LG TVs Gain Support for Dolby Atmos With Apple Music

[MacRumors]

LG has updated its Apple Music app to support Dolby Atmos, making it the first smart TV manufacturer to do so (via FlatpanelsHD).

The change allows users to experience immersive audio that enhances the spatial perception of sound, previously achievable only with external hardware. The feature was confirmed to be operational on the LG GX OLED TV from the 2020 lineup, with expectations that it will work on all LG TVs that are compatible with Dolby Atmos from 2020 onwards.

While the TV's built-in speakers can utilize this new capability, LG suggests that the best audio experience is achieved with a compatible surround sound system, which can take advantage of the Dolby Atmos technology more effectively.

The update to the Apple Music app on LG TVs circumvents the necessity for additional Apple hardware. Before this update, Apple Music's Dolby Atmos support was available on TVs singularly through the Apple TV 4K, paired with either Apple's HomePods or Sonos speakers connected through the Sonos app. Other smart TV manufacturers are likely to follow suit and add support for Dolby Atmos in their own Apple Music apps.

Article Link: LG TVs Gain Support for Dolby Atmos With Apple Music

 

[vipergts2207]

Atmos through TV speakers seems rather useless.

Edit: For the select folks who can’t seem to understand, “TV speakers” refers to the speakers built into the TV, not some external speakers that you’ve attached to the TV. You’d think this would be self-explanatory, but I guess not.

 

[TheLinkster]

Because we all know how great flat screen TV speakers sound.

 

[PFox78]

Would love to see this on Samsung TVs too.

 

[npmacuser5]

Atmos through TV speakers seems rather useless.

Not when you add Sonos home theater as the output sound. In fact this option removes one device from the the sound stream. Thus, one less problem to deal with. Number one complaint today, which device messed up Adobe Atmos. Apple big mistake when they abandoned the TV picture side of their products. Lost control of the sound reproduction. Smart move LG!

 

[kiranmk2]

Atmos through TV speakers seems rather useless.

Because we all know how great flat screen TV speakers sound.

Maybe read the article in detail before commenting...

While the TV's built-in speakers can utilize this new capability, LG suggests that the best audio experience is achieved with a compatible surround sound system, which can take advantage of the Dolby Atmos technology more effectively.

 

[johntherazz]

Meh. When Apple let me use my HomePods as true rear speakers instead of limiting me to using two sets of stereo pairs I’ll know they’re taking Atmos seriously. Until then, they’re just toying with us.

 

[vipergts2207]

Not when you add Sonos home theater as the output sound. In fact this option removes one device from the the sound stream. Thus, one less problem to deal with. Number one complaint today, which device messed up Adobe Atmos. Apple big mistake when they abandoned the TV picture side of their products. Lost control of the sound reproduction. Smart move LG!

Atmos through TV speakers seems rather useless.

What you described is not through TV speakers.

 

[vipergts2207]

Maybe read the article in detail before commenting...

While the TV's built-in speakers can utilize this new capability, LG suggests that the best audio experience is achieved with a compatible surround sound system, which can take advantage of the Dolby Atmos technology more effectively.

I'd advise you to do the same there, bud. After all, you wouldn't want to say something that makes you look silly...

 

[Kay_Ess]

******** as long as they won’t support actual Atmos HiFi setups.

Just work on Atmos over AirPlay or dump the entire Atmos stuff.

 

[Demigod Mac]

Assuming this includes eARC support, means you would no longer need an Apple TV hardware unit in the equation - the TV's Apple Music app can pipe Atmos down to the receiver directly.

 

[npmacuser5]

What you described is not through TV speakers.

Tehnically they are the tv speakers. I set Sonos as the default TV speakers. Works the same if one uses the external Apple TV box. Bypasses the internal TV speakers. The benfit as stated.

 

[vipergts2207]

Tehnically they are the tv speakers. I set Sonos as the default TV speakers. Works the same if one uses the external Apple TV box. Bypasses the internal TV speakers. The benfit as stated.

No, technically those are external speakers that are connected to the TV. The TV speakers are the ones physically inside the TV...

 

[TheLinkster]

Maybe read the article in detail before commenting...

Comment still stands. There's no reason to have a TV with Atmos when you have to plug it into an Atmos-enabled external sound system for it to sound good.

 

[macsound1]

Since we're all splitting hairs here, what's frustrating is a company saying a device "supports" some fancy new thing, but through research and maybe a disappointing purchase, you realize the feature actually requires additional hardware that would've been possible with any device, not just this new one with the sparkly marketing sticker.

Essentially - this TV is nothing special if you believe the built-in speaker's execution of Atmos is subpar (which obviously is the case since TV speakers suck). So literally any TV manufacturer could put a sticker on their TV box saying they support Atmos with some fine print that it's not really any good and if you want the real experience, you need to buy an actual Atmos setup.

 

[rxp]

Atmos music has really been meh for me. The mixes don’t add much for me even on my real 7.1.4 Kef R home theatre with ceiling speakers

 

[macsound1]

Comment still stands. There's no reason to have a TV with Atmos when you have to plug it into an Atmos-enabled external sound system for it to sound good.

Remember when all the PC laptops had stickers saying they had THX sound, come to find out it was just a sticker on the same awful built in plastic garbage...

 

[jz0309]

Turn on big screen TV to listen to music through built-in speakers - really?

 

[lenard]

Atmos through TV speakers seems rather useless.

if you have attached speakers that support Dobly Atmos, no problem

 

[dasmb]

I have an LG TV and a Samsung TV and boy is the LG superior.

Full facts: my LG is a 55" OLED, was around $1999, and the Samsung is a 43" The Frame, around $999

The screen of course is incredible, OLED vs QLED is no contest. But the real merit of the LG is the incredibly responsive, customizable UI. Yes, it has stupid spyware and built in crap -- but you can make all of that crap go away and just use the TV how you like.

The Samsung, on the other hand, is buggy AF (the installer actually crashed while I was setting up the TV), the UI is not responsive, and you can't get rid of all the stupid spyware and built in Samsung crap. Indeed: it's even hard to use AS A FRAME if you want to provide your own art and photographs (as I do). You have to scroll past a bunch of paid services to even find the feature, and to add new photos required a very buggy sidecar app that requires a Samsung login.

 

[Bill Best]

I just updated the Apple Music app on my LG C9 OLED and it now supports Dolby Atmos. So it looks like even 2019 TVs are supported. 👍🏻

 

[NervousFish2]

My 2021 LG CX Series works with this update. It actually does sound kind of cool. But then if I run sound via eARC to my Apple TV with paired OG HomePods, the TV gets smoked. So I'll file this under nice to have, for now. (Eventually may get a better sound rig but its a small room and its fine for now)

 

[vipergts2207]

if you have attached speakers that support Dobly Atmos, no problem

Then those aren’t the TV speakers. Those are external speakers…

 

[Baritone_Guy]

Does this also work with the Bose Soundbars via Apple TV 4K? All the streaming apps seem to work for me, but the article only referenced Sonos and the Apple speakers.

 

[M0rpheus]

Just loaded up the Apple Music app on my LG C9 TV, can confirm Dolby Atmos working, passed through perfectly to my paired LG soundbar over eARC. Cool, one less reason for an Apple TV! Now they just need to add 24-bit lossless passthrough via SPDIF and ideally Apple Music should have some kind of multi-device remote control, something akin to Spotify Connect and it'd be perfect!