Both Beam and Arc have only an HDMI input, the older Sonos Playbar and I believe the Playbase connected to the TV with an optical cable and I believe the small Sonos Ray soundbar also has an optical input.
I should get my new Apple TV 4K this week so I'll also play around with it hooking it up directly to our Arc, but in our case it doesn't really matter since I practically never watch or listen to the TV unless it's with my sighted wife and then of course the TV is on as well. If a direct connection between the Apple TV and the Sonos Beam really doesn't work without a TV in between then the only option might be to have some sort of splitter which extracts the audio but then you still have to have something you can direct this audio stream to and unless you have another splitter on the Beam which allows you to hook up an optical cable from the first splitter then you may have to have a Sonos Port. The Port has rCA analogue inputs and outputs as well as a Coax digital input and output, but as long as you could get the audio into the Port, you could then group it with your Beam and play the audio from the Apple TV that way. But it would involve a significant amount of gadgets and fiddling around and to me it would not be worth it. Alternatively one could try to find out if a Sonos Amp which has an HDMI input could receive audio from an Apple TV if it were directly connected. Then Gary could put a Sonos Amp with either bookshelf speakers or in-wall or in-ceiling speakers into the bedroom. I can also test this since we have a Sonos Amp and in-wall speakers in our bedroom so before I put my new Apple TV in its final resting place inside my entertainment cabinet, I could certainly hook it up to the Sonos Amp and see what happens. Fort hat matter, I could try this also with our older first generation Apple TV HD, I believe they called it the fourth generation Apple TV and it came out in 2015 after the Apple TV third Gen was discontinued. I thought we already had the first generation Apple TV 4K, but when I checked the model number which is A1625 and I looked it up I realized we bought it in 2015 and it's just the apple TV HD. I now ordered the latest Apple TV 4K with 128 Gb of RAM simply because the price difference to the 64 Gb is not a lot and only the 128 Gb has support for thread networking which is the new standard necessary for Matter support. For those who don't know what Matter is they can read the below article from 9to5MAAC: Apple drops smart-home feature from base Apple TV<https://9to5mac.com/2022/10/18/apple-tv-4k-thread-support/> -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> On Behalf Of Richard Turner Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 10:37 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> Subject: RE: Apple TV without a physical screen - Results When we first got our Apple TV 3rd generation, I had to get an optical audio converter to get the sound to go through our then stereo receiver and not the TV speaker only. This was before we got Sonos products and a Smart TV and stopped using the physical Apple TV. I wonder if you need something like that to direct the audio through the soundbar? Though, I don't know what inputs the Beam2 has, if it is just the HDMI port, then that idea may not work. Best of luck, Richard, USA. “Reality is the leading cause of stress for those who are in touch with it.” -- Jane Wagner from The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe My web site: https://www.turner42.com -----Original Message----- From: 'Gary Robinson' via VIPhone <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 10:28 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> Subject: Re: Apple TV without a physical screen - Results Well I picked up a SONOS Beam 2 last week and connected it to my APPLE TV 4K latest version. I set up the Beam and plugged it into the EARC port on my LG TV and it worked ok. I switched everything off and re-plugged the Beam into the HDMI port on the APPLE TV using the SONOS cable which they confirmed supported EARC etc. The results - nothing! I couldn't get a sound out of the APPLE TV, needless to say as soon as I re-plugged it into the back of my LG TV it came alive with Voiceover etc so the APPLE TV was working fine. I have been doing some GOOGling around and found an APPLE support article which seemed to suggest that you could plug the APPLE TV into a sound bar to get DOLBY Audio sound. When I had the APPLE TV plugged into the LG I had a look around the settings under video/sound but couldn't find any reference to immersive audio or DOLBY Audio. The article suggested that if this was the case your surround equipment settings needed checking. Presumably in this case this means the BEAM. Any suggestions? Thanks Gary On 20/11/2022 22:19, Sieghard Weitzel wrote: > Yes, it would work because that is what receivers are made for just as HDMI > inputs on TV's are made for this. > Anyways, I have a feeling with the secondor third generation Apple TV 4K you > will be able to plug it straight into a Sonos Beam or Arc, but hopefully Gary > will report back once he has picked up his Beam and tried it. