Body: Hello, I am experiencing a persistent and frustrating audio dropout issue after updating my Apple TV to tvOS 27.0 Beta(Build: 24J5325d).[Hardware Setup] Source: Apple TV 4K running tvOS 27.0 (24J5325d) Display: Sony BRAVIA XR-65X90L (Connected via HDMI 4) Audio System: Sony HT-S2000 Soundbar + SA-RS3S Rear Speakers + SA-SW3 Subwoofer (Connected to TV HDMI 3 eARC port) [The Problem] While watching content randomly across various apps (including YouTube, Infuse, and Apple TV app), the audio suddenly cuts out completely. The Sony TV then displays a system error message: "TV speakers activated due to audio system communication failure." This issue is intermittent, occurring once every few days. Once it happens, the eARC handshake appears completely locked up. The only way to temporarily restore the audio system connection is to perform a full system reboot of the Sony TV or toggle the Apple TV audio input source.
[StepsTried/Troubleshooting] 1.Format Isolation: If I force the Apple TV audio output format to "Change Format -> Dolby Digital 5.1" instead of the default uncompressed LPCM, the connection becomes significantly more stable and the dropouts cease. 2.Cable & TV Check: All HDMI cables are Ultra High Speed (HDMI 2.1) compliant. TV settings such as "RS232C control" have been disabled, but the issue persists on the default Auto/LPCM audio output mode. [Expected Behavior] The multi-channel audio stream (LPCM/Atmos) sent from Apple TV should pass through the eARC chain smoothly without causing HDMI-CEC/eARC packet collision or freezing the display's audio daemon mid-playback. It seems like the LPCM audio stream packaging or the CEC heartbeat signals in this specific tvOS 27.0 beta build occasionally send corrupted or unexpected data packets, triggering an aggressive eARC protection/fai-safe mechanism on the Sony TV side.
Is anyone else experiencing similar eARC dropouts with Sony sound systems on this beta? Any insights from the engineering team regarding HDMI/CEC driver changes in this build would be highly appreciated.
Thank you!