Thread: Apple TV to surround sound

There are two ways to get surround sound from the Apple TV to a surround system.
1) HDMI will transmit both digital video and Audio
2) TOSlink (SPDIF or optical digital) cable will transmit digital audio only

Do you have a surround sound amp in your system or are you trying to run it to a pseudo surround sound on the TV? The Pioneer is a recorder/player and doesn't have inputs for HDMI Or TOSlink. You assumptions are correct.

I run mine via HDMI to my Denon Surround amp and then run HDMI to the TV. The Amp is setup to send the sound to the speakers and not to the TV (via HDMI). I could have put HDMI to the TV and TOSlink to the amp and this would have achieved the same thing.

If your TV will detect DTS or Dolby Digital encoding then the HDMI cable to the TV will be giving you the best ability of the TV to output surround sound.

If you don't have anything at all a sound bar is the best alternative or 5 speakers a subwoofer and a surround amp.

Hi, that my problem my surround sound amp doesn't have a HDMI input jack, so was try the others but as we said they are out put only, so I figure a different amp is the only solution ...Gary

You only need the audio (TOSlink) to go to the amp the video will still go to the TV via the HDMI. You can get synchronisation problems between video and audio this way but as it is all digital it usually is down to the digital/analogue converters in the amp. If the amp doesn't have a TOSlink input then you can buy a TOSlink to5.1 RCA convertor but does this risk sync problems too.

What make/model is your amp?

Hi the amp i have is a JVC RX-5022VSL ....because of a cassette ,DVR, set top box, turn table, surround sound set up the back of the amp is pretty chockas, ..Gary