVTools (AC3 6ch to AC3 5.1)

Is there something I am doing wrong or settings that I can change?

Thanks in advance

 

[Alrescha]

Try Settings, Audio & Video, Dolby Digital: "On".

A.

 

[LGShepherd]

I already had it switched on, but I tried the whole off and on trick and that didn't help.

I also tried using iTunes purchased content as I know that there will be no issues with the 5.1 on those files and I am seeing the same issue.

Thanks

 

[samxool]

The problem could be with your surround sound amp.
Have you checked your amp's settings?

I had a similar problem once.
No matter what i tried, the amp would only output 2.1 and not 5.1. Even when i knew the settings that were selected used to work fine with 5.1. I spent ages trying to work out why my digital media player wouldn't playback in 5.1 anymore. That was until i realised my Blu-ray player also was no longer playing back in 5.1.
In the end, i restored my amp to factory settings.
Then set it back up to the settings i knew i had selected when it worked fine, and hey presto, i'm back to enjoying 5.1 sound again.
No idea what had happened, either i had accidentally selected a random setting that for whatever reason I couldn't change back, or the more likely explanation was that a setting had become corrupt and needed restoring back to factory settings.
If this doesn't work for you, can you restore the AV2 back to factory settings?
Based on what happened to me, i'd wager a guess its your amp.
Do other things (such as dvd or blu ray player) play back in 5.1?

 

[slothrob]

I either rip my DVD in Handbrake using the ATV2 preset or convert the file using MKVTools (AC3 6ch to AC3 5.1)

Have you tried using Handbrake an a 5.1 track and just selecting AC3 passthrough without any conversion? Just to make sure that it isn't the conversion in MKVTools or from 6 ch to 5.1 that isn't messing up.

 

[chunker]

Hi MR!

I have an Apple TV 2 and play a lot of various content on it, but I have started to notice that the movie/TV show is playing through 2.1 sound as opposed to 5.1. I have checked each sound track on each file, but this doesn't change.

I either rip my DVD in Handbrake using the ATV2 preset or convert the file using MKVTools (AC3 6ch to AC3 5.1)

Is there something I am doing wrong or settings that I can change?

Thanks in advance

Try the following:

Settings>Audio & Video>Audio Output

Change it to '16 bit' hopefully that works.

But you might also wanna check and play around with your receiver's settings.