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rmartin7
August 5, 2023
Answered

Sonos Arc, Apple TV 4K and eARC setting on LG OLED C3

I just bought a new Sonos Arc and LG 65OLED65AUA tv.  Everything seems OK but I am having problems with sound from my Apple TV 4K (latest version).  I only get sound when Dolby Atmos content is played, no sound with Dolby 5.1, HD, etc.  I spent and hour with Sonos phone  support yesterday.  We were unable to find a solution.  I tried different settings on the Apple TV and LG tv.  Today I turned off the eARC setting on the LG tv and now all is working.  I think with eARC there is more information transferred with ARC and there might be a slight difference in sound  with Dolby Atmos.  The eARC was turned on automatically when I installed the Sonos Arc on the LG tv.  Just curious why the eARC setting seems to fix the problem.  Thanks.

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GuitarSuperstarAnswer
Lead Maestro
August 6, 2023

Set the TV to these settings:

HDMI Input Audio Format: Bitstream

Digital Sound Output: Pass Through

eARC Support: On
 

Set the Apple TV audio settings to this:

Change Format: Off

Dolby Atmos: On

 

Then do this:

Disconnect everything from the TV and unplug the Arc, Apple TV, and TV from power for a couple of minutes. Plug everything back in but keep everything disconnected. Make sure Simplink is enabled in the TV settings. Run TV Setup in the Sonos app and follow the app instructions. When the app instructs you, connect the Arc to the TV’s HDMI eARC port using the Sonos-supplied HDMI cable. After the Arc has been successfully connected, connect the Apple TV to the TV.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
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NFA
Lyricist I
August 23, 2023

same problem here. for now my solution is switching inputs. i go to tv and quickly switch back to the hdmi (earc) and ATV works until i turn off.  hope this temporarily helps.

BrokenHope
Lyricist III
August 23, 2023

I’ve used an Apple TV 4K 3rd gen with both an LG C9 and now a LG G3 and have no issues at all and eARC works perfectly with my Sonos Arc, no idea why you’re having issues. I’ve used both tvOS 16 and 17 also.

rmartin7Author
August 23, 2023

That didn’t work for me, but thanks for the suggestion.

rmartin7Author
August 23, 2023

I spent an hour on the phone today with Apple Support.  We couldn’t figure out why the Apple TV 4K 2nd generation works and the 3rd generation doesn’t.  I swapped out the HDMI cables and tried different HDMI inputs on the LG OLED C3.  I’ve already tried Sonos support.  I may try LG support but not too optimistic.

Ken_Griffiths
Ken_Griffiths
August 23, 2023

I spent an hour on the phone today with Apple Support.  We couldn’t figure out why the Apple TV 4K 2nd generation works and the 3rd generation doesn’t.  I swapped out the HDMI cables and tried different HDMI inputs on the LG OLED C3.  I’ve already tried Sonos support.  I may try LG support but not too optimistic.

At a quick glance, there seems to be others reporting this on the Apple forum & Reddit - it doesn’t appear to be a Sonos issue, but LG TV’s are mentioned in each case.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252455967

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250260832

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254624095

https://www.reddit.com/r/appletv/comments/zivze4/apple_tv_4k_3rd_gen_lg_c2_lg_soundbar_has_trouble/

    Juno8
    Lyricist III
    August 24, 2023

    Those Apple discussions are either quite old or not apples to apples (no pun intended!) to this situation.

      Ken_Griffiths
      Ken_Griffiths
      August 24, 2023

      Those Apple discussions are either quite old or not apples to apples (no pun intended!) to this situation.

      Some mention Apple TV 4K (3rd gen) the above links were just a sample I saw, so maybe it’s an ongoing issue and it seems to be related to LG TV models too. 

      rmartin7Author
      August 25, 2023

      I spent an hour today talking to LG support.  No luck.  They had me unplug the TV and press the power button for 60 seconds.  When I plugged it in and restarted the TV the Apple TV worked as expected.  When I switched the HDMI input to another device and then back to Apple TV the problem recurred.  The Apple TV 4K 2nd gen works but to me there is a subtle difference with better sound and picture with the Apple TV 3rd generation.  I just have the sound issue when eARC is on.  For now I will use the built in apps in WebOS and try again if there is a software update from Sonos, Apple, or LG.

      Juno8
      Lyricist III
      August 25, 2023

      For me, the WebOS app experience is by far the weakest when compared to ATV 2nd gen.  I’m replacing the motherboard on the LG this weekend for one last time. If it doesn’t fix the issue… And I would be shocked if it does… LG has said that they would replace the TV. I will believe that when I see it though.

      For now I use the ATV third GEN, and when I switch from cable to the ATV… I go into Settings and remove one of the privacy selections from the support section and that resets both the TV and the ATV 3rd gen, which allows it to function properly. It’s a pain in the ass but oh well. I will not settle for a lesser experience than ATV 3rd gen.

       

      Juno8
      Lyricist III
      August 25, 2023

      I know Sonos could help us to figure out this issue.  It’s unfortunate they don’t.  

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