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Hey, AV nerds! I have a question / puzzler for you. The volume controls on my Apple TV don’t work, and I’d like to make them work.
I know •why• the buttons don’t work. 
You do not need to explain in the replies!
What I don’t know is how to fix the problem.
Have I nerd sniped you? Here's the signal chain:
Apple TV
–[HDMI]→ Samsung TV
–[optical SPDIF]→