Besides making durable and classy phones, Apple take pride in making Apple TVs. With this television in place, you will be able to take your home’s entertainment to a whole different level. From watching Netflix movies to streaming Kayo Sports, there are is a myriad of activities that can help keep boredom at bay. Although your Apple TV might stream videos optimally, sometimes, its sound might not be working as expected.
If your Apple TV has sound issues, you will not be able to hear clearly what is being aired or streamed online by this device. Such inconveniences can frustrate you as you will not enjoy the much-needed entertainment back at home. If you are a victim of such circumstances, worry not as we have a number of solutions that can help avert this problem. In this article, we shall take a closer look at why your Apple TV sound is not working, how to fix it, alongside any other helpful idea.
Reasons Why Apple TV Sound is Not Working
If you are a smart home nerd, the last thing that you would like to have is an Apple TV that has sound issues. This is because you might not be able to get the most out of your TV using AirPlay.
Consequently, you might not enjoy the luxury of working with platforms such as Apple Homekit in order to control your Apple TV. In case your Apple TV sound is not working, here are some of the reasons that can contribute to this problem:
- The audio receiver connection are not configured correctly. Worse still, the audio cables might be loose or not connected at all.
- Your Apple TV is on mute mode or its volume has been reduced to zero.
- Your Apple TV is not connected to a power supply
- The HDMI cable has an issue. Additionally, the HDMI cable might not be connected correctly.
- The correct speakers have not been selected, thereby making your Apple TV not to produce any sound when it is on.
- Your Apple TV’s RAM is overfilled.
- The hardware that is connected to the Apple TV has an issue.
- Your Apple TV’s firmware is yet to be updated.
- The current content being aired on your TV has sound issues.
- Your Apple TV is set to produce sound in the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio format.
Fix Your Apple TV Sound If Not Working
Since you already know the various reasons why your Apple TV sound might not be working, time is ripe for you to know the various solutions that can help you fix this problem. Some of the solutions that can help you get started include:
1. Change your Apple TV’s audio sound format to stereo
First and foremost, Apple TVs will always play the highest quality sound that is supported by your current home entertainment setup or by your TV.As we speak, Dolby Digital 5.1 is the current high quality audio sound format that is supported by most TVs. However, older TV models or home entertainment systems hardly support it.
In case your TV has no sound chances are that it has been set to produce sound in the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio sound format and yet it is an older model. To be on the safe side, you might have to change the Dolby digital 5.1 audio sound format to Stereo.
If you want to change the audio format to stereo, take your Apple TV remote and then press on the ‘Menu’ button. Go the ‘Settings’ option and then then choose ‘Video & Audio’ option and then select ‘Audio format’. Select the ‘Change format’ option twice and then choose the ‘New format’ option. Select ‘Stereo’ as your desired audio format and you will be good to go.
Unlike the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio format, the stereo format is supported by most movies, TV shows and so forth. Typically, it is a universal standard and thus ideal for use with any Apple TV.
2. Ensure that your Apple TV has not been muted
Sometimes, someone might mute your Apple TV unawares. Other times, you might mute it and forger to unmute it. If this happens, your Apple TV will not produce any sound. Here, you will have to unmute it using you remote control and thus make the sound of the current TV show audible once again. Better still, try to increase the current volume of your Apple TV. This step can also help make your TV’s sound more audible.
3. Check the status of your HDMI cable
Besides the problems mentioned above, your Apple TV sound might not be working due to improper connections with the HDMI cable. Therefore, you have to check whether your HDMI cable is connected to your Apple TV properly or not. Here, you can unplug it from the Apple TV and then back. You can even try to disconnect the cable from both sides and then reverse the HDMI port connections.
This trick can work magic for you. Finally, ensure that you tighten all the HDMI cable connections. In case you do not get the desired results, chances are that your HDMI cable has an issue and needs to be replaced once and for all.
4. Change your Apple TV’s audio sound output to PCM
Although changing the audio sound format within your Apple TV settings might help solve the sound issue, sometimes, it might bear any fruits. In this case, you have to change the audio settings of your TV. For optimal results, you should change the TV’s audio output into PCM.
Simply put, PCM stands for Pulse-Code Modulation. To change your Apple’s audio output to PCM, go to the ‘Settings’ option on your TV remote and then select the ‘Sound Settings option. Thereafter, choose ‘Audio out’ option and then look out for ‘Optical’ and then ‘Digital Sound Out’ or ‘PCM’.
5. Reboot your Apple TV
If you had installed a new driver or made any other changes recently, chances are that your TV might start acting glitchy. Other times, it might have bugs that can only be eliminated by rebooting it.
Thankfully, rebooting your Apple TV not only help to eliminate these glitches but also help to refresh all its apps. This might go a long way in improving the sound quality, alongside other features on your Apple TV.
