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Setup guide · tvOS 26.6

Apple TV 4K,set up properly.

Every setting that matters for picture and sound, shown the way it looks on your screen, with the why behind each one.

Start the guide Skip to summary
Settings15
Time~10 min
DevicesApple TV, TV, AVR
UpdatedSep 13, 2026
Apple TV · 5 settings

01Video

Five settings, all in the same menu.

You needApple TV remote
Start at
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
In this section
  1. 01Format
  2. 02HDMI Output
  3. 03Chroma
  4. 04Match Dynamic Range
  5. 05Match Frame Rate
01 / 15

Format

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Format
2Set to
4K SDR, 60 Hz
Why

Keeps the home screen in SDR so your TV isn't stuck in HDR mode all the time. When you play HDR or Dolby Vision content, the Apple TV switches on its own. A brief black screen means it's working. 60 Hz keeps menus smooth.

Older 1080p TV? Choose 1080p instead.

You're
MenusWatching a filmMenus
TV gets
SDR60 Hz
Dolby Vision24 Hz
SDR60 Hz

What your TV receives over an evening. Menus stay in SDR at 60 Hz. When a film starts, the Apple TV switches to match it, with Match Content from steps 04 and 05. The dashed gaps are the brief black screen while the TV changes mode.

02 / 15

HDMI Output

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. HDMI Output
2Your model
Not sure? Settings › General › About shows the model.
3Set to
RGB HighYCbCr
Why

The 1st and 2nd gen models have a known bug that adds a green tint when using YCbCr. RGB High avoids the problem completely.

The green tint bug was fixed in the latest tvOS for the 3rd gen, so YCbCr now delivers the most accurate colors. Pair it with 4:4:4 chroma in the next step.

03 / 15

Chroma

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Chroma
2Set to
4:4:4Skip this step
Why

Chroma only appears with YCbCr. On a 1st or 2nd gen with RGB High, there's nothing to change here.

Controls how much color detail gets sent to your TV. 4:4:4 sends a color sample for every pixel, with no compression, for the most accurate picture.

4:4:4Every pixel keeps its own color
4:2:0Groups of 4 pixels share one
04 / 15

Match Dynamic Range

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Match Content
  4. Match Dynamic Range
2Set to
On
Why

Your Apple TV switches between SDR, HDR and Dolby Vision to match what you're watching. Without it, your TV can show SDR content in HDR mode, which looks washed out, or the other way around.

05 / 15

Match Frame Rate

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Match Content
  4. Match Frame Rate
2Set to
On
Why

Films are made at 24 pictures per second. If the Apple TV always sends 60 Hz, those pictures can't be spread evenly, so camera pans look jerky. That's called judder. With this on, the Apple TV switches to the film's own rate.

24pictures per second in a film
60refreshes per second on a 60 Hz TV
2.5refreshes per picture. Half a refresh isn't possible.
Match Frame Rate offTV runs at 60 Hz
Judder

Each picture held for 3, 2, 3, 2… refreshes. Uneven.

Match Frame Rate onTV runs at 24 Hz
Smooth

Each picture held for exactly 1 refresh. Even.

Picture on screen now One TV refresh Numbers = film pictures · slowed down 6×

Watch the two squares. Top: the TV has to show some pictures longer than others, so the square moves in a long-short-long-short rhythm. On screen, that's the stutter you see in slow pans. Bottom: every picture gets the same time, so it moves evenly.

Not working well for you?

No single setting works for everyone, since TVs and apps vary. Native frame rate output is generally recommended to avoid A/V issues, and it's one of the Apple TV's strengths.

If your TV doesn't handle the signal correctly, or your streaming app doesn't support frame matching, turn this off and let your TV handle the pulldown instead.

Apple TV · 5 settings

02Audio

Same menu, further down. First, one thing to know: the Apple TV doesn't pass audio straight through to your speakers.

