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Apple TV 4K no Dolby Vision after connecting via Soundbar

As most of my Apple TV 4K movies are in 4k with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos I wanted to extend my sound system as my LG TV only supports Dolby Vision/4K/HDR (and works perfectly fine with HDMI connection from ATV4K to TV) but not Dolby Atmos. So I searched for a Soundbar with Dolby Atmos and 4K Passthrough and the LG SN7CY has that and is Dolby Vision compatible... Bingo.!

As per the instructions on both Apple and LG I connected the ATV4K to The Soundbar (to get Atmos) and the Soundbar to the TV using the Soundbar Passthrough, simple enough but it seems upon doing so ie playing a movie with 4K Dolby Vision and Atmos, the TV switches to 4K HDR and not Dolby Vision? I went into ATV4K Audio/Video settings and noticed that all the Dolby Vision options are gone, leaving just the various versions of SDR and HDR format.

Am I missing something somewhere, surely someone has this type of setup?


Hope you can help...


Kindest regards





Apple TV 4K, tvOS 13

Posted on Aug 10, 2020 9:03 AM

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14 replies

Aug 13, 2020 12:44 AM in response to aadanvers

I have almost the same setup as yours but with the LG SN8Y soundbar. I think you are losing DV through the soundbar as I also lost it when passing through the soundbar but gained Atmos.


It is because of the HDMI 2.0 ports on the soundbar, it can only pass through normal 4K HDR, not Dolby Vision.


@Urquhart1244 has been helping me as well in a different thread on video issues between Apple TV 4K and LG TV with pass through Soundbar. Apple TV 4K & LG Dolby Atmos Sound Ba… - Apple Community


Hope this helps?


Aug 10, 2020 2:55 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Ive ordered some new cables (HDMI 2.1 HDCP 2.2) as mine are currently HDMI 2.0 which is fine for Apple TV direct to my TV to get Dolby Vision but could be an issue going via the Soundbar which is this years model and possibly requires HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.3) although I can't locate any 2.1's with HDCP 2.3 so going try the new cables and see if that works and will let you know.


Kind regards

Aug 12, 2020 8:04 AM in response to aadanvers

Tried the new cables and made no difference using HDMI 2.1 HDCP 2.2 48gbps cables. it will happily change to HDR 4K but not Dolby Vision plus if I go into Apple TV settings all the Dolby Vision options aren't there anymore, but return when Apple TV 4K is connected direct to tv and Dolby Vision reappears when playing Dolby Vision content, so im at a loss now.

I can get one or the other but not both.


Apple TV 4K

LG SN7CY Soundbar

LG 65UH950V in U.S. it may be listed as 65UH9500 TV

Aug 13, 2020 4:59 AM in response to LeonGos

I gathering that now but LG support said it should work as the Soundbar is Dolby Vision compatible hence I bought this version for that purpose but it transpires that it does passthrough 4k HDR to tv fine via Soundbar but not the Dolby Vision, so Lg support has forwarded details to their tech team and I am waiting on a reply, when I've no clue lol also in the manual specs it does say HDMI 2.1and I bought HDMI cables 2.1 as I have already 2.0's and 2.1 cables are backwards compatible, as for the version on the Soundbar ports themselves manual states connectivity as being 2.1 (HDCP 2.3) - Dolby Vision Yes. so it can't be the ports. The only issue that could be is this (HDCP 2.3) but that refers to content protection plus Apple TV send the 4k HDR signal through but just doesn't Dolby Vision... Anyway I'll get back when news comes in from LG Tech

Aug 13, 2020 5:16 AM in response to LeonGos

Mine is a newer model and has 2.1 ports (your model 2.0's) so my issue is slightly different it will happily passthrough 4k hdr but not Dolby Vision like LG state/claim, and sound comes out just fine as Atmos on Atmos content. It does seem that LG soundbars are having issues, so its more likely I'll be sending it back and waiting a while before investing in another new one.

Aug 13, 2020 7:27 AM in response to aadanvers

That's never good news! It just keeps on getting worse with LG at the moment. I am reading more and more about issues with their newer tech.


Hoping that a firmware update fixes most of the issues, would hate to return the soundbar if that turns out to be the main issue on my and your side.


Update when you hear back from them please.

Aug 14, 2020 10:27 AM in response to LeonGos

Hey LeonGos, just going back to your setup, and checking specs section mine clearly state 2.1 HDMI but out of curiosity I checked your models tech info and it just says HDMI (with no version number next to it) it doesn't give port version in connectivity so just a possibility that as yours like mine is a 2020 model thenlike mine yours would be 2.1 not 2.0 which then would require HDMI cables of 2.1. So it maybe worth you trying 2.1 hdmi cables. If you've tried this already then its a possible issue with the whole SN series of soundbars or a huge mistake advertising it can passthrough Dolby Vision when it can't...

I bought extra cables at 2.1 and it still doesn't do it, so everything all aligns with the tech specs and what the Soundbar is supposed to do, hence lengthy emails back and forth to LG support, and its now been passed to their technical department. Again I'll update here when I hear, but they best hurry as I've only 28 days from purchase to return it and we're 1 week down already, so it might end up going back before LG get back me. Either way when LG do I shall let you know.

Aug 16, 2020 10:01 AM in response to aadanvers

Thanks aadenvers,


I have placed an order for some Club3D HDMI 2.1 cables, hoping they come this week sometime so that I can try that. If that does not solve my issues, I am out of options. Only other thing I can think of is factory resetting the Apple TV, LG TV & Soundbar. Then setup the TV & Soundbar first, after that connect and setup the Apple TV.


