An Apple TV 4K paired with a receiver must be nice, but it surely is not

Receivers are well worth the value of admission for those who’re on the lookout for one of the best audio you may get. What makes them price it’s their means to deal with all of the incoming audio with out counting on a third-party supply. Which means that in case your TV does not help Dolby Atmos, it is not a giant deal as a result of the receiver can do it for you. You possibly can plug in all of your gadgets to the receiver and never have to fret about your audio ever once more. At the very least, that is the best way it ought to work.

The Apple TV 4K does not work this manner. Sure, it is nonetheless my favourite streaming machine, however there are some points that I simply do not perceive. The Apple TV 4K doesn’t have audio passthrough, so it has to deal with the decoding itself. That is not a difficulty for those who’re watching one thing with Dolby Atmos, but it surely’s an issue for different codecs. A receiver is supposed to remove points like this, however Apple determined to not play ball.

The Apple TV 4K could be very irritating

A easy repair would do

There is a motive myself and plenty of others had been very excited when it appeared like Apple was lastly going to permit audio passthrough. It was going to imply my Apple TV 4K would now all the time have one of the best audio to go together with, in my view, one of the best image high quality of all of the streaming bins. To be honest, Atmos is obtainable by many streamers, so it is not like I’ve to look arduous to seek out it. Nevertheless, there may be nonetheless a variety of exhibits and films that do not help Atmos, and my receiver says Multi-In, because the Apple TV 4K does not acknowledge what format it’s.

I do know I am complaining, and it is very a lot a first-world downside, but it surely’s nonetheless annoying. The audio nonetheless sounds good even when I am not listening to what I am supposed to listen to, however that is not what I am mad about. I exploit a Roku Ultra in my bed room, and after I examined it out with my receiver, I did not have any issues with audio codecs. That is as a result of the Roku Extremely lets me move the audio proper on by to my receiver. That is precisely what the Apple TV 4K ought to do, and I do not perceive why that is not the case. I don’t know if a {hardware} refresh is required for this or if it is only a software program replace that is wanted. I’ve a first-gen Apple TV 4K, and it is nonetheless getting the tvOS updates, so I hope it is one thing Apple decides to do in the future and that I get it.

Within the meantime, I’ve to maintain coping with subpar audio except I swap my streaming field, however I do not need it to return to that. Not solely do I believe the Apple TV 4K provides higher image high quality, however I am a approach larger fan of its person interface than I’m of Roku’s — though I am a sucker for Roku Metropolis. Aside from this small, however obvious, concern, the Apple TV 4k is ideal. After I received my Roku Extremely, I had each intention of it changing my Apple TV 4K in the lounge, however I simply could not convey myself to do it, even when it does have audio passthrough.

When the time comes for an additional era of Apple TV 4Ks, which might occur any time now, I hope Apple fixes this downside. I worry that it is an issue that not many individuals care about, so Apple may not see the purpose in addressing it. I hope that is not the case as a result of it’d make me very joyful, and I would exit and purchase a brand new Apple TV 4K only for that motive.

Higher audio remains to be higher audio

It’s best to nonetheless get a receiver

Simply because my Apple TV 4K does not play properly with my receiver doesn’t suggest I remorse having one. I imply, I nonetheless want my receiver to have my Dolby Atmos system. Because it stands, I do most of my film watching by way of precise 4K Blu-ray discs, so I can nonetheless get my desired codecs like Dolby Digital or DTS:X that approach with out having to depend on the Apple TV 4K. I even have a wise TV that I can hire issues by, which provides me these audio codecs.

You additionally do not must be like me and follow an Apple TV 4K. There are many Fireplace TV and Roku gadgets on the market that get the job finished. Simply because my favourite product is from Apple doesn’t suggest the others aren’t well worth the value. You possibly can typically discover them for approach cheaper than an Apple TV 4K, in order that’s one other good motive to go in that route. In case you are on the lookout for the best possible audio your receiver can provide, then it’s a must to discover a totally different streaming machine than the Apple TV 4K, as a lot as that pains me to confess. I hope Apple adjustments that sooner or later, however I will not get my hopes up since it has been years of this being the case.