Do the Apple TV models support 5.1 channel surround sound?
The original Apple TV initially output only a Dolby Prologic stereo signal and did not support “true” 5.1 channel surround sound. However, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound support via pass-through was added with the “take two” software update. The black second generation Apple TV has always supported Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound via pass-through. Interestingly, in an excellent MacWorld “First Look” regarding hacking the original Apple TV at the time of its release, the author noted that: The audio chip in the Apple TV is a Realtek ALC885, which the manufacturer describes as a “7.1+2 Channel High-Performance High Definition Audio Codec.” The specs on this chip are quite impressive, and seem to indicate that the Apple TV’s reported audio-output limitation — Dolby Pro Logic II — is due to software, not hardware. In fact, Roughly Drafted reports that if you play a sample DTS audio file through your Apple TV, the Apple TV’s optical digital-audio output jack does indeed put out 5.1 aud
