Time for some surround sound goodness
YouTube TV has been working on adding 5.1 surrounding sound support across various streaming boxes since March this year. The streaming television service rolled out 5.1 Dolby Audio support in June 2021, but it was limited to selected smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, and the original Chromecast. A year later, in June 2022, surround sound compatibility arrived on Roku, Android TV, and Google TV devices. While better than before, the service still lacks support for some of the best streaming boxes. Plugging those gaps, YouTube TV has announced support for 5.1 audio on Apple TV and Fire TV devices.
In a tweet, YouTube TV confirmed that you can now enjoy 5.1 audio on Apple TV and Fire TV devices for compatible content. For now, the service supports surround sound for live, DVR, and video-on-demand content.
You can enjoy 5.1 surround sound on YouTube TV on the following Fire TV devices:
Apart from a compatible streaming box and content, you must also have a 5.1 speaker system to hear and experience the surround sound goodness. With the latest additions, YouTube TV now only misses out on 5.1 audio on gaming consoles. However, the live TV streaming service is working on addressing this gap as well.
You can find the complete list of supported devices and the steps to check whether a program on YouTube TV is outputting 5.1 audio or not on Google's support page.
Rajesh started following the latest happenings in the world of Android around the release of the Nexus One and Samsung Galaxy S. After flashing custom ROMs and kernels on his beloved Galaxy S, he started writing about Android for a living. He uses the latest flagship Samsung phone as his daily driver, although he's a Pixel fanboy at heart. And yes, he carries an iPhone as a secondary device. Rajesh has been writing for Android Police since 2021, covering news, how-tos, and features. Based in India, he has previously written for AndroidBeat, Times of India, iPhoneHacks, MySmartPrice, and other tech blogs. He also writes for AP's sister site MakeUseOf. When not working, you will find him mindlessly scrolling through Twitter, watching a movie, or going on long road trips. You can reach out to him on Twitter or drop a mail at rajesh@androidpolice.com.