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[RCU005]

I recently purchased a Dolby Atmos home theater and have been looking for content. I also have an LG G3 TV.

I thought the PS5 would be a nice media center since I don’t want to purchase an Apple TV or those kind of devices. I was extremely wrong!

YouTube: The app opens in HDR mode by default, making every video in HDR not showing up as HDR, as if the TV didn’t support it. It doesn’t even show the option.

Netflix: no Dolby Atmos support! I believe other apps don’t support it either. What’s even the point then?

Apple Music: Still, no Dolby Atmos support!

In short, the PS5 is actually the worst device you could have to consume any content!

It’s sad because the PS3 was KING when it came to media! Having those apps in that poor state, I’d prefer the PS5 didn’t have them in the first place, like Nintendo.

To me there are two huge problems:
1) The way the PS5 manage HDR. It should just be like the TV and only activate when you watch actual content. They added the “On when supported” option, but they still treat the OS as an HDR content, so the apps are run like that too.

2) 3D audio: Sony dropped the ball implementing 3D audio on PS5. I don’t mean if it’s better or worse, but they should have done it better for people to have more options (Dolby Atmos, DTS X, etc).

I know Sony focused so much on gaming instead of media after the PS3, which really paid off during the PS4 gen. They wanted to make a gaming machine first and remove unecessary costs that brought the PS3 price so high. However, in 2025, even $99 streaming dongles do a much better job!

I believe the PS6 will have a much better support for 3D audio, since it’s basically the norm now. The problem will remain of they don’t implement it well, though.

I got disappointed, but I guess the native TV apps will do fine for now (I really don’t like the WebOS from LG. My preference goes to Google TV for TV platforms).

I’ll see if I can get an Apple TV eventually. Although I read it makes every content 4K.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

I’ll see if I can get an Apple TV eventually.

 

[Unknown?]

You shouldn't be streaming stuff if you want the best out of your sound system/visuals.

 

[Loomy]

PS5 has support to output 3d audio to Atmos and DTS, no?

Also, no, the PS5 is not a "media center'. Not something Sony even claimed to be half good at. At best it's a decent bluray player. If you want all those streaming apps, get one of the many sticks/dongles that specialize in that.

Why waste electricity running a PS5 to watch Netflix when you can do it from Apple TV/Google TV/Roku/etc?

 

[tTHANOSs]

Yeah apple tv is a pain when watching YouTube. I use my built TV app for that.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

No one who owns a home theater should be using a PS5 as a media center. I can't state how backwards that would be. I'd even use the tv apps on WebOS before the PS5's.

The point of the PS5 media apps is for people who don't really have better options. It's a throw in so that people don't complain, not for those worrying about HDR being on or off.

The Apple TV is by far the best streaming device on the market. Not sure why you wouldn't want one.

 

[San Dan Glokta]

Buy an Xbox its better for media, and it has a good functional browser too

 

[onQ123]

There was a time when consoles was great for this stuff but now it's almost crazy to be running a console for this stuff lol there is so many smaller devices & even built in apps on your TV that you can use now.

 

[ShirAhava]

I still have my PS3 hooked up as my main non-streaming media device for a reason (even with its lack of native MKV/H.265/AV1 support its still badass) The fall off with modern consoles and media capability is disappointing to say the least. Xbox One X/Series are better than PS5 but are still pretty restricted without an internet connection. Best bet these days is to hook up an older PC in the living room which is what I'm in the process of doing now. Sad that even streaming sticks and built in smart tv systems are outclassing the latest game systems. One of the many reasons I have very little interest in this current generation of consoles.

 

[willothedog]

just get an NVidia shield

 

[nowhat]

So. You want a 100+W device being your streaming device.

Why the fuck would you want to do that? Just use the apps on your TV.

 

[San Dan Glokta]

I still have my PS3 hooked up as my main non-streaming media device for a reason (even with its lack of native MKV/H.265/AV1 support its still badass) The fall off with modern consoles and media capability is disappointing to say the least. Xbox One X/Series are better than PS5 but are still pretty restricted without an internet connection. Best bet these days is to hook up an older PC in the living room which is what I'm in the process of doing now. Sad that even streaming sticks and built in smart tv systems are outclassing the latest game systems. One of the many reasons I have very little interest in this current generation of consoles.

An addendum: You can get a cheap used Series S for ~$170 these days and a third party smart remote for $15. I don't use it myself that way but a a couple more casual friends do and its a very clean setup.
As a bonus you'd always have an option to get game pass for a month to play through all the 1st party xbox games + BC library whenever desired.

