turnpike

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I'd like to get atmos, which means as I understand it now, 4K HDR.

I'm currently loving my UST Benq W1600UST in our living room just on a white wall. I have nothing to compare it to but it has for me, great vibrant colours and low latency for when I play games on it or chromecast netflix shows/movies etc.

Is there a good option which won't feel like a lot of money for worse or not much of an improvement on it? I don't even feel the need for 4k but as I say I'd like to get the 4k streams (even if downscaled) so I can enjoy atmos audio.

What is the cheapest "decent" living room projector which could do this? I might go for a 1080p again provided it supports 4k HDR downscaled.

I love the UST up on the ceiling right near the wall. Prefer UST but its costly. I'd consider short throw but would the noise be annoying right above where I'm sitting?

Budget is probably anything from 600 to 2.5k as if the only good option is at the top end of that I'll just save and wait. 3k plus is more than I want to put into this as we're not too fussy and this is only really to get the atmos sound.

Considering the TK700Sti but reviews are mixed in that the game mode can't do screen adjustments and the black levels aren't good. I don't know how that compares to my W1600UST though.

Thanks!
 
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Atmos is a sound codec and to hear Atmos you have to have the way of decoding the sound, through an a/v receiver and the required number of speakers. Minimum number of speakers is 5 base channels ( left/right/centre and a pair of surrounds) and 2 or 4 height channels.

So you will need an avr that decodes Atmos or maybe an Atmos soundbar and then if the soundtrack on the movie/game has Atmos encoded you can hear the Atmos channels.

Atmos is on quite a few 1080p & 4k blurays, SDR/HDR is in 1080p and 4k but to get HDR again you need the correct avr and a projector capable of HDR.

So in other words you need to get the sound sorted to get Atmos and not necessarily a new PJ.
 
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Sorry I don't think I mentioned that important detail. I have an Atmos soundbar and rear speakers. It works with Atmos but in order to get the atmos in many cases with streaming services I need to get the 4k. Otherwise they just give 5.1 surround.

I think I need a 4k capable projector just so the streaming services will play 4k feeds and thus give me the atmos.
 
What sources are you using to watch on the projector? I have a 1080p projector and anything on amazon or Netflix for example that is available as atmos is available to me in atmos?
 
An Apple TV will get you atmos on all the services even with a 1080p projector. Mine does!

An Amazon fire stick will give you atmos on Netflix but not Disney or apple. Or at least it didn’t on the old version I had hence why I upgraded to an Apple TV 4K.
 
An Apple TV will get you atmos on all the services even with a 1080p projector. Mine does!

An Amazon fire stick will give you atmos on Netflix but not Disney or apple. Or at least it didn’t on the old version I had hence why I upgraded to an Apple TV 4K.
I've heard the appletv4k might do what I want. Are netflix, disney and amazon all giving you atmos to a 1080 SDR screen? Or do you have a 1080 HDR projector?
 
What sources are you using to watch on the projector? I have a 1080p projector and anything on amazon or Netflix for example that is available as atmos is available to me in atmos?
Currently Chromecast Ultra -> Atmos Soundbar with rear/top speakers -> 1080 SDR projector.

Casting from my phone.

The only atmos I get is some of Netflix own shows and some local streamed video files. Doesn't work for Disney and Amazon because they only make the atmos available on the 4k (HDR?) versions.
 
I have a 1080p ancient Sanyo projector which is not hdr, I get atmos from Netflix, Disney and Apple TV+. I’ve never had atmos off Amazon because I’ve never seen anything in there with atmos in the first place.

I think because the apple tv is a down scaled 4k output it fools Disney etc into thinking it is 4k and hence you get the 4k streams.

The onscreen info doesn’t always say atmos but my amp lights up atmos where it’s available even when the onscreen just says HD 5.1.

The apple tv is awesome too as a bonus especially if you fancy buying cheap movies from iTunes.
 
I have a 1080p ancient Sanyo projector which is not hdr, I get atmos from Netflix, Disney and Apple TV+. I’ve never had atmos off Amazon because I’ve never seen anything in there with atmos in the first place.

I think because the apple tv is a down scaled 4k output it fools Disney etc into thinking it is 4k and hence you get the 4k streams.
That would be good if its the case but I've read conflicting reports saying the appletv4k will see your 1080 and give you 1080 without atmos. Maybe they updated that behaviour. I might have to get one to see. I've tried pretty much every other streaming device! :)
Amazon has atmos apparently for things like wheel of time, carnival row, jack ryan.
 
Well mine works on apple, Netflix and Disney and using the inbuilt media jukebox infuse too (which is awesome btw). I can’t vouch for Amazon though as I’ve never seen it working. I’ll try wheel of time tonight and report back.
Thanks for that. Definitely sounds worth a try if I can find an apple tv in stock. Though other discussions I've seen suggest it's going to depend on the setup. Infuse is what I'd use for my jellyfin server, provided it uses jellyfin profiles. Looks decent.
 
@Broadsword what format does it say in the video config on yours? I'm wondering if 4k would even be an option there if it doesnt find a 4k screen. Maybe apple just has a deal with the popular streaming apps to give atmos even for 1080 sdr.
I think I might get one from amazon and give it a try. Cheaper than a new projector or a fancy hdmi converter.
 
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I have it as 1080p SDR, with frame rate match enabled. My amp is atmos enabled and in sound settings on the apple I have it set to atmos available or similar.

I tried a HDMI switch with an EDID selector which also worked but the picture quality and in particular the colours was appalling. I bought the Apple TV mainly to get atmos off my apple movie library and was surprised that Disney gave me atmos too, it was a bonus. Also infuse was a huge bonus as it is such a capable and slick movie wall and that seems to pass atmos through to the amp too, but it does downgrade lossless audio to multichannel pcm in the process, but the atmos light still pops on my amp nevertheless.
 
Thanks appreciate it. I was going to ask how you know you're getting atmos but sounds like you get a light on your amp.

I just missed out on the last Apple 4k available on amazon :-\ so I have time to think about it.
 
If your buying a new 2nd gen (32GB will be fine) one then just buy it direct from apple.
Yeah I might do that it's just i dont know what they're like for returns. I still have my doubts as I dont have an av receiver and as far as I know the main streaming apps send atmos in dolby digital plus but I thought apple 4k tv did it with something called mat. Probably at the point where i just need to try.
 
So I don’t get atmos from the Apple TV using the Amazon video app. There’s no settings within the app either.
Interesting. It seems to me its just up to the streaming service apps and the particular version of the system its running on. e.g. disney might do atmos for 1080 on apple tv but not on another device. Amazon might only be giving atmos if you have HDR. It's daft but its clearly how it is.
Thanks again for checking. apple tv 4k is out of stock all around me and on amazon. apple themselves say it will take 10 days. I might give it go when I get the chance though.
 
I've got the Apple TV 4k. It does indeed do atmos on Disney. Amazon still doesn't work. What I'm wondering now is, is WHY?! Either apple is doing something to pull the atmos out of the 4k content, they have an "arrangement" with Disney, or its actually using the 4k content and downscaling to 1080. I like the interface so far except no jellyfin. Infuse is lovely but it doesn't do the Jellyfin users which we use to break up adult and kids content.

I might keep the apple because it is simply nicely done, but its probably not worth it just to get the special version of Disney which actually plays atmos. It's just made me a bit frustrated none of the other Disney apps offer the same for 1080 users.
 

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