6. Try to reboot the hardware that is connected to your Apple TV system
Sometimes, your Apple TV might not essentially have an audio sound issue. Instead, the problem could result from the hardware that you have connected to the TV. Therefore, you should try to reboot the audio hardware that you is connected to your Apple TV and see how it goes. Once the audio device reboots, wait for about 1 minute before you can reconnect to your TV.
Additionally, ensure that your audio device is working optimally as thus might also affect the sound of your Apple TV. In case it is damaged, you will have to engage the services of a professional technician so that he or she can diagonise the issue for you.
7. Ensure that you have assigned the correct sound system to your Apple TV system
The Apple TV gives you the luxury to utilize the speakers that you want. Therefore, only those selected speakers will be able to make your Apple TV’s sound more audible. If your Apple TV does not recognize the selected speakers, you will have audio sound issues with your Apple TV. To be on the safe side, you should assign the appropriate sound system to your TV system. Better still, choose the audio auto mode and you will solve the sound issue right away.
8. Update your TV’s firmware
Just like any other electronic device, your Apple TV’s firmware needs to be updated every now and then. Thankfully, the new firmware update makes your Apple TV’s system software to become more refined than before. This way, you will no longer grapple with audio sound issues with your TV, among other issues.
To update your Apple TV’s software, take your remote and then press the Home button. Navigate to the ‘Settings’ option and then tap on it. Here, you will see several options, including ‘Software Update’ option. Tap it and a dialogue box will appear on your TV’s screen showing you any pending updates.
In case there are some pending updates, download them and allow the installation process to begin thereafter. Since this process might take a while, it is important that you be patient. Also, do not disconnect your Apple TV during this process.
9. Hard reset your Apple TV
Earlier on, we had mentioned that soft resetting or rebooting your Apple TV can help solve the audio sound issue right away. However, if this method does not work, you might have to hard reset your Apple TV.
Unlike soft resetting your Apple TV, hard resetting it usually revert it to default of factory settings. As you hard reset your Apple TV, ensure that it is plugged in and it has a good internet connection.
If you want to get started, press the ‘Menu’ button on your Apple TV remote control and then choose the ‘Settings’ option on your Apple TV screen. Navigate to ‘System’ and then click on the ‘Reset’ option.
Choose ‘Reset and Update’ option and you will be able return your TV back to manufacturer’s settings. In case there are pending software updates, download them and then check if the sound will start working again or not.
10. Try to play different types of contents
To start with, the Apple TV can play different kinds of contents, thereby keeping everyone in your family entertained. From podcasts to iTune Store movies, there is a plethora of contents that you can play on your Apple TV. Although some contents might have a good audio, others might have issues with their sound.
Consequently, you might experience sound problems anytime you play them on your Apple TV. In this case, it is imperative that you change the current channel or content and establish if the sound issue will be solved or not. Surprisingly, the sound problem might be domiciled in the source of the content and not the TV itself.
11. Reach out to the Apple TV support
If you have tried the above-mentioned hacks and failed to succeed, time is ripe for you to contact the Apple TV support and narrate your issue. To call Apple TV support, dial 1-800-APLCARE.
Unlike other companies, Apple allows you to enjoy unlimited complimentary support for the first 90 days from the date you purchased their product. After that, you might be required to buy Apple Care so that you can get the much-needed help in case you experience problems with your Apple TV.
Frequently Ask Questions
Why is there only sound and no picture on my Apple TV?
To start with, ensure that both devices are connected on the same network. On your Mac device, you should go to ‘Settings’ and then choose ‘System Preferences’ and then tap on ‘Network’. On your Apple TV, go to the ‘Settings’ section and then select ‘General’ and then tap on the ‘Network’ option. Ensure that the network selected by both devices is the same. Better still, ensure that you reboot your Apple TV and determine if the problem will persist or not.
Why is there no sound when I connect my Mac to Apple TV?
In case you not hear any sound when you connect your Mac device to Apple TV, chances are that you have not turned on the volume on either of these devices. Therefore, there is a need to turn on the volume on both devices so that you can be able to hear the sound of the contents that you are streaming on your iOS device on your Apple TV.
Why is my Apple TV remote volume not working?
If your Apple TV remote volume is not working, chances are that it needs to be programmed with the Apple TV or the receiver. On your Apple TV, go to the ‘Settings’ option and then tap on the ‘Remotes and Devices’ option. Click on the ‘Volume Control’ and then choose ‘Learn new device’.
Ensure that you follow all the prompts that you will see on your screen and you will be able to reprogram your Apple Remote control successfully. It is imperative to note that the Apple TV remote control can control either the volume of the receiver or the Apple TV. However, it cannot control the volume feature of both devices.
How can I make my Apple TV sound better?
There are many ways that can help improve the sound quality of your Apple TV. First and foremost, change the audio format of your TV from Dolby Digital 5.1 to stereo or PCM. Better still, try to reboot your Apple TV, connected devices and so forth. Finally, upgrade the firmware of your Apple TV and establish if the sound feature will improve or not.