 

[Ebrietas]

Funnily enough, in an attempt to simplify my setup and reduce wires/clutter, I've been using the PS5 over my Apple TV for the past few days and I've found it to be fine. Not quite as good or feature complete as the ATV obviously but certainly light years ahead of a smart TV. The apps seem just as fast and the youtube apps don't freeze like they often do on ATV. Also nice to use the pulse elite headset with it sometimes and for watching blu rays.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Funnily enough, in an attempt to simplify my setup and reduce wires/clutter, I've been using the PS5 over my Apple TV for the past few days and I've found it to be fine. Not quite as good or feature complete as the ATV obviously but certainly light years ahead of a smart TV. The apps seem just as fast and the youtube apps don't freeze like they often do on ATV.

WebOS is no slouch and I'm guessing Google TV has caught up as well and I'm sure Tizen is probably right there with it.

 

[Ebrietas]

WebOS is no slouch and I'm guessing Google TV has caught up as well and I'm sure Tizen is probably right there with it.

The thing about smart TV systems is that they start out fine but get progressively more bloated and slow. And they quickly stop receiving updates altogether. They are also just complete spyware.

The android TV on my Sony OLED was great at first but is now borderline unusable.

 

[Det]

I think the problem is with the APPs and not with the PlayStation 5, everything you asked about works very well within the games.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

That's why you don't connect your TV to the internet, and you never update it. My C1 is running as well as it is the first day I hooked it up. What could I possibly need from a software update?

 

[Rush2112]

The apps are terrible but the UI is second to none. Superior to XBOX and Steam Big Picture.

 

[Blank Space Invader]

I recently purchased a Dolby Atmos home theater and have been looking for content. I also have an LG G3 TV.

I thought the PS5 would be a nice media center since I don’t want to purchase an Apple TV or those kind of devices. I was extremely wrong!

YouTube: The app opens in HDR mode by default, making every video in HDR not showing up as HDR, as if the TV didn’t support it. It doesn’t even show the option. Why do you need HDR to watch YouTube videos? I have an older Samsung HD TV and YouTube looks great as is.

Netflix: no Dolby Atmos support! I believe other apps don’t support it either. What’s even the point then? Um, to watch shows? Why does Netflix have to cater to audiophiles or home theater buyers?

Apple Music: Still, no Dolby Atmos support!

In short, the PS5 is actually the worst device you could have to consume any content! No, you went out and bought a bunch of unnecessary equipment without doing your homework. Sure, a nice home theater setup can enhance one's enjoyment of media, but it isn't necessary and no company or service is obligated to cater to home theater setups. They are not the norm.

It’s sad because the PS3 was KING when it came to media! Having those apps in that poor state, I’d prefer the PS5 didn’t have them in the first place, like Nintendo. This makes no sense. "Because it doesn't cater to me, no one should have it!" That is extremely juvenile and entitled.

 

[DryvBy]

If you're streaming content, why not just use the TV apps? I don't have an issue with either but for media, I'm using my TV for streaming and PS5 for disc. You want to take about bad, get an Xbox and try their blu ray app. That thing barely works.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

That's why you don't connect your TV to the internet, and you never update it. My C1 is running as well as it is the first day I hooked it up. What could I possibly need from a software update?

So you use a separate box for your streaming apps? I might do that this year if I get a new tv.

 

[Chronos24]

So I need to ask, did you enable Dolby Atmos from your settings on your PS5? I just skimmed reading here so I don't know if you actually mentioned that or not but if you haven't you should do that.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

The thing about smart TV systems is that they start out fine but get progressively more bloated and slow. And they quickly stop receiving updates altogether. They are also just complete spyware.

The android TV on my Sony OLED was great at first but is now borderline unusable.

Easy enough to do a system reset on a tv. My point however was that they're still better than the PS5, but that I'd recommend anyone just get an Apple TV and my bet is Sony if they were being honest would recommend that as well.

There's really no way for Sony to keep up to date apps and well designed media apps on a device that has a fraction of the userbase of android and tvOS or other tv operating systems. The individual app designers have little reason to keep these app updated beyond basic functionality.

 

[intbal]

As a bonus you'd always have an option to get game pass for a month to play through all the 1st party xbox games + BC library whenever desired.

Except for the "disc only" games.
56 X360 games, 9 OGXbox games, and I'm not sure how many Xbox One games.

 

[MayauMiao]

I use built in Google TV to watch Youtube as I do not like the idea of having my console turn on all the time, waste of power and shortens lifespan. Also not all app is available on console, like my closed circuit tv app.

 

[El Muerto]

The $20 Onn streaming box walmart offers is a better streaming device than the PS5, and it has Atmos. But some apps require you to sub to the higher tier plan to even use Atmos. As for consoles Xbox is king as a streamer. Apps use Atmos and you get Kodi.
I hate my LG tv too. Got the tv setup to auto select the HDMI port my AVR is plugged in and use CEC so when i press power on my fire stick remote both my tv and AVR are on the right input. Couldnt get the Onn android box to do this, fire stick was the way to go with my setup. The equipment control options in settings are a life saver.