What you play
Dolby Digital Plus incl. Atmos
Dolby TrueHD lossless
Stereo, AAC, 5.1 any
Apple TV
Decodes everythingto LPCM
What your system gets
Uncompressed multichannel PCM Atmos as MAT

Because everything arrives as LPCM, your receiver or soundbar will show "PCM" instead of the original format. That's expected, and it shapes the settings below.

You needApple TV remote
Start at
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
In this section
  1. 06Audio Format
  2. 07Atmos
  3. 08Continuous Audio
  4. 09Audio Mode
  5. 10Reduce Loud Sounds
06 / 15

Audio Format

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Audio Format
  4. Change Format
2Set to
Off (Auto)
Why

With Change Format off, the Apple TV picks the format automatically and keeps your audio as uncompressed LPCM, the highest quality it can output.

07 / 15

Atmos

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Audio Format
  4. Atmos AvailableImmersive Audio
2Your speakers
3Set to
OnOff
Why

Atmos Available tells the Apple TV your system can play Atmos, so it sends it.

Without Atmos speakers, turn off Immersive Audio so the Apple TV doesn't process sound for speakers you don't have.

08 / 15

Continuous Audio Connection

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Audio Format
  4. HDMI Output
2Set to
Off
Why

New in tvOS 26.4. When on, the Apple TV holds a constant Dolby MAT connection to your receiver or soundbar. Non-Atmos audio is packaged as 7.1.4 LPCM at 16-bit / 48 kHz with silent objects, so your system always sees what looks like an Atmos stream. It fixes some problems and causes others.

What it fixes
  • No dropouts or delays when switching between stereo, 5.1 and Atmos.
  • No volume jumps between stereo, Dolby Digital Plus and Atmos, a common LPCM issue on some systems.
  • No interruptions in Apple Music, or when one track is Atmos and the next isn't.
  • Can fix lip-sync issues over eARC.
  • Can fix audio pops or crackling on some systems.
What it breaks
  • Most receivers and soundbars treat the output as true Atmos at all times, which can cause incorrect channel behavior or altered surround processing.
  • Upmixing (Dolby Surround, DTS Neural:X and others) may stop working. There's no upmixing from an Atmos source, and upmixing from 7.1.4 may be faulty.
  • Atmos is always sent compressed at 16-bit instead of 24-bit. That's an Apple TV limit either way, but with this on, lossless audio (from Infuse, for example) is affected too, which can reduce dynamic range.

Tested with a 7.2.4 AVR setup, a 3.0 AVR setup and a 3.1.2 soundbar.

Bottom lineIt's not set-and-forget, since the result depends on your system. Unless you need one of the fixes above, leave it off.
09 / 15

Audio Mode

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Audio Mode
2Set to
Auto
Why

Lets the Apple TV handle audio routing on its own. Nothing else to do here.

10 / 15

Reduce Loud Sounds

1Go to
  1. Settings
  2. Video and Audio
  3. Reduce Loud Sounds
2Set to
Off
Why

A matter of taste, but off keeps the original dynamic range of films and shows. Quiet parts stay quiet, loud parts hit properly.

Troubleshooting

Volume feels too low?

A common complaint. The Apple TV converts all audio to LPCM, and some receivers and soundbars handle the volume level (dialnorm) differently. In your receiver or soundbar settings, raise the volume for the HDMI input your Apple TV is connected to.

Last resort

Older system without LPCM?

Go to Settings › Video and Audio › Audio Format › Change Format and choose Dolby Digital. Older systems can then play the audio, but quality drops. Only do this if nothing else works.

Your TV · 3 settings

03TV & HDMI

Put the Apple TV remote down. These three live in your TV's own menu. Names vary by brand, so each step lists what yours might call it.

You needTV remote
Start at
  1. TV
  2. Settings
In this section
  1. 11HDMI Black Level
  2. 12HDMI Signal Format
  3. 13Pulldown / Telecine
11 / 15

HDMI Black Level

1Go to
  1. TV
  2. Picture Settings
  3. HDMI Black Level
Also calledBlack LevelRGB RangeHDMI Range
2Set to
Limited
Why

Many TVs default to Auto, and Auto often gets it wrong. Streaming and Blu-ray all use limited range, so set the TV to match. Full is only meant for using the TV as a PC monitor.

