Dolby Atmos Not Working on Fire TV: 8 Things to Try
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Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology that can take your sound experience to the next level, created by Dolby to make the sound of your movie or music immersive. While designed to work with all media types, sometimes you might run into issues. If your Dolby Atmos speaker is not working with your Fire TV, there are several actions you can take to restore sound.
Keep reading to learn several ways to remediate your Fire TV and Dolby Atmos connection.
Check That Your Equipment Supports Surround Sound
After setting up your Fire TV, navigate to Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio/Video Diagnostics. Once you are on the Audio/Video Diagnostics screen, press Test Video to test your TV and sound equipment settings for Dolby Atmos compatibility. Confirm that Dolby Atmos says “yes.” This is the indicator that your system is set up to play surround sound through Dolby Atmos.
If Dolby Atmos currently says “no,” your surround sound is not ready, so you should try the next steps and try this again after.
Confirm You Are Using the Right Cables
While many soundbars come with optical cables to connect to your TV, a high-speed HDMI cable is necessary to transfer the information from your TV to your surround sound system, including your soundbar. The optical cable output from your TV cannot transmit the information necessary for Dolby Atmos to work with your sound system.
Plug Your Fire Stick directly into the Sound Bar
If the audio from your Fire TV Stick 4K is not connecting to your sound system, it may have to do with your TV’s sound output. Try plugging your amazon firestick directly into your soundbar and then connecting your soundbar to your TV via the ARC HDMI port on your soundbar. If your soundbar has multiple HDMI ports, one will be labeled ARC, and it is important that this is the port you use to connect the soundbar to the TV.
If your soundbar does not have 2 HDMI ports, try the next step.
Plug Your Fire Stick Directly into the Sound Bar
Another option to connect your Fire TV Stick 4K to your soundbar and TV is a 4K HDMI Splitter. Plug your Firestick into the input end of this HDMI Splitter, and then use two HDMI cables, connecting one from the splitter to the soundbar and then another from the splitter to the TV. This will allow you to simultaneously provide the Fire TV Stick input to both your surround sound system and your TV.
Confirm Your TV Supports 4K
Additionally, you may need to check that your TV can support 4K resolution. 4K resolution is also often called Ultra High Definition, or UHD. While 4K or UHD technically refers to the TV screen resolution, these higher-resolution TVs also contain the tech needed for better sound quality and output, such as Dolby Atmos. Many streaming platforms only allow Dolby Atmos sound with UHD streaming, which may not be supported on a TV with lower resolution.
Contact Your Surround Sound System Technical Support
If you have tried the above options and still cannot get Dolby Atmos connected to your TV, your next step will be to consult your user manual for your surround system or contact technical support. Each surround sound system is unique, and the manufacturer of that system is best equipped to help you with your system setup.
Confirm Your Media Supports Dolby Atmos
If your Audio/Video Diagnostic check says Dolby Atmos is functioning, but you are still not getting the full surround sound experience, confirm that whatever you are watching or listening to has Dolby Atmos support.
For Netflix, you will need to have an Ultra HD subscription to utilize Dolby Atmos. Even if you have the right subscription, not all shows or movies will support Dolby Atmos. Shows that do have Dolby Atmos sound will have a Dolby Atmos icon next to their description.
Currently, several streaming platforms support Dolby Atmos, including:
Turn On the Dolby Atmos Setting within Your Streaming App
Some apps, like Amazon Video, require you to adjust the sound settings once you have your media pulled up.
For Amazon Video, make sure you are watching a show or movie in Ultra HD, then while the show is playing, select the menu on your remote and navigate to audio> Audio Output > Dolby Atmos. This will then prompt your show or movie to play with Dolby Atmos sound.
Conclusion
Once you confirm that your surround sound setup for your Fire TV is functional and supports Dolby Atmos and that your media supports Dolby Atmos, you should be all set to consume your favorite media with the best sound quality.
