Windows Upgrade Help and more

I’m using an LG 45-inch UltraGear monitor, which has a 5K resolution and is supposed to support Dolby Atmos through its HDMI connection. However, I can’t seem to get any Atmos signal to register on my Windows 11 PC. My audio settings only show standard stereo options. Could this monitor actually output Atmos audio, or am I missing a specific configuration step? I’ve ensured my HDMI cable is high-speed and that the source material is definitely in Atmos format.

Short answer: First, check that your monitor's audio output is set to HDMI in Windows sound settings, not just the default speakers. Also, make sure you've selected the "Dolby Atmos for home theater" spatial sound format from the properties of that HDMI output device.

Same here. Yeah, and double-check that your HDMI cable is a high-speed one too—sometimes older cables don't carry the Atmos signal properly.

That's a fantastic monitor! Getting Atmos to work can be tricky, but let's go through the main checkpoints. First, while your monitor *passes through* an Atmos signal, it doesn't *output* it itself—you need to connect the monitor's audio output (like a headphone jack or optical out) to an Atmos-capable sound system or soundbar. The monitor's internal speakers will only ever do stereo.

On the Windows side, we need to force the correct driver. Right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar and select **Sound settings**. Under "Output," click your monitor device, then **"Don't allow"** under **Audio enhancements**. This often unlocks format options.

Now, go back to the main Sound Control Panel. Right-click your speaker icon again, choose **Sounds**, then the **Playback** tab. Right-click your LG monitor audio device and select **Properties**. Go to the **Supported Formats** tab and click **Test** for all formats, especially the Dolby Atmos for Home Theater variants. If it tests successfully, check the box and apply.

If the formats don't appear or test fails, your GPU driver might be overriding it. Ensure you have the latest audio drivers from your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA HD Audio or AMD High Definition Audio) installed.

It's a finicky process, but you'll get it! Let us know which step you get stuck on, and we can dig deeper.

Same here. Yeah, exactly. One quick thing: also make sure you've selected the monitor's HDMI audio device as the default in Windows, not just in your media player. Let me know if that works.

Agreed. Also, double-check that the specific app you're using, like Netflix or a game, has its own audio settings set to output Dolby Atmos. Hope that helps.

+1 And make sure you're using a high-speed HDMI cable that actually supports Atmos, not just any old one.

Agreed, and also double-check that Atmos is enabled in the Windows sound properties for that specific output device.

Also, make sure you're using a high-speed HDMI cable that actually supports Atmos. Let me know if that works.

+1 I had the same problem. For me, it was also about going into the sound settings and manually setting the format to Dolby Atmos for Home Theater.