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I've experienced this same oddity with the AppleTV 4th and 5th Gen.
It's like VoiceOver activates starting at volume 0 and then it
automatically raises the volume to the level set in settings after a
few seconds has elapsed. Once it stops speaking (It's silent for at
least 5 seconds) the volume automatically decreases down to level 0.
It's like VoiceOver is in sleep mode waiting for a command to speak
something. I'm not even sure if Apple realizes this quirk happens
with VoiceOver on the AppleTV.
I don't experience this at all on my iPod.
At 06:48 PM 5/7/2016, you wrote:
I recently got a fourth generation Apple TV and connected it to a
Samsung TV which is connected to a Klipsch sound bar via optical
cable. After some experimentation, including switching out the cable
and trying a different and older TV to make sure the problem wasn't
our newer TV, I have determined that there is an issue with
voiceover cutting out when there isn't already audio playing through
the sound bar. That is, if there is a TV show or some music or
whatever going through the Apple TV to the sound bar, and I use the
included remote or a Bluetooth keyboard to move around on the Apple
TV and hear what it is saying with voiceover, there is no problem.
Voiceover does not cut out. However, if there is no audio streaming
through the sound bar from the Apple TV, then voiceover does cut out
and the first words are always missed. Someone on an Apple related
list said he had the same problem and solved it by using a Bluetooth
headset. The only Bluetooth headset I have is a single ear piece
Plantronics, probably about five years old, which I use on my iPhone
when I'm out. This guy thinks that the issue is some kind of energy
saving thing in the sound bar that doesn't kick in in time to catch
the first few syllables are words that voiceover is saying. I'm all
in favor of energy savings, but really. This is disgusting. I wonder
if anybody has a Bluetooth headset solution that won't cost very
much. I have really nice Headsets, but none of them are Bluetooth.
I do not intend to buy the new ones from BMW which cost $400. Smile.
Mary
Sent from my iPhone
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