Arc - Vizio and Atmos


Userlevel 3
Badge +4

My Sonos Ark arrived today. I had some reservations but, it’s 2020 and I can’t believe how irritating this is. 
 

2019 Vizio M Series Quantum (M658-G1)

Apple TV 4K

XBox One S 

 

ATV - Supports Atmos 

XBox - Supports Atmos 

Vizio TV - Supports Atmos (with certain apps) 

 

I’ve adjusted all the settings, tried different settings, and no matter what I do the Arc won’t do Atmos. The best I get is DD+ 5.1.
 

Apparently with Vudu I could Atmos strait from the TV app … but this is Canada. No Vudu. 
 

So I have three atmos capable players. A new Atmos sound bar. My TV and Apple 4K are current models. 
 

And yet… no Atmos. It’s ridiculous. Not sure to blame Vizio. Sonos. Apple…. between them they just don’t talk. 


50 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Yeah, sucks doesn’t it? 

Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Yes it does. And it’s not meant to be a rant. I’m not anti Sonos. I have a fair amount of Sonos gear. 
 

It can not be that hard to integrate systems that all inhabit the same echo system - Audio/Visual entertainment. 
 

I can print to my HP wireless printer at home through google cloud print from an iPad on a beach in another county but can’t get my atmos capable TV, media player and soundbar to play anything atmos across 2 HDMI Cables. I can also print from said beach on an android phone/tablet, Apple Mac, Linux machine or windows PC/tablet.  

Manufactures can either chose to cooperate or not. In this instance they chose not to. I don’t think Sonos are fully to blame as my current TV won’t spit out the right signal. BUT!  I really really appreciate that Sonos want to keep it simple yet they should have put an additional HDMI on the Arc to make it work in 2020. My TV is 4 months old. I’m happy with it and probably will be for 5+ years. 
 

I may send the Arc back. I’ll see if I can try it with a amazon fire stick or Roku. Just to see. Not hopeful! I really want to keep it but my beam/sub/play:1 combo will suffice if 5.1 is my limit. 
 

 

 

I have a P75-F1, and confirmed with a Vizio rep yesterday that none of their TVs will pass a Dolby Digital Plus signal from an HDMI input to the HDMI ARC output. He was eager to convince me to invest in a Vizio soundbar instead.

Userlevel 3
Badge +4

 

It can not be that hard to integrate systems that all inhabit the same echo system - Audio/Visual entertainment. 
 

I can print to my HP wireless printer at home through google cloud print from an iPad on a beach in another county but can’t get my atmos capable TV, media player and soundbar to play anything atmos across 2 HDMI Cables. I can also print from said beach an android phone/tablet, Apple Mac, Linux machine or windows PC. 

Manufactures can either chose to cooperate or not. In this instance they chose not to. I don’t think Sonos are fully to blame as my current TV won’t spit out the right signal. BUT!  I really really appreciate that Sonos want to keep it simple yet they should have put an additional HDMI on the Arc to make it work in 2020. My TV is 4 months old. I’m happy with it and probably will be for 5+ years. 

I may send the Arc back. I’d be OK perhaps if the Vizio built in apps supported Atmos. Even a Vizio sound bar would be of no use if your using the built in apps.

Vizio could possibly fix this is firmware and all would be good.  Truth be told I think the biggest culprit in this situation is Vizio. A 2019 4K quantum HDR TV won’t pass Dolby atmos. Give me a break! 

I have a Vizio M70 (M706-G3) and a Apple TV 4K. I’m able to get Dolby Atmos. Double check your settings, firmware and replace all cables with new 8k HDMI.

Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I have an 8K cable from the ATV to the Vizio and the Sonos HDMI cable from the TV Ark port to the ARK.
 

Vizio firmware is up to date unless then automatic update is lying to me. ATV is up to date. 
 

Any ideas? I’m really perplexed. It seems inconsistent! 
 

May I ask what firmware revision your TV is on? 

 

The TV’s speakers and surround setting should be off for it to pass Dolby Atmos. Digital output should be auto

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

The TV’s speakers and surround setting should be off for it to pass Dolby Atmos. Digital output should be auto

Out of sheer curiosity could you check something for me, @ejhardin? On one of my other threads about my experiences I mention that I’ve had some odd behavior where the TV (and the Sonos app) both THINK they’re getting Atmos but absolutely cannot be (e.g. on DD5.1 tracks from 30 year old movies). I have not been able to consistently reproduce this issue but it has happened to be twice and I’m kind of wondering if it could be happening to you as well  

Could you check something that you know for sure absolutely isn’t in Atmos and see what the TV and the app report? 

Fingers crosses you’re really getting Atmos (and would be great to see that at least some Vizio sets are passing Atmos correctly). But since most others are reporting actually seeing Atmos listed under “Immersive Audio” in the ATV Video and Audio settings It gives me some pause. 

Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Thanks @Highfalutintodd. I’ll have a play when the kids are settled later! But I think I had the settings the same. 
 

My TV firmware is completely different but current. 
 


 

 

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

I have a P75-F1, and confirmed with a Vizio rep yesterday that none of their TVs will pass a Dolby Digital Plus signal from an HDMI input to the HDMI ARC output. He was eager to convince me to invest in a Vizio soundbar instead.

