APPLE TV 4K + APPLE TV 3 Team Combo Issue / Question / Advice Sought

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harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#282781 11-Mar-2021 16:40

Any useful advice appreciated,

Our TV panel has no audio output, speakers, R/C etc

Prior to Xmas 2017 we simply used ATV 3 and ran Audio --> Hi-Fi via Optical Out, life was just gold

Come ATV 4K release, we buy, open box, no Audio Out, thus ATV 4K sends only Video to the panel via HDMI

ATV 3 continues to handle Audio via Optical Out --> Hi-Fi and selecting on the APPLE TV 4K (the only one that is connected to the TV panel):

Settings --> Video and Audio --> Audio --> Default Audio Output and selecting the Apple TV 3 option (one of 3 options):

- TV Speakers

- Apple TV 4K

- Apple TV 3

Late last year, 14.1 upgrade rendered that menu devoid of the requisite option, it now looks simply:

- TV Speakers

We had to go back to using ATV 3 alone

ATV's both CAT6 to same switch on network

Hoping further upgrades might bring the needed menu options back, alas no

Be great to downgrade the tvOS, then life would again be gold, but w/out a USB port that is not simple

Obviously for many reasons it'd be nicer if we can use the ATV 4K again, even worse today see ATV 3 youtube app is disabled

Any useful idea's geeks ?

davidcole

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#2671907 11-Mar-2021 20:37

How far is the Apple TV (4) and tv from the hifi? Can it accept an hdmi connection? That’s probably the most future proof option. Then feed the tv from the receiver.

Otherwise you might ending up needing something to take hdmi from Apple TV and splitting out and optics out for feeding the stereo and leaving the video for the tv.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Tendak-Optical-Extractor-Converter-Splitter/dp/B017B6WFP8

Or some sort of airplay scenario which sounds like your were doing. Perhaps the Apple TV 4 went airplay 2 and that’s why the atv 3 does not show up any more

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harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#2672344 12-Mar-2021 15:46

Hey thanks davidcole, weird issue we have eh, chur.

ATV 4K + ATV 3 both ~80 cm from TV

ATV 4K + ATV 3 both ~250 cm from Hi-Fi

ATV 4K —> 150 cm HDMI Interconnect—> TV

ATK 3 —> 300 cm Optical Interconnect —> Hi-Fi (BENCHMARK DAC1)

davidcole: How far is the Apple TV (4) and tv from the hifi?

The TV has 1 HDMI input, the only way to get video to it, either ATV 4K or ATV 3 can display their menu’s etc onto it via their HDMI output

davidcole: Can it accept an hdmi connection?

harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#2672345 12-Mar-2021 15:46

Yep - something like this would probably work, but all this type of stuff is to avoid in general.. last ditch.

davidcole: Otherwise you might ending up needing something to take hdmi from Apple TV and splitting out and optics out for feeding the stereo and leaving the video for the tv.

Something like this www.amazon.com/Tendak-Optical-Extractor-Converter-Splitter/dp/B017B6WFP8

There is no Wi-Fi/AirPlay, both ATV 4K and ATV 3 connected to same Gigabit Switch on local network via Cat6, both ATV’s get 6-700 MBPs using their on-screen 'Network Speed Test'

davidcole: Or some sort of airplay scenario which sounds like your were doing. Perhaps the Apple TV 4 went airplay 2 and that’s why the atv 3 does not show up any more

davidcole

6099 posts

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+1 received by user: 1465

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#2672430 12-Mar-2021 20:03

Another option, can your tv output optical (or digital coax)? It might pass through the audio from the hdmi back out to the stereo

harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#2672518 12-Mar-2021 22:03

Again cheers davidcole,

If only, TV does not have any audio i/o, only HDMI in

What we really need, is to get the ATV 4K back to tvOS 13 etc

(Thats when things went fuubarr)

davidcole: Another option, can your tv output optical (or digital coax)? It might pass through the audio from the hdmi back out to the stereo

davidcole

6099 posts

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+1 received by user: 1465

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#2673638 13-Mar-2021 09:31

harlansmart:

davidcole: How far is the Apple TV (4) and tv from the hifi?

The TV has 1 HDMI input, the only way to get video to it, either ATV 4K or ATV 3 can display their menu’s etc onto it via their HDMI output

So the question here you might have missed, can your hifi accept hdmi in?

Most modern receivers will do the job of being the hdmi switcher and will extract the audio (rather than buying a device like I linked to.

So you’d go Apple TV to stereo via hdmi, then hdmi from stereo to tv.

Like me yours might be older and only accept analog video connections or digital audio via toslink (square optical plug) or digital coax (single rca plug)

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harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#2673726 13-Mar-2021 12:59

Hey again davidcole thanks once more again for the continued effort.

No HDMI, just simple old fashioned Hi-Fi

BENCHMARK DAC1 --> PLINIUS SA250 --> ATC SMC40 etc

Before 14.1 tvOS stripped the audio selection menu the ATV 3 sent audio > DAC1

Perhaps 1 option is to look for an ATV 4K thats not been 'upgraded' past tvOS14.0

Ideally, we'd simply like a route via which to downgrade the ATV 4K tvOS

harlansmart

447 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#2673728 13-Mar-2021 13:02

I mean really, APPLE

First you strip the audio out port

Then you remove the USB-C port

Finally you cripple the tvOS

Thanks a lot

davidcole

6099 posts

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+1 received by user: 1465

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#2673779 13-Mar-2021 15:09

harlansmart:
Hey again davidcole thanks once more again for the continued effort.

No HDMI, just simple old fashioned Hi-Fi

BENCHMARK DAC1 --> PLINIUS SA250 --> ATC SMC40 etc

Before 14.1 tvOS stripped the audio selection menu the ATV 3 sent audio > DAC1

Perhaps 1 option is to look for an ATV 4K thats not been 'upgraded' past tvOS14.0

Ideally, we'd simply like a route via which to downgrade the ATV 4K tvOS

I think downgrading is only a short term option. As there will be some feature etc that will prompt an upgrade