LG OLED BX9 + ATV 4k (2nd Gen) + 2 Homepods

[C0re0]

Hi all,

I need your help setting up my home cinema, because I m struggling with the correct settings to get the best sound out of my homepods (i.e. Dolby Atmos, where applicable).

My setup:

- LG OLED 65BX9 TV
- Apple TV 4K 2nd. Gen (eARC support)
- 2 Homepods 2nd Gen in stereo

The Apple TV is connected to the eARC HDMI Port of my TV. In the Apple TV Menu, the sound setting is set to Dolby atmos enabled. The option Change Audio format is greyed out.

In the Sound menu of my LG TV I have the following options:

"Digital Sound out"
"HDMI Input audio format"

What should I select for these options (PCM, Passthrough, Auto) to get the best sound routed to my Homepods?

Thank you very much!

Kind regards

 

[Kenny99]

Go to Youtube on your Apple TV and elect one of the many Dolby atmos tests / demos. Play it and then change one of the LG TV settings. Play it again. When you find the one that YOU like best write down the settings.
FYI: ( HDMI can pass higher-resolution audio, including the formats found on Blu-ray: Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio)

 

[priitv8]

Does YouTube support Dolby Atmos audio now?
I would rather take original trailers from Dolby, to test:

Downloadable Dolby Atmos Trailers

Ensure that your speakers are performing at their optimum levels. Use these Dolby Atmos trailers to test that your speakers are correctly connected to your sound system.

www.dolby.com

 

[waw74]

Go to Youtube on your Apple TV and elect one of the many Dolby atmos tests / demos.

Do not use YouTube for this.
people can label whatever they want. and you'll be chasing your tail trying to get atmos working when you've been playing something that's actually only sending stereo. and as Privitv suggests, I'm not sure atmos is even enabled in YouTube.
Plus that will do nothing to help with this question, because with OP's setup, if you're using an app on the aTV, the audio never touches the TV (goes straight from aTV to homepods), so the settings asked about never come into play.

and just to throw this out there, don't use airplay and try to send something from your phone, as airplay doesn't support atmos,

If you've got Apple Music, the easiest test is using an album from dolby labs, there are several tracks in various audio formats, each with voice ID of each of the tracks, (voice goes around the room saying "left", "right", etc...)


to the original question:
What apps on the TV itself, or other external sources like cable box or blu-ray player, are you using on your TV?

if you're only using apps on the aTV, then those settings asked about are never used.

for most sources, they'll only be sending 5.1 at the most, so any of them should be fine.

and not for nothing, doesn't matter what makes it to the aTV, it's only going to 2 speakers, so you're never going to get anything more than simulated atmos or surround. you can use the dolby labs album test on the 2 homepods to hear what playing atmos or surround will actually do in your setup.

 

[priitv8]

They have a second album as well - with moving objects

 

[Kenny99]

Do not use YouTube for this.
people can label whatever they want. and you'll be chasing your tail trying to get atmos working when you've been playing something that's actually only sending stereo. and as Privitv suggests, I'm not sure atmos is even enabled in YouTube.
Plus that will do nothing to help with this question, because with OP's setup, if you're using an app on the aTV, the audio never touches the TV (goes straight from aTV to homepods), so the settings asked about never come into play.

and just to throw this out there, don't use airplay and try to send something from your phone, as airplay doesn't support atmos,

If you've got Apple Music, the easiest test is using an album from dolby labs, there are several tracks in various audio formats, each with voice ID of each of the tracks, (voice goes around the room saying "left", "right", etc...)


to the original question:
What apps on the TV itself, or other external sources like cable box or blu-ray player, are you using on your TV?

if you're only using apps on the aTV, then those settings asked about are never used.

for most sources, they'll only be sending 5.1 at the most, so any of them should be fine.

and not for nothing, doesn't matter what makes it to the aTV, it's only going to 2 speakers, so you're never going to get anything more than simulated atmos or surround. you can use the dolby labs album test on the 2 homepods to hear what playing atmos or surround will actually do in your setup.

You did read that COreO is using HomePods as speakers. I Won't get into how well they sound as that is a matter of option.

Airplay: https://www.homeowner.com/theater-and-stereo/can-you-stream-dolby-atmos-music-through-airplay

Can You Stream Dolby Atmos Music Through Airplay?​

Homeowner.com
https://www.homeowner.com › theater-and-stereo › can...




Aug 21, 2024 — Certainly, Airplay can stream Dolby Atmos sound to your HomePod. However, you must ensure that the device uses the upgraded software version of

As far as YouTube videos, yes you can find Legitimate as well as fake, just have to use you head when using them.

Thanks for the link to the Dolby Atmos Labs test.

 

[C0re0]

Hi all,

thanks for your replies, helped me a lot to figure out.

As stated, I m using my 2 Homepods (2nd Gen.) as speakers (also as TV Speakers while watching TV etc.) and the Apple TV is directly connected to my TV on the eARC HDMI port of the TV. I do not use any apps on my TV. I just use all apps on my Apple TV (Netflix, Apple Music etc.). But are you sure that the above mentioned Audio settings have no impact on sound quality of the Homepods?
Thanks also for the links to test Dolby atmos and yes, I have an Apple Music subscription.
Kind regards!

 

[priitv8]

As far as YouTube videos, yes you can find Legitimate as well as fake, just have to use you head when using them.

Can you point me towards a real Atmos video on YouTube?
As far as I have seen, they occasionally sport Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio, but I have not yet seen any, that carries Atmos metadata.
When playing back through 2 HomePods, you will hear Atmos downmixed to 2 channels via Apple binaural renderer. The same thing happens, when listening through AirPods.

The binaural rendering can sound quite good, to be honest.
Here is a demo of 360-degree-audio from Sony (nothing to do with Atmos).
But it sounds believable, even through a pair of stereo speakers or headphones:

 

[C0re0]

Hi all,

I figured out what are the best settings and i m geeting fantasic results by choosing "passthrough/bitsream".
Tested this on dolby Atmos tracks on Apple music.

If you also have an Apple music subscription and if you want to "test" your homepods, just search for Dolby Atmos tracks by Jennifer Athena Galatis on Apple music. First I was sceptical if these tracks would be okay to figure out how Dolby Atmos could sound via my Homepods. I can confirm that the tracks are all Dolby Atmos (the Dolby Atmos icon in the track menu says this) and what can I say?
A simple oustanding and a jaw-dropping experience. And I can tell you, I also have a Sonos Playbar and 2 Sonos Ones as surround for comparison. I would never have thought that such a small speaker (Homepod) could reproduce so much sound. Clear heights, nice mids and even a rumbling bass (I tested at approx. 40-50% volume).

Kind regards!

https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/jennifer-athena-galatis/253425920​