Disney+ is getting better for Apple TV and AirPods users. They can already now take advantage of Dolby Atmos for spatial audio, as on other platforms.
So far, Disney+ has parsed 5.1 audio to the spatial sound system used by the Apple TV. So the promised audio immersion was not there for AirPods owners, while the streaming service supports Dolby Atmos on all other devices.
Long-awaited support
For Apple TV, Disney developers have developed a dedicated video player that is not from Apple. The absence of spatial sound in the Dolby Spatial of the manufacturer’s box is undoubtedly due to this “custom” player. But the latest update of the app finally enables full compatibility with Apple TV Spatial Audio.
So, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max owners can take full advantage of Dolby Atmos while listening to Apple TV 4K (1st and 2nd generation). HomePod owners are affected as well, but beware only with the default audio output mode. And only the speaker released in 2018, which is no longer marketed by Apple, is compatible.
On the Apple TV, the app offers 16-channel Dolby Atmos audio, which allows tvOS, the device’s operating system, to produce spatial audio that makes it sound like you’re in an audio bubble. To take advantage of it, the app must be updated to version 2.9.5.
If Apple TV wins this update, Android platforms are missing something! The latest 2.9.1 Disney+ app for Android TV and Google TV is already mistaking Dolby Atmos on Sony, TCL, and Hisense connected TVs, on Nvidia’s Shield, Chromecast and more, no doubt. To restore normal operation, you must install version 2.8.0 of the application in sideloading, or wait for Disney to correct its error.
