New HDMI Passthrough Function in macOS Sequoia for Dolby Atmos Audio Transmission

TapTechNews July 3rd news, in macOS Sequoia, several Apple applications have obtained a new HDMI pass-through function (HDMI Passthrough), enabling the Mac to send unprocessed Dolby Atmos audio signals to the connected AV receiver or soundbar.

TapTechNews noticed that the new function is integrated into several Apple's built-in applications, including Apple's TV, Music, and QuickTime Player. Apple stated that after enabling this function, it allows users to 'use HDMI pass-through to play supported audio in Dolby Atmos and other Dolby audio formats when connected to supported devices.'

When connected via HDMI cable, the Mac will directly transmit the sound source signal to the connected device for decoding and output, thereby completely restoring the Dolby Atmos effect that the author intended to present, while the video signal will continue to be sent to the connected display.

It is currently unclear whether this function will be included in tvOS 18, but given that Apple has made it a system-level function in macOS Sequoia, it is very likely that tvOS will add this function through an update in the future. Both macOS Sequoia and tvOS 18 are currently in the developer testing stage and are expected to enter public testing later this month and then be officially released in the fall.