Two different things go wrong here, so split them: no Atmos (an audio passthrough problem) and no 4K HDR (a video/handshake problem). With a Sony Google TV feeding a receiver, the audio runs back over eARC while the video is whatever the TV's built-in app renders — so the fixes are in different menus.
No Atmos to the receiver
The TV's apps decode to plain audio unless you tell the TV to pass the bitstream through:
- Set Digital audio out to Auto/Passthrough. Settings > Display & Sound > Audio output > Digital audio out > Auto (not PCM). PCM strips Atmos to channels.
- Send audio to the system, on the eARC port. Audio output > Speakers > Audio System, eARC Mode > Auto, with a certified Ultra High Speed cable in the TV's eARC port. Plain ARC carries only lossy Atmos — ARC vs eARC and the cables you need covers the difference.
- Turn on Bravia Sync (CEC) so the receiver and TV negotiate properly.
- Confirm on the receiver's display — it should read "Dolby Atmos" or "Dolby Digital+." If it shows PCM, step 1 is your fix.
- Check the app and title. The streaming app must be set to output Atmos, and the title has to have it.
No 4K HDR from the apps
The video is the TV's own app rendering — so this is about the panel/app, not the receiver (unless video routes through the receiver):
- Confirm the app is set to its highest quality and your plan includes 4K. Bandwidth matters — ~25 Mbps for 4K; go wired (Ethernet) on the TV if Wi-Fi is weak.
- Check the picture settings aren't forcing a mode — HDR/Dolby Vision should engage automatically on built-in apps; if it's stuck SDR, look for an energy-saving/eco setting capping it.
- If video routes through the receiver, the receiver must pass 4K HDR — older receivers cap it. Test the TV's apps directly (audio over eARC) vs through the receiver to isolate.
The clean modern setup
For a Sony Google TV with a receiver, the reliable arrangement is: sources into the TV (or the receiver), video on the TV's panel, and audio back to the receiver over eARC. That way the TV's apps render 4K HDR natively and just hand Atmos to the receiver over eARC — no receiver video bottleneck.
FAQ
Why won't my Sony's apps send Atmos to my receiver? Digital audio out is set to PCM, or you're on plain ARC. Set it to Auto/Passthrough and use the eARC port with a certified cable. The same passthrough fix applies to a soundbar in Sony Bravia eARC not passing Atmos.
The receiver shows PCM, not Dolby. The TV is decoding instead of passing the bitstream. Set Digital audio out to Auto/Passthrough.
4K HDR won't engage on the built-in apps. Confirm the app's quality setting and your plan, check bandwidth (go wired), and make sure no eco setting is capping HDR. Built-in apps render HDR on the panel directly.
Do I need eARC? For full Atmos from the TV's apps, yes — plain ARC carries only the lossy version. Use the eARC port with a certified Ultra High Speed cable.