2 yrs later. Appletv center audio channel drops when leaving app

#6

I too have had this happen on my 5.1 setup, but didn’t realize it was a Channels issue. It’s not often, but I notice it when watching hockey - I’ll switch back to the game and only hear the crowd noise and on-ice sounds, no commentary ( which isn’t always a bad thing :grinning: ).

I’ll try to reproduce this and send the logs next time it happens.

#7

Does this happen only if you switch apps while the Channels video player is active?

What if you leave the player first and go back into the Channels app menus, then switch apps from there?

#8

Does this happen only if you switch apps while the Channels video player is active?
yes, if watching something then leaving channels apps while video is playing, run another app like youtube then returning to the channels app and the show auto-resumes the center audio is dropped. please see the video of me demoing this when first opened the issue.

What if you leave the player first and go back into the Channels app menus, then switch apps from there?
yes that works, as long as the show is stopped before leaving the channels app and opening another app, the center audio will resume later.

#9

This also happens to me, “once in a blue moon”. In my years of using Channels I think it’s happened 2-3 times. For me it’s so rare I’ve never been able to detect a pattern of when it appears. If it happens again I’ll try to make a note of the circumstances and submit diagnostics.

#10

for me it happens all the time, i have trained myself to stop the video before leaving the app

#11

I almost always stop playback before exiting too, maybe that’s why I don’t see it much.

#12

I made another video of this
What is the support email

#13

Update to the issue
I found this out when I was making the video

You don’t have to play another app

If you’re watching a show and exit the channels app while the video is playing then resume the channels app and subsequently resume the video the center audio will be lost and you have to stop the video and then resume it to gain back the center audio

This is easy to replicate with nbc nightly news as first few minutes dialogue is done in 5.1

I have a video demoing this issue too

#14

[email protected]

#15

Sent

#16

Similar to what @ damcclu reported:

  1. When I stop playing a video, return to the channels app menu, switch apps, return to channels and then resume the video the center channel audio plays fine
  2. When I switch apps while playing a video, return to channels and then resume the video, the center channel does not work

I've created another video showing the issue and submitted my logs. I'll respond on my existing support ticket with that video link

Thanks!

#17

We have a possible fix for this in the latest TestFlight build. Please try it out.

See BETA: Audio improvements for Apple TV and iPhone/iPad

#18

yes appears to be fixed

2 Likes
#19

when is this fix going to be released?

thanks

#20

This week for sure

#21

much much better
ty

#22

I can’t believe we are approaching two years since I brought up this issue.
And somehow the center channel is still not fixed when leaving the app and returning.

I thought this was fixed in one of the betas I tested

Either the issue has returned or was never fixed

#23

I’ve sent a support email attaching a video demoing the issue

Again it’s it’s been two years is there anything I can provide to help get this issue resolved

#24

Anyone else experiencing this?

We've audited the code several times and there's nothing we can do differently. We tell tvOS how many channels are present and send them to the audio APIs made available by Apple. The rest is up to the OS.

FWIW all of us developers use Channels every day with Apple TV and surround sound systems and have never experienced this problem.

@damcclu You reported it was fixed earlier:

Maybe it's working with a specific audio driver setting and the setting changed since then?

#25

is the video i sent in good enough, can i provide something else?
would a webex or something help.