Completely lost it last night whilst watching Spider Man Homecoming on Apple TV app and out of the blue, some scenes just started switching to black & white for a second and switching back to color. Stopped the movie 10mins in and started it again on the Apple TV app built into the LG TV and not a single issue. Video and audio quality was absolutely perfect.


I was on the brink of throwing out the Apple TV last night after all the issues the past 7 days.


Let's hope for some proper feedback from LG soon.


Aug 20, 2020 5:12 AM in response to LeonGos

OK, they have got back to me (don't shoot the messenger) and said. It could be down to the Soundbar (my version SN7CY, as I can't speak for yours, but yours is a 2020 model as is mine so they should be similar in the case of DV compatibility, then the issue is across the 2020 range not just my model) then they asked what version of DV does the Apple TV 4K output? (I've no clue how to find that) as their are a few versions of it. (I have latest Apple TV 4K update so it unlikely at a guess that its the Apple TV.

So the Soundbar isn't compatible with all versions of DV... Doesn't say that in any of their spec/info etc (Bad LG)

Their suggestion is that if it works directly with the tv then use the Apple TV that way!!!! but that defeats the object of having the Soundbar to combine DV and DA which is the only reason I got the soundbar cuz it stated DV compatible.


Now my tv was the first iteration of premium LG LED TV to have DV and I found out DV is 'hard baked' into the tv, meaning its a piece of hardware (chip or something) in the tv, when the proceeding tv's with DV had DV software, so im thinking the soundbar might not like my tv's version of DV. I put that question to them so awaiting on them replying.

In the meantime I'll try and find DV version in Apple TV where I've no clue but I bet its not the Apple TV as that connected direct to tv changes to DV just fine so im guessing its the soundbar that can only support latest versions of DV.


Ive literally a week before I can't return the item then I'll be stuck with it... So Im gonna send it back anyway if I can.


I'll still post any responses/updates when I get them regardless whether I still have the soundbar or not...

Sep 4, 2020 11:34 AM in response to aadanvers

Wanted to add that I had 30 days to return the soundbar before it was mine and charged for it, so as I had no response I returned it. LG did get back after this fact and told me that it could well be the soundbar being faulty and also asked if I could try another Apple TV 4K now im not about to buy another just to check. But they did say if it works with the Apple TV 4K direct to the soundbar, it could be faulty.


I did however think that the soundbar connected to the tv (ARC HDMI port) just like the Apple TV 4K to the TV the 'HDMI Deep Colour' setting would need to be turned on.! Hence it passing through 4k and HDR ok but not Dolby Vision, now im sure I tried all sorts of settings in the tv and Apple TV including this but reset the tv to factory settings including Deep Colour which reverts to off on all ports... So when I disconnected it to return the soundbar it was in off position on the ARC port, so if I were you id check this first, Dolby Vision needs HDMI Deep Colour 'ON' to work so the ARC port from TV to Soundbar would need 'ON' and as I tried so many settings im thinking I may have missed this. Give that a try if all Apple TV settings as suggested by a community member and the correct cables the HDMI Deep Colour in the TV settings is the only thing else that needed changing. If you tv is not LG HDMI Deep Colour maybe called something else, but is found in general or picture settings.

With my TV I had ARC port HDMI Deep Colour 'ON' for Blu-ray home theatre but open removal of the device it turns it 'OFF' and has to be reenabled again for a different device.


Let me know how it goes...

Oct 5, 2020 3:07 PM in response to aadanvers

I too have an Apple TV 4K, LG TV (OLED 55" B9), and an LG Soundbar (SN7R) w/ Dolby Atmos and experienced the same Dolby Vision pass-thru issues, until I tried the following configuration: Connect the Apple TV to the HDMI 1 IN port on the TV; Connect the HDMI OUT port of the Soundbar to the HDMI ARC IN port (HDMI 2) on the TV. I also have an LG 4K Blu-ray player that I connected to the HDMI IN port of the Soundbar. I have 8K rated HDMI 2.1 cables, but I'm not sure if that made a difference relative to this issue. I was able to get Dolby Vision to the TV and Atmos out of the Soundbar from any relevant content streamed from the Apple TV, after selecting the associated inputs and outputs settings on the TV and Soundbar. So far this appears to work for me, and I hope this may help anyone else with this issue.

Nov 16, 2020 7:33 AM in response to pizzapete18

This is interesting, have been looking everywhere for a response on how to bypass this issue.


To summarise, what you are saying is that, while connecting ATV4K to HDMI 1 (or 3 or 4), Dolby Vision (DV) will work, but the Dolby Atmos (DA) audio will only transfer to HDMI 2 when connecting a supporting 2.1 cable from there to the HDMI OUT on the soundbar (SB)? Would all other devices connected to the HDMI ports on the TV be okay with passing audio via HDMI OUT on the SB? What functionality is left for the one device connected directly to the soundbar (and the SB to the TV?)


Would this technically work on a LG B7 OLED? Essentially they share the same ports?


Basically, my B7 is packed with devices connected. A PS4 (HDMI 1), Amazon Fire TV (HDMI 2 (ARC)), Apple TV 4K (HDMI 3) and a Nintendo Switch (HDMI 4). So my best bet is to probably connect the Nintendo Switch to the SB since it only outputs 1080p and doesn't use anything like DV or DA, then have the HDMI OUT port of the SB connected to HDMI 2 (ARC), and everything else can be connected as normal, albeit switching the Amazon Fire TV to HDMI 4.

Apple TV 4K no Dolby Vision after connecting via Soundbar

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