Tidal Connect and ATMOS?

[RDoc]

I'm using an Nvidia Shield TV Pro into an Integra 3.4 AV and would like to be able to use Tidal Connect and get ATMOS output.

If I run the NVidia Tidal App directly, it all works and I get ATMOS when playing appropriate Tidal tracks. However, if I run Tidal on my Android phone and use Tidal Connect to play an ATMOS track on the NVidia Shield, it plays the track but it's not ATMOS. The issue seems to be the Shield's Tidal app since when selecting the Tidal Connect device to play the track from my phone, the Shield is shown as using Chromecast which apparently doesn't do ATMOS. My Sony TV, also running Google TV, has exactly the same behaviour and is listed as using Chromecast as well.

This all seems a bit weird and crazy to me since the NVidia Shield's Tidal app clearly plays ATMOS perfectly, as does the Sony Bravia TV, and the phone is able to use Tidal Connect to operate the Shield's and TV's app. It would seem the easiest way to code this would be as a simple command pass through, but apparently it's not written that way.

Everything has the most current available firmware loaded. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Keith_W]

This sounds like an issue you should be bringing up with Tidal. I have been meaning to leave Tidal because I am not happy with Tidal Connect but I haven't done so yet.

 

[RDoc]

This sounds like an issue you should be bringing up with Tidal. I have been meaning to leave Tidal because I am not happy with Tidal Connect but I haven't done so yet.

I've brought it up with Tidal's so called "support". Their strategy is to dump canned responses from keyword matches that have nothing to do with the question asked, then when I followed up, requested more information such a video of the problem. Since the issue is how the sound is distributed among speakers, I'm not sure what kind of video they have in mind. Overall, my impression is that they're just trying to avoid the issue long enough to get me to drop the question.

 

[RDoc]

After several go-arounds with Tidal, they suddenly changed their attitude and admitted that it doesn't work and isn't designed to work. All the "trouble shooting" hoops they asked me to jump through were nonsense. I've submitted a request for a new feature and we'll see what happens. Having written a lot of software, this seems absurd to me.

 

[masterhw]

Unfortunately I left Tidal for Apple Music over issues like this. It’s annoying to have to use a computer or AppleTV to play Atmos, but at least I know which hoops I have to jump through and (provided you do so) they reliably work.

 

[kyuu]

Do any of the streaming services do multichannel over the "Connect" feature? I'm pretty sure that all of them are pulling streams directly from their servers to the device. It's not controlling or utilizing the app on a downstream device, so the capabilities of the app on your TV or Shield are irrelevant.

 

[RDoc]

Do any of the streaming services do multichannel over the "Connect" feature? I'm pretty sure that all of them are pulling streams directly from their servers to the device. It's not controlling or utilizing the app on a downstream device, so the capabilities of the app on your TV or Shield are irrelevant.

What does that mean? How do you imagine them pulling the streams directly to the device? The Connect features have to go through the end device's Tidal app or they couldn't decode the material at all, not to mention things like the album art.

 

[Music1969]

This sounds like an issue you should be bringing up with Tidal. I have been meaning to leave Tidal because I am not happy with Tidal Connect but I haven't done so yet.

What issues have you had with Tidal Connect?

This suggests you are using a streamer? Wiim?

 

[kyuu]

What does that mean? How do you imagine them pulling the streams directly to the device? The Connect features have to go through the end device's Tidal app or they couldn't decode the material at all, not to mention things like the album art.

I dont understand how you think it works. If the app was required on the end device for Tidal Connect to work, how would it work on devices that don't have an app? The Tidal Connect feature is entirely separate from the app.

To answer my own question, Tidal Connect can support Atmos. However, if you go to the Tidal Connect site and sort by devices that support Atmos, it's a very small subset.

 

[Keith_W]

What issues have you had with Tidal Connect?

This suggests you are using a streamer? Wiim?

