Question Airplay 2 on 2019 LG TVs

simoneaz1

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Hello. Just wanted to ask the lucky owners of a 2019 LG TV set how Airplay 2 exactly works on their sets when you stream purchased iTunes movies and/or Apple TV + shows.

In particular, once you begin streaming something from iTunes and/or Apple TV+ using (eg) your iPhone, does the LG tv (1) continue to stream from the iPhone itself or (2) does it stream the content directly from the Internet (in other words, similar to a Chromecast)?

It’s obvious that alternative (2) would be far more efficient in terms of battery drain on the phone, not to mention that you don’t duplicate the WiFi streams.

I have read mixed feedback from forums on this point, and I couldn’t find any article that actually bothers explaining this.

Thanks as always for the useful feedback
 
I’ve been thrashing around Google trying to get answers too. LG has told me that an AppleTV app. is being developed, but there’s currently no ETA for availability. This issue has interested me because having just got a new iPhone I can get a year’s free viewing of AppleTV+, but the offer is time limited. My 2019 LG TV has the Airplay2 update, and from what I can make out, my 6th generation iPad with iOS13+ (the device that I would want to use as the streaming source) is also good for Airplay2. Some articles that I’ve seen suggest Dolby Vision level picture quality levels, but I can’t find out anything about what audio is provided. I don’t want to start messing around with trying to stream a film if all I’m going to get is stereo audio. I don’t have Atmos-capable a/v kit but it will handle the likes of DD5.1, etc.

Does anyone have any insights that they could share please? I might try and visit my nearest Apple store to try and get some answers, but I think that I’ll come away none the wiser. The other option is an AppleTV 4K box, but I don’t really want to splash out for any new hardware, especially as at some point, hopefully, my LG TV will get the AppleTV+ app.

Clem
 
Someone has to be the one to try it and report back!

If Airplay is a casting system then logically the iPad is just the GUI and once youve chosen a show it hands off the URL to the TV to stream - the iPad cant really be a streaming source as such, The app will just be a GUI sitting on the TV - the firmware still does the streaming/codec.

 
I believe that Airplay 2 receives the same stream as a ATV would and the device you stream from iOS just a front end ,certainly from what I have seen on my C9 it looks identical to using the ATV itself,and on a Samsung Q70R using the ATV App ,its identical too
 
Picture maybe, but what about the audio? I have no interest in watching stuff that I know has a 5.1 soundtrack if it’s only playing back in stereo.

Clem
 
Picture maybe, but what about the audio? I have no interest in watching stuff that I know has a 5.1 soundtrack if it’s only playing back in stereo.

Clem
Sorry can't answer that as the sets I used were using internal speakers
 
Thanks, but that’s my issue. DV playback (but no support for HDR, apparently) seems to be a given, but as for audio, no idea.

Clem
 
DV is HDR. If you have a non DV TV then you'll get HDR10. It's hard to imagine that a Apple 4K stream on an LG would not also supply DD+. The trailers for ATV+ series have, right from the moment the service launched, been available in DV and surround in the ATV app and demonstrate what worked with no sign-up required. There is nothing LG support, Apple shops, or the internet can tell you that's any better than a simple test yourself.
 
Picture maybe, but what about the audio? I have no interest in watching stuff that I know has a 5.1 soundtrack if it’s only playing back in stereo.

Clem
Airplay 2 gives me 5.1 audio as well. I'm sure It'll do Atmos as well but I don't have Atmos to try. And yes Dolby Vision or HDR10 also work fine.
 
My understanding of the handoff feature in airplay 2 is that it transfers the currently fetched stream, it does not go searching for a “best available” this is why you will see different results depending on what device was used to initialise the hand off
 
The only fine detail is thats it's unlikely that there is one DV stream with 2.0 and another with surround. So even if it plays in 2.0 on the handheld perhaps the same stream plays in surround when cast to the TV.

What is less clear is whether there are separate streams for 5.1 and Atmos - again there doesnt need to be but reports do show Atmos at a higher bit-rate (meta data cant really account for this difference)
 
Regarding audio, Apple uses Dolby MAT for its atmos streams and I am sure this is limited to the atv4k and recent iMacs. I think this is the reason the Samsung/fire tv apps do not support atmos at all. It would also explain why regular 5.1 (in a dd container) works with airplay. Atmos works when airplaying to an atv4K but this Is likely due to the fetch from cloud feature exclusive to the ATV
 
5.1 audio would be fine for me, as I don’t have any Atmos-capable kit. I’m thrashing around here, trying to put off activating my 1y free ATV+ freebie for as long as possible, although I only have until early March or I lose it. I suspect, but can’t prove, that Airplay to LG TV will only give 2.0 audio, because it’s not routed through the TV’s HDMI sub-system, unlike a physically connected device. I’ll see if I can get any sense from Apple or LG, but suspect that I’ll just get frustrated by the lack of meaningful response.

Clem
 
I’m in the same sort of spot, humming and arring over buying an Apple TV or just wait for the app whenever that may come.
 
I've raised the issue with LG and have opened a case with Apple. I'm expecting their 'phone call as I type ...

Clem
 
One the 'phone now. The vibes are not good ...

Clem
 
So, The Apple guy reckons that I *should* get the same audio as I get from the likes of Netflix, suggesting that AirPlay/AirPlay2 supports multichannel audio.The response was suitably vague however ... I'll wait to see what LG come back with and then, when I get some free time later this week, will sign-up and have a play. I'm not convinced though, but will stand to be corrected.

Clem
 
Apple dont stream using MAT, like everyone they use DD+ with Atmos. The ATV 4K box decodes this DD+ to PCM which becomes MAT when with Atmos. So this has nothing to do with Airplay with iPad and LG TV.

