YouTube TV announced on Twitter yesterday that it now supports 5.1 audio on Apple TVs and Amazon Fire TV devices. With the update, users can enjoy a movie theater-like experience in their homes. Surround sound is only available on compatible YouTube TV programs, and the feature is free for all subscribers. Note that you need the latest version of the YouTube TV App to access 5.1 audio.
To see which content supports 5.1 surround sound, users can go to player controls, select “More,” find the bug icon, and then look for the Codecs section. If the program supports 5.1 audio, “AC-3 / EAC-3” will be listed.
YouTube TV tweeted that the new audio capability is not yet available on gaming consoles, but the company is working on bringing it to game console users.
The update comes three months after YouTube TV released surround sound capability for Google TV, Android TV and Roku devices. Google initially announced plans to add 5.1 surround sound capability for YouTube TV last year. The company previously rolled out the audio feature to compatible smart TVs (Samsung, LG and Vizio) and Chromecast.