UMC-200 and Apple TV (4th gen)

[leighb]

Hi all. I have a UMC-200 (firmware 52.02.41) and a new Apple TV (4th gen) connected by HDMI. The problem is that everything from the Apple TV plays in two channel mode. My comcast sat box and my blu-ray player (also HDMI) play in multichannel mode just fine. There is a mildly confusing article about Dolby and the Apple TV here but I am not sure what it means for the UMC. 

Does anyone have experience or ideas? Thanks!!!

[vcautokid]

Hello Leighb. Some basic question in regards to playback with multichannel content. First, the content itself that you are receiving is encoded in Dolby 5.1. Also if the Apple TV has bitstream support, I would select that and allow the UMC-200 to decode the stream in Dolby Digital 5.1.

From the article itself you shared.

"Dolby Surround – This setting is intended to force the Apple TV to output a Dolby Digital (also known as “AC3”) compressed bitstream. This may be required with certain legacy devices or sound bars that support the older Dolby Digital format but do not yet support Dolby Digital Plus or multichannel PCM audio. Remember that Dolby Digital is only capable of up to 5.1 channels of audio, so this option will never be able to send 7.1 channel audio to the connected HDMI device." The Dolby Surround attribute is the AC3 bitstream that the UMC-200 should see, and therefore be able to playback in Dolby Digital 5.1.

As similar with your blue ray player, you are using its bitstream out to allow the UMC-200 to decode the Dolby Digital or dts formatted material for playback.

Your Comcast box is doing the same thing when you select Multichannel Mode as it is bitstreaming the data for the UMC-200 to decode in this case Dolby Digital where applicable.

In plain English from the above the common thread here is "Bitstream" data that is selected to allow the UMC-200 to perform the decoding duties for Dolby Digital or dts where applicable. Whether they call it Multichannel Mode, or Dolby Surround in the case of the Apple TV, it is a "bitstream" signal going to the UMC-200 for decoding. I hope this helps. Yes, it can get confusing when people don't use the same terms for what needs to happen.

[Gary Cook]

I have had an Apple TV4 connected to a UMC-200 via HDMI since the day they launched and I haven't had one single issue. I don't recall changing from the default settings on the ATV4, but I'll check tonight when I get home.

Cheers
Gary

[leighb]

Jun 6, 2016 17:43:04 GMT -5 vcautokid said:

In plain English from the above the common thread here is "Bitstream" data that is selected to allow the UMC-200 to perform the decoding duties for Dolby Digital or dts where applicable. Whether they call it Multichannel Mode, or Dolby Surround in the case of the Apple TV, it is a "bitstream" signal going to the UMC-200 for decoding. I hope this helps. Yes, it can get confusing when people don't use the same terms for what needs to happen.

Thanks! One question, what should the UMC be set to? There are a number of options in the mode menu, but at the moment it is "direct" (which is how it came out of the box, I have not messed with the settings on the UMC side).

[Gary Cook]

The UMC-200 selects the appropriate format based on what it receives. However it does allow the listener to choose some preferences within that format. You can use the Mode+ or Mode- buttons to flick through the available options for each input format.

Cheers
Gary