I think youre really over-thinking things. If you have the hardware already just try the free episodes on ATV+, or take the week's free ATV+ subscription, or buy a £2.99 itunes movie.

The only known advantage of the ATV 4K over the TV app will be access to Itunes extras on the ATV and the ability to make purchases.
 
Apple dont stream using MAT, like everyone they use DD+ with Atmos. The ATV 4K box decodes this DD+ to PCM which becomes MAT when with Atmos. So this has nothing to do with Airplay with iPad and LG TV.

Apols if off topic, why then does Atmos not work on all the other platforms which have the app and can pass DD+ ? I understood the atv decoded the Netflix streams, but didn't think it applied to their own content, sure I seen something on Reddit where the bitrate on some content exceeded what was allowed within DD+?
 
Not off topic because finding out just what happens when a ATV+ series or an iTunes movie is casted to a LG TV via Airplay is useful information about Apple streaming.

MAT is PCM with Atmos. PCM is uncompressed audio. Not even UHD disk uses uncompressed audio. Disk uses lossless compressed audio and streaming services use lossy compressed DD+.
The spec for DD+ allows for 6Mb/s which is many times more than what apple use for audio for ATV+ .

There is no obvious technical reason why the ATV app on sticks and TVs dont support Atmos, or DV, or iTunes extras - so the suspicion is that its just to keep something back for those of us who have already paid out for the ATV 4K

What happens with Airplay to LG - i.e. whether there is DV and Atmos is an early indicator of what to expect from the ATV app when it finally comes to LG
 
Yes, that’s an interesting observation about the ATV app when it arrives for LG TVs. I’ve asked LG if they have any idea when it might be available, but have nothing yet by way of a response.

Clem
 
Well, I contacted LG about this. Here's the text of the message that I sent:

----- begin -----
Hi, I know that I can use the Airplay2 feature on my 2019 LG 49SM8500PLA TV to stream/cast material using my Apple iPad as source, but I'm unclear on what levels of quality I can expect. I believe that picture quality-wise, I should see Dolby Vision from programmes on the AppleTV+ service, but what about audio? Will I get multichannel audio -- my TV is connected to external a/v kit using HDMI ARC, or will playback only be in stereo through external equipment?

Is there any ETA regarding the Apple TV+ app. for 2019 year LG TVs?
----- end -----

Here's the response that I received yesterday:

----- begin -----
Thank you for your email. I have looked in to this for you and as long as the TV is set in sound out to HDMI ARC and the section that says digital sound out is set to "auto" the TV will be able to send out signal above stereo (2.0) and can go up to 9.1 or even Dolby Atmos no problem. If it's not on Auto it will only go up 2.1.

In regards to AirPlay 2, I have looked in to this for you and this is something the research and development team are currently looking in to an update. I would be happy to raise a VOC (Voice of customer) for you regarding this suggestion. The function of VOC’s is to highlight to the development team recurring customer requests and customer demand for specific functions such as the Airplay 2 update. We are currently working on a number of different updates for products across our ranges, however they may be able to look in to prioritising their research in to certain updates if there is high demand for a particular update.

In order to raise a VOC for you I would need confirmation that you wish me to go ahead with this and the following details from you -

Serial number:
Suffix code:
Contact number:
Date of purchase:

Once I have these details from you I can proceed to raise a VOC for you.
----- end -----

I'm none the wiser, but the message vaguely implies to me that there's no AppleTV+ app. for LG TVs in the pipeline. Or perhaps there is. I have no idea. SWMBO is on an awayday on Saturday, so I'm hoping to have a play then, to see what I get from AirPlay. I'm not hopeful though. In the meantime, I suggest those that are interested in/want an AppleTV app. for their LG TVs should contact LG and ask the question.

Clem
 
Well, I contacted LG about this. Here's the text of the message that I sent:

----- begin -----
Hi, I know that I can use the Airplay2 feature on my 2019 LG 49SM8500PLA TV to stream/cast material using my Apple iPad as source, but I'm unclear on what levels of quality I can expect. I believe that picture quality-wise, I should see Dolby Vision from programmes on the AppleTV+ service, but what about audio? Will I get multichannel audio -- my TV is connected to external a/v kit using HDMI ARC, or will playback only be in stereo through external equipment?

Is there any ETA regarding the Apple TV+ app. for 2019 year LG TVs?
----- end -----

Here's the response that I received yesterday:

----- begin -----
Thank you for your email. I have looked in to this for you and as long as the TV is set in sound out to HDMI ARC and the section that says digital sound out is set to "auto" the TV will be able to send out signal above stereo (2.0) and can go up to 9.1 or even Dolby Atmos no problem. If it's not on Auto it will only go up 2.1.

In regards to AirPlay 2, I have looked in to this for you and this is something the research and development team are currently looking in to an update. I would be happy to raise a VOC (Voice of customer) for you regarding this suggestion. The function of VOC’s is to highlight to the development team recurring customer requests and customer demand for specific functions such as the Airplay 2 update. We are currently working on a number of different updates for products across our ranges, however they may be able to look in to prioritising their research in to certain updates if there is high demand for a particular update.

In order to raise a VOC for you I would need confirmation that you wish me to go ahead with this and the following details from you -

Serial number:
Suffix code:
Contact number:
Date of purchase:

Once I have these details from you I can proceed to raise a VOC for you.
----- end -----

I'm none the wiser, but the message vaguely implies to me that there's no AppleTV+ app. for LG TVs in the pipeline. Or perhaps there is. I have no idea. SWMBO is on an awayday on Saturday, so I'm hoping to have a play then, to see what I get from AirPlay. I'm not hopeful though. In the meantime, I suggest those that are interested in/want an AppleTV app. for their LG TVs should contact LG and ask the question.

Clem
AppleTV+ app has been confirmed already for LG sets going back to 2018
 

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