If the Sonos app is to be believed, that’s incorrect. I’m getting Dolby Digital Plus out of my ATV through HDMI-ARC (but not Atmos).

And I’m sure he WAS eager to convince you to buy a Vizio soundbar instead. 😎

You have a P75-F1? I thought I’d tried every combination of settings, between the Apple TV and the Vizio, but I’d be happy to learn differently, and prove the CS rep was wrong. I even looked at the manual that is part of the TV, and it doesn’t mention Atmos at all, only Dolby Digital. Teach me, Highfalutintodd kenobi, you’re my only hope ;)

And what apps are you using on Apple TV? I was checking Amazon Prime and Apple Movies. 

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

You have a P75-F1? I thought I’d tried every combination of settings, between the Apple TV and the Vizio, but I’d be happy to learn differently, and prove the CS rep was wrong. I even looked at the manual that is part of the TV, and it doesn’t mention Atmos at all, only Dolby Digital. Teach me, Highfalutintodd kenobi, you’re my only hope ;)

And what apps are you using on Apple TV? I was checking Amazon Prime and Apple Movies. 

Ah, young padawan, I’m afraid I have not been clear. While I do have a Vizio, mine is an E70-F3. You can read all about my experiences over here: 

https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/sonos-arc-apple-tv-4k-vizio-e-series-e70-f3-6842077

I know no Vizios (at least through the 2019 models) have eARC, but I’m assuming (maybe stupidly) that most of the recent models should generally handle HDMI-ARC the same way. I’m getting DD+ out of just about everything that’s a 5.1 source from the Apple TV, but no Atmos. I’m getting Atmos out of the built-in Plex and Netflix apps (definitely not Disney+ and I’ll have to remind myself about Prime Video because I rarely use it).

If I learn anything else I’ll post it in this thread or the one linked above. Good luck, and may the force be with you. 😎

Ah, no, the HDMI ARC is not handled in the same way as the non-exist at eARC on my TV. If you have eARC in that model, I can completely understand you getting Dolby Digital from most everything. 

If you do check Prime Video, I’m told the 4K versions of Jack Ryan are supposed to be Atmos enabled, although they dont seem to say so in the app. 

I’m confused. Looking at page 42 of the manual for the E70-F3 shown no mention of eARC?

Ah, I see. You’ve only gotten Atmos from internal apps, and not from the Apple TV. 

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Ah, I see. You’ve only gotten Atmos from internal apps, and not from the Apple TV. 

Correct. No eARC on my model, and no Atmos via Apple TV 4K. 

Understood. My comments were about the ability to pass Dolby Digital Plus from an HDMI input to the HDMI ARC output. Vizio says it isn’t possible on their TVs. 

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Understood. My comments were about the ability to pass Dolby Digital Plus from an HDMI input to the HDMI ARC output. Vizio says it isn’t possible on their TVs. 

According to the Sonos App, it is - at least for the E70-F3. Watching Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D on Netflix right now via Apple TV 4K and this is what the app is showing as the audio signal it’s receiving: 

 

Interesting. I don’t have Netflix to test with, just Amazon and Apple’s own apps. 

And no, I never use the TV’s internal apps. Just DirecTV and the AppleTV 4K device.

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Interesting. I don’t have Netflix to test with, just Amazon and Apple’s own apps. 

I can check Amazon and Apple TV+ in a few minutes. 

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

And no, I never use the TV’s internal apps. Just DirecTV and the AppleTV 4K device.

Same here (but I only use Apple TV 4K). I logged into the TV’s internal apps just to check and see if I could get Atmos, and if so, what it sounded like.  

Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Interesting. I don’t have Netflix to test with, just Amazon and Apple’s own apps. 

I can check Amazon and Apple TV+ in a few minutes. 

Sonos Arc + Vizio E70-F3 + Apple TV 4K = 

  • Plex (5.1 sources): Dolby Digital Plus
  • Netflix: Dolby Digital Plus
  • Disney+: Dolby Digital Plus
  • Apple TV+: Dolby Digital Plus
  • Hulu: Stereo 2.0 (which apparently is all Hulu is capable of on Apple TV, shockingly)
  • iTunes Movie purchases: Dolby Digital Plus

This is what the Sonos App reports for all of these sources via “About My System”

Apple TV settings >Video and Audio> 

Video:

Format 4K Dolby Vision
Match Content Off

Audio:

Audio Output Living Room 4 K (HDMI)
Audio Format Auto

Reduce Loud Sounds Off

Navigation Clicks Off

Sound Effects and Music Off

Audio Mode Auto

Audio Language Default

Subtitle Language Auto

 

Vizio:

Audio

Speakers Off

Volume Control Display Off

Surround Sound Off

Volume Leveling Off

Balance 0

Lip Sync 0

Digital Audio Out Auto

Analog Audio Fixed

 

TV’s software version 5.0.7.3 (in System Information) no updates available.

 

So, what’s different? Can’t be the cable, otherwise I’d not be able to send Dolby Vision, and I do see that icon at the top of the TV being received. Is it just my one year younger TV isn’t capable?

Reply