Does Apple TV support DTS?
Based on: Apple TV 4K (1st gen, 2017) with a 7.1 receiver, Apple docstvOS: Apple docs for tvOS 26; device test version not recorded (June 2026)Checked
Short answer
No. Apple TV 4K does not output DTS in any form, and there is no DTS setting. A player app can decode a DTS track in software and send it on as PCM (or not at all), but your receiver will never light up "DTS" from an Apple TV.
What Apple says
The record
- Apple’s audio format list for Apple TV 4K (2017) names AC-3, E-AC-3 and Dolby Atmos. DTS is not listed in any form.Apple doc
- The current Apple TV 4K spec page lists the same audio formats, also without DTS.Apple doc
- The Audio Format setting offers Auto, Convert to Dolby Digital 5.1, Stereo Only, Dolby Atmos and Continuous Audio Connection. There is no DTS option.Apple doc
- Probing the Apple TV audio route while building our speaker-test app, we saw Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, E-AC-3 JOC (Atmos) and multichannel PCM. Never a DTS bitstream.Tested
So what happens to a DTS track?
It depends entirely on the player app:
- Apple’s own apps cannot play it. Most DTS tracks also live inside MKV files, which Apple’s player does not open either. See how to play MKV on Apple TV.
- A player with a software decoder (VLCKit, FFmpeg) can decode DTS to PCM and send that to your TV or receiver.
- A player without one plays the video silently, or skips the file.
| Track | Bitstream to receiver | How it can still play |
|---|---|---|
| DTS core | No | Software decode in a player app |
| DTS-HD MA | No | Software decode in a player app |
| DTS:X | No | Software decode; there is no DTS:X output |
DTS variants and Apple TV. 'Bitstream' means the receiver decodes the format itself.
How our player handles it
- Our Jellyfin and SMB player sends every DTS file (it reads both the “dts” and “dca” codec names) to its VLCKit engine, which decodes in software.Our app
We have not yet measured exactly what VLCKit outputs for DTS on Apple TV (channel count or downmix), so we do not claim it here. This page will be updated when we have.
If you want real DTS
Apple TV is the wrong box for it. If bitstream DTS-HD MA or DTS:X matters to you, it has to come from a different source device. For everything Apple TV does support, see audio passthrough settings explained.
Questions people ask
Why doesn't my receiver show DTS when I play a DTS movie on Apple TV?
Because Apple TV does not send DTS. If the movie plays with sound at all, the player app decoded the DTS track itself and sent PCM, which your receiver shows as PCM or multichannel.
Is there a setting to enable DTS passthrough on Apple TV?
No. The Audio Format menu offers Auto, Convert to Dolby Digital 5.1, Stereo Only, Dolby Atmos and Continuous Audio Connection. None of them is a DTS option.
Does Apple TV support DTS:X?
No. DTS:X is not in Apple's audio format list for Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV does not send a DTS bitstream.
If you would rather not fiddle with it
Jellyfin & SMB Video Player
Plays MKV, MP4 and TS from Jellyfin, SMB shares and NAS on Apple TV and iPhone. Native AVPlayer first, an FFmpeg remux path for MKV, and a VLC fallback.
View on the App Store$6.99 once, no subscription
We make this app. Everything above is true whether or not you use it.