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> > <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> On Behalf Of > Kelly Ford > Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2022 1:43 PM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> > Subject: Re: Apple TV without a physical screen? > > Hi, > > For what it is worth, I do have my Apple TV plugged into the HDMI port of my > receiver. This is a Marantz receiver. This works fine with the Apple device > and does not require my TV to be connected or on for the Apple device to > work. The Apple device is the newest 4K unit. > > >> On Nov 20, 2022, at 3:23 PM, 'Gary Robinson' via VIPhone >> <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> >> Thanks for the feedback. I originally had the old Apple TV HD with its some >> what quirky remote and decided to upgrade to the very latest 4K version >> which arrived last week. >> >> I was so impressed with the new unit, both the well thought out remote and >> the speed of the box, I gather the new processor in this unit is some 30% >> faster than the older 4K unit, that I decided to see if I could create a >> sound only system. >> >> I intend to pick up a Sonos beam as there are some good deals this Black >> Friday and will report back on what happens. >> >> >> Gary >> >> >> On 20/11/2022 21:11, Sieghard Weitzel wrote: >>> This would not help to connect to a Sonos Beam or Arc soundbar which have >>> only HDMI inputs. Maybe there is another adapter which would convert the >>> audio coming from your box back to HDMI, but as I said, a lot is possible, >>> but whether it is practical is another issue. Before I buy all these >>> gadgets I would simply buy the latest Apple TV 4K which was just released, >>> hook it up to my Sonos soundbar which from the way it sounds he already has >>> and see if it works. If not he can either return the Apple TV for a refund >>> or look into whatever other adapters/extractors are required to make it >>> work. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> >>> <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> On Behalf >>> Of Matthew Bullis >>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2022 2:23 PM >>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> >>> Subject: Re: Apple TV without a physical screen? >>> >>> Hello, to get around this issue, I bought this several years ago. You >>> connect an HDMI cable to it, and then to the Apple tv, and you send your >>> audio out through the RCA jacks. It's used for those times when tvs or >>> gaming consoles don’t have their own audio outputs, and you need to have >>> them for some external speakers. It's about a thirty dollar item: >>> ViewHD Premium HDMI to HDMI +... >>> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KBHX072?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share >>> Matthew >>> >>> >>> On Nov 19, 2022, at 2:44 PM, Joney Owen >>> <talk2o...@gmail.com<mailto:talk2o...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>> >>> I asked this question when I was in a class for Apple TV a year or so ago. >>> We scuffed at a bit, because they couldn’t understand why the TV was not >>> wanted. However, I don’t believe it works without the TV. If you find out >>> differently, please let me know. >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>> On Nov 19, 2022, at 1:43 PM, Richard Turner >>>> <richardr_tur...@comcast.net<mailto:richardr_tur...@comcast.net>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Apple Accessibility is available 24/7 at 877-204-3930 >>>> >>>> I suspect the answer is that the Apple TV won't care, but short of just >>>> trying it, the good folks at Apple could answer your question quickly. >>>> >>>> I don't have a physical Apple TV, I just use the app on my iPhone or our >>>> Smart TV in our living room... >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Richard, USA. >>>> “Reality is the leading cause of stress for those who are in touch >>>> with it.” -- Jane Wagner from The Search for Intelligent Life in >>>> the Universe >>>> >>>> My web site: https://www.turner42.com >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: 'Gary Robinson' via VIPhone >>>> <viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> >>>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2022 9:58 AM >>>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com> >>>> Subject: Apple TV without a physical screen? >>>> >>>> Hi all, >>>> >>>> Does anyone know if the Apple TV will work if it is plugged directly into >>>> a soundbar such as one of the Sonos devices rather than into a tv and >>>> thence to a soundbar? >>>> >>>> I am trying to create a TV sound receiver for a small bedroom and don't >>>> want a full sized TV screen as I can't see it anyway. >>>> >>>> I am suspicious that the Apple TV box will complain because it can't see a >>>> display device.. >>>> >>>> Thanks >>>> >>>> Gary >>>> >>>> -- >>>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone >>>> list. >>>> >>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or >>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the >>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>>> >>>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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Your list owner is Cara Quinn >>>> - you can reach >>>> Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com<mailto:caraqu...@caraquinn.com> >>>> >>>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "VIPhone" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to >>>> viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/002101d8fc46%24b76bb870%2426432950%24%40comcast.net. >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> mk...@ucla.edu<mailto:mk...@ucla.edu>. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you >> can reach Cara >> at caraqu...@caraquinn.com<mailto:caraqu...@caraquinn.com> >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to >> viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/59b87637-dba9-2b37-9cde-f81fcfa5ec8f%40talktalk.net. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. 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