Mismatched · crushedDark detail lost
Matched · LimitedEvery step visible
Mismatched · washed outGrey blacks
12 / 15

HDMI Signal Format

1Go to
  1. TV
  2. External Input Settings
  3. HDMI Signal Format
Also calledEnhanced PlusHDMI Deep ColorInput Signal Plus
2Set to
Enhanced
Why

Lets your TV accept the full HDR and Dolby Vision signal. Without it, you can lose shadow detail, get a washed-out picture, or lose HDR entirely.

Soundbar or receiver in between?Check whether it has its own HDMI signal setting, and set that to Enhanced too.
13 / 15

Pulldown / Telecine

1Go to
  1. TV
  2. Picture Settings
  3. Motion
Also calledSony: CineMotionLG: Real CinemaFilm Mode
2Set to
Off
Why

With Match Frame Rate on (step 05), the Apple TV already sends the right frame rate. If your TV converts it again, the two conflict and you get stutter or dropped frames.

Background · nothing to change

04Dolby Vision

Nothing to change here, just helpful background. Dolby Vision comes in several "profiles" built from different layers, and that's what decides how each one plays on the Apple TV.

P5

Streaming

Dolby Vision metadataDolby Vision base layer

Used by every major service. No HDR10 fallback, so unsupported devices show green or pink. The Apple TV plays it with excellent color accuracy.

Best on Apple TV
P8

Hybrid

Dolby Vision metadataHDR10 base layer

Supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Converted from P7 or P5 for compatibility, and most third-party players handle it. Slightly less accurate color than P5, though few will notice.

Most compatible
P7

UHD Blu-ray

Dolby Vision metadataEnhancement layerHDR10 base layer

Dual-layer format from discs, like remux files. The Apple TV can't use the enhancement layer, so Odin plays the HDR10 base layer instead.

Falls back to HDR10
Odin player · 2 settings

05Odin

Everything above applies to any app. These two are specific to Odin and changed from earlier versions, so check them even if you set them before.

You needApple TV remote
Start at
  1. Odin
  2. Settings
  3. Video Player
In this section
  1. 14Cache Mode
  2. 15Dynamic Range
14 / 15

Cache Mode

1Go to
  1. Odin
  2. Settings
  3. Video Player
  4. Cache Mode
2Set to
Memory
Why

Odin buffers the stream ahead of time in memory instead of loading each chunk only when it's needed. That prevents stuttering and buffering interruptions during playback.

WatchedAlready loaded in memory
15 / 15

Dynamic Range

1Go to
  1. Odin
  2. Settings
  3. Video Player
  4. Dynamic Range
2Your TV
3Set to
ST 2094-10ST 2094-40
Why

ST 2094-10 is Dolby Vision's dynamic metadata. Use it if your display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10.

ST 2094-40 is HDR10+ dynamic metadata. Use it if your display only supports HDR10 or HDR10+.

Video formats

  • HDR10Native
  • HDR10+Native
  • Dolby Vision Profile 5Native
  • Dolby Vision Profile 8Native
  • Dolby Vision Profile 7FallbackFrom discs, like remux files. Plays as HDR10.

Audio formats

  • StereoNative
  • Multichannel PCMNative
  • Dolby DigitalNative
  • Dolby Digital PlusNativeIncluding Atmos.
  • DTSNative
  • DTS-HD MA, DTS:XFallbackLossy DTS core, played as multichannel PCM.
  • Dolby TrueHDFallbackLossless multichannel PCM, without the Atmos metadata.
All 15 settings

Summary

Every value on one screen, grouped by device. Tap a setting to jump back to its step.

Apple TV

Format
4K SDR, 60 Hz
HDMI Output
YCbCrRGB High on 1st/2nd gen
Chroma
4:4:43rd gen only
Change Format
Off (Auto)
Atmos Available
Onwith Atmos gear

TV

Odin

Dynamic Range
ST 2094-10ST 2094-40 on HDR10+ TVs