Paul Cantrell
Hey, AV nerds! I have a question / puzzler for you. The volume controls on my Apple TV don’t work, and I’d like to make them work.
I know •why• the buttons don’t work. 👉You do not need to explain in the replies!👈 What I don’t know is how to fix the problem.
Have I nerd sniped you? Here's the signal chain:
Apple TV
–[HDMI]→ Samsung TV
–[optical SPDIF]→ cheap DAC
–[analog]→ powered speakers
What's the problem? Well…
1/
Paul Cantrell
The Apple TV correctly detects that the TV supports HDMI-CEC, and sends volume commands downstream. The TV, however, refuses to adjust the volume of its optical out, incorrectly assuming that the downstream audio device also has a remote. It doesn’t. Neither the cheap little DAC nor the speakers support a remote of any kind. (The speakers have a physical knob, that’s it.)
Result: volume buttons on the Apple TV remote make the TV say “OPTICAL” and refuse to adjust its volume.
2/
Paul Cantrell
Possible solutions:
1. Make the Apple TV adjust its own output volume. (Apparently impossible?!?)
2. Make the TV adjust its optical audio output volume. (Also apparently impossible?)
3. Get a new audio device either just upstream or just downstream of the DAC that does nothing except respond to a remote control to adjust the volume. (Do such devices exist at non-silly-audiophile prices? What are they called?)
Any suggestions? I figure there must be something out there!
/end
tinydoctor
@inthehands Stop watching TV. Not the solution you’re looking for, but that’s what I did.
Paul Cantrell
@ian @blakereid
Right right. One could build an SPDIF in / SPDIF out device that adjusts the volume numerically, though I doubt anyone’s packing that into consumer hardware! I’d sort of assumed such a device would be post-DAC. And I can find volume remotes for •speaker• level, but not •line• level.
Ian Dees
@blakereid @inthehands +1 on this. I don't think opticial spdif supports volume level. It's just raw digital bits riding on some photons
Blake E. Reid 🍍🍕🥫🏁
@inthehands AFAIK, optical audio is a straight pass through of the digital audio stream, so adjusting the volume is something that typically happens downstream (as opposed to via some kind of DSP). If it were me, I would just buy an inexpensive receiver that supports HDMI-CEC to replace the DAC and drive the speakers.
Paul Cantrell
@blakereid
Bah, I’d been trying to avoid ditching a perfectly good DAC, but you’re probably right.
ShadSterling
@inthehands does the TV have a different audio out you could use?
Paul Cantrell
@ShadSterling
Well, there’s a headphone jack that also doesn’t work as desired, but as a bonus, it sounds worse!
Paul Cantrell
UPDATE: Looks like this would do the trick, replacing the existing DAC. Anybody know whether I can train an Apple TV remote to control it?
https://www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Converter-Toslink-Coaxial-Adjustable/dp/B07G71BG3V
Paul Cantrell
@ian Clipping’s not an issue: the speakers are way too loud at max volume, so I only need to add attenuation somewhere in the signal chain.
Ian Dees
@inthehands @blakereid yea you could find some equipment to boost the output but it would result in clipping. You have to somehow get volume control to the amp that's powering the speakers, and any control signal that might be able to do that is probably getting lost on the spdif connection
Paul Cantrell
Fairly annoyed that I’m probably going to end up getting hardware to fix something that either Apple or Samsung could choose to fix in software.
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