I want the Tidal app on my phone/tablet to control the Tidal app on my Windows PC. Spotify and Qobuz can do it, and apparently so can Apple. I won't use Apple (can't stand them), won't use Spotify (no lossless), so that leaves only Qobuz.

 

[Music1969]

I want the Tidal app on my phone/tablet to control the Tidal app on my Windows PC. Spotify and Qobuz can do it, and apparently so can Apple. I won't use Apple (can't stand them), won't use Spotify (no lossless), so that leaves only Qobuz.

Spotify on phone can definitely control Spotify app on Windows PC - the gold standard for a decade.

Tidal cannot do this on Windows PC or Mac - Tidal support told me years ago this will come, but never came.

Qobuz I don't think can do this?

 

[Dumu]

In my case the change would make Tidal even worse to use
I have to cast the music to my TV instead of using the inbuilt app. Otherwise I end up having Atmos mixes in the playlists and those have super low volume compared to regular tracks. And since there are zero options available in the apps, there is no way to normalize the volume. I have been trying Tidal every once in a while to listen to some new albums on better quality, but this kind of issues are so regular that I always end up cancelling the subscription after the 1st month.

 

[Keith_W]

Spotify on phone can definitely control Spotify app on Windows PC - the gold standard for a decade.

Tidal cannot do this on Windows PC or Mac - Tidal support told me years ago this will come, but never came.

Qobuz I don't think can do this?

Apparently it can.

From Qobuz webpage.

 

[RDoc]

I dont understand how you think it works. If the app was required on the end device for Tidal Connect to work, how would it work on devices that don't have an app?

Have you ever used Tidal Connect?

Tidal Connect requires the Tidal app on both ends. The way it works on devices that don't have the app is not at all.

 

[kyuu]

Have you ever used Tidal Connect?

Tidal Connect requires the Tidal app on both ends. The way it works on devices that don't have the app is not at all.

Weird. My AVR does not have a Tidal app yet it works just fine on it.

 

[RDoc]

In my case the change would make Tidal even worse to use
I have to cast the music to my TV instead of using the inbuilt app. Otherwise I end up having Atmos mixes in the playlists and those have super low volume compared to regular tracks. And since there are zero options available in the apps, there is no way to normalize the volume. I have been trying Tidal every once in a while to listen to some new albums on better quality, but this kind of issues are so regular that I always end up cancelling the subscription after the 1st month.

I make separate playlists for the ATMOS tracks. I recommend TuneMyMusic for organizing playlists, the Tidal system is pretty much useless.

The ATMOS tracks are quieter, but that means they have a larger effective dynamic range.

Weird. My AVR does not have a Tidal app yet it works just fine on it.

Your JBL has Tidal Connect support built in which is a subset of the full Tidal app that only supports Connect. The AVR has a processor in it, likely some kind of SoC, that runs the firmware, part of which is the Tidal Connect code. For other systems that don't have such software, they cannot run Tidal Connect. Different systems have different versions of the Tidal app implemented, but they all need at least part of the app to run any version of Tidal.

 

[Dumu]

The ATMOS tracks are quieter, but that means they have a larger effective dynamic range

It creates a huge problem tho, as some albums have both atmos and stereo tracks and the difference in volume is extreme. And since there are literally zero options in the LG or Google TV app, you have to adjust the volume for every track. One solution would be ready made playlists that are long enough that the app won't start playing it's own selection when the list ends, but it's not my thing. I have just accepted that the inbuilt apps are totally useless for everything else than listening to specific atmos tracks.

 

[jmtocali]

I can stream Atmos content from Tidal using Tidal connect to my Samsung soundbar

 

[Music1969]

Apparently it can.

View attachment 469507

From Qobuz webpage.

Nice, only the second company to pull off what Spotify Connect has been doing for a decade

 

[Keith_W]

Nice, only the second company to pull off what Spotify Connect has been doing for a decade

Well, there's also Apple Music. But I believe that it only works on Macs/iOS devices. But yeah, it's sad.