 

[Loomy]

So I need to ask, did you enable Dolby Atmos from your settings on your PS5? I just skimmed reading here so I don't know if you actually mentioned that or not but if you haven't you should do that.

Doesn't sound like it. PS5 didn't launch with Atmos support, but it's had it for a few years now

 

[LavitzSlambert]

So you use a separate box for your streaming apps? I might do that this year if I get a new tv.

Yes, and the experience has been far better. The only good experience I've had with a built-in app is an old TCL running Roku OS, which was supported for many years and with a good experience. I would argue that is far closer to running a separate Roku anyway. The only downside early on was that because it was implemented at the TV level, changing inputs meant abandoning whatever you were watching.I switched to Apple TV and it's even better - it fixes the problem, so you can have multiple streaming apps open at the same time and don't need to reload and navigate back and forth.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Just get some sort of chromecast ish thing or use the TV app bro. I use Apple TV+ on LG WebOS and it works perfect. I don't bother with letting my PS5 run hot just for some series I want to binge.

 

[Seomel]

Best device for media is nvidia shield pro 4k or any 4k android stick really. I have fire tv 4k jailbroken for smart tube, plex etc work so fucking well. Like plex would lag on my lg C1, but works like dream on fire stick

 

[Salmonboy]

 

[Mahnmut]

I recently purchased a Dolby Atmos home theater and have been looking for content. I also have an LG G3 TV.

I thought the PS5 would be a nice media center since I don’t want to purchase an Apple TV or those kind of devices. I was extremely wrong!

YouTube: The app opens in HDR mode by default, making every video in HDR not showing up as HDR, as if the TV didn’t support it. It doesn’t even show the option.

Netflix: no Dolby Atmos support! I believe other apps don’t support it either. What’s even the point then?

Apple Music: Still, no Dolby Atmos support!

In short, the PS5 is actually the worst device you could have to consume any content!

It’s sad because the PS3 was KING when it came to media! Having those apps in that poor state, I’d prefer the PS5 didn’t have them in the first place, like Nintendo.

To me there are two huge problems:
1) The way the PS5 manage HDR. It should just be like the TV and only activate when you watch actual content. They added the “On when supported” option, but they still treat the OS as an HDR content, so the apps are run like that too.

2) 3D audio: Sony dropped the ball implementing 3D audio on PS5. I don’t mean if it’s better or worse, but they should have done it better for people to have more options (Dolby Atmos, DTS X, etc).

I know Sony focused so much on gaming instead of media after the PS3, which really paid off during the PS4 gen. They wanted to make a gaming machine first and remove unecessary costs that brought the PS3 price so high. However, in 2025, even $99 streaming dongles do a much better job!

I believe the PS6 will have a much better support for 3D audio, since it’s basically the norm now. The problem will remain of they don’t implement it well, though.

I got disappointed, but I guess the native TV apps will do fine for now (I really don’t like the WebOS from LG. My preference goes to Google TV for TV platforms).

I’ll see if I can get an Apple TV eventually. Although I read it makes every content 4K.

Exact same setup and same problem. From what I’m gathering on different forums : Apple TV or Nvidia Shield is the solution. The only downside is that those haven’t been been updated in a while (in terms of hardware) so you’re purchasing something that is already obsolete (especially the shield that doesn’t have hdmi 2.1).

 

[Zuzu]

If you can wait on buying an Apple TV, I would wait until later on in the year to see if they launch a new version. The version that's currently for sale was launched in 2022 and the rumours are that they will be launching a new version in late 2025.

 

[Breakfast at Noon]

I only Plex for my home media server and the Plex app on PS5 is fantastic compared to the one on my tvs.

 

[Doctor Hades]

I get why consoles include apps but chances are if you are using a PS5 or PS5 Pro then you will have it connected to a 4K TV which will have its own more up to date apps that work better anyway so just use those. All you are doing when you use your PS5 to watch YouTube or Netflix on your 4K TV is increasing your electricity bill unnecessarily.

 

[bad guy]

At least it can play audio CDs.

 

[BlackTron]

I haven't bothered with anything but two channel stereo speakers in years so I didn't realize it had gotten this bad.

PS4s passively have disc drives and don't look like giant wavy routers so I automatically like it better as media box than PS5. Yeah PS3 was king...

 

[BlackTron]

I get why consoles include apps but chances are if you are using a PS5 or PS5 Pro then you will have it connected to a 4K TV which will have its own more up to date apps that work better anyway so just use those. All you are doing when you use your PS5 to watch YouTube or Netflix on your 4K TV is increasing your electricity bill unnecessarily.

I don't have a smart TV but even if I did I wouldn't connect it to WiFi or log into it.

I care enough about power consumption to use Series S but not enough for an HDMI splitter, streaming stick, and having to change inputs more often.

 

[theStartupSound]

Maybe I tried the wrong devices, but none of mine (current Apple TV 4K, Sony Smart TV, last gen Fire TV Stick, Roku Stick) are fun to use for streaming compared to my Series X. They‘re all feeling slow and have inprecise remote controls (the one from Apple is the worst).

It feels like you try the entry level android phone from one of your family members compared to your iPhone Pro or something on that level.

 

[GHG]

Buy an Xbox its better for media, and it has a good functional browser too

Hmm let's see:

• Netflix doesn't have Dolby atmos support on xbox
• Apple TV/Music doesn't support atmos on xbox

Why exactly are you making this recommendation?

OP, if you want seemless support for the Apple services in particular then you need to get an apple TV 4k. I went down this road a couple of years ago and discovered that even with the nvidia shield the apple TV app doesn't play nice.

Got an apple TV box and never looked back, use it for all my media streaming and everything hooks up and works perfectly.

 

[Astray]

Hmm let's see:

• Netflix doesn't have Dolby atmos support on xbox
• Apple TV/Music doesn't support atmos on xbox

Why exactly are you making this recommendation?

OP, if you want seemless support for the Apple services in particular then you need to get an apple TV 4k. I went down this road a couple of years ago and discovered that even with the nvidia shield the apple TV app doesn't play nice.

Got an apple TV box and never looked back, use it for all my media streaming and everything hooks up and works perfectly.

It's also a great idea if you want to start investing into a smart home as it has some unique capabilities.

Android TV Streamer 4k is another option if you want to invest into Google instead.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

OP is 100% correct. Also, why does the Apple Music app only allow for prev/next song, stop and that's about it? I literally have to exit the game, open the app, then change to another playlist, radio or whatever just to do some basic stuff. This is beyond stupid. I hope PS6 has some more hardware resources and shit allocated to such things to make true "multitasking" finally a reality on consoles.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Netflix came on a disk a few years back, they made media on consoles happen and I tell you I never used one app on a console before, maybe YouTube once in a while or a case of Spotify in the backyard for testing.

 

[rabbity-thing]

So. You want a 100+W device being your streaming device.

Why the fuck would you want to do that? Just use the apps on your TV.

This 100%. Well, 70%. I use a Roku because I hate smart TV apps.

 

[Zacfoldor]

They are. I 100% use mine as a HTPC but also have a 4k Apple TV for the main room. Apple TV is better in every way except the PS5 is a tad snappier in youtube. It helps when going in and out of videos trying to avoid certain ads.

Apple TV just got a new app for prime video that is 1 million times better than the one it had before. It basically works right and snappy now. PS5 apps will always be in various states of disrepair. I don't think they update them as well as they do more mainstream versions of the apps.

Also, the amount of electricity something uses is not a factor in my decision making. Why would it be? Seriously. Why would it be? We're talking about pennies a year in a time when parking in a parking garage is 20 bucks.

Oh yeah, the worst part about PS5 as a media center is the media remote. It SUCKS ass, and I don't go into it but trust me when I say that they need to do another one and think more about it this time.

 

[fart town usa]

I still have my PS3 hooked up as my main non-streaming media device for a reason (even with its lack of native MKV/H.265/AV1 support its still badass) The fall off with modern consoles and media capability is disappointing to say the least. Xbox One X/Series are better than PS5 but are still pretty restricted without an internet connection. Best bet these days is to hook up an older PC in the living room which is what I'm in the process of doing now. Sad that even streaming sticks and built in smart tv systems are outclassing the latest game systems. One of the many reasons I have very little interest in this current generation of consoles.

Well said.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I use apple TVs. Back when I had Spectrum for cable it's app pissed me off cause it doesn't support surround sound, you need their actual cable boxes to get surround sound, and I sure as hell wasn't going to do that.

 

[Ebrietas]

They are. I 100% use mine as a HTPC but also have a 4k Apple TV for the main room. Apple TV is better in every way except the PS5 is a tad snappier in youtube. It helps when going in and out of videos trying to avoid certain ads.

Apple TV just got a new app for prime video that is 1 million times better than the one it had before. It basically works right and snappy now. PS5 apps will always be in various states of disrepair. I don't think they update them as well as they do more mainstream versions of the apps.

Also, the amount of electricity something uses is not a factor in my decision making. Why would it be? Seriously. Why would it be? We're talking about pennies a year in a time when parking in a parking garage is 20 bucks.

Oh yeah, the worst part about PS5 as a media center is the media remote. It SUCKS ass, and I don't go into it but trust me when I say that they need to do another one and think more about it this time.

It’s so bad I would rather use the controller. Doesn’t even have chapter skip buttons which you can do on the dualsense.

 

[Celcius]

It's been fine for me, but then again I only need stereo sound

 

[Fake]

The overall PS5 UI is totally shit. Is a downgrade compared with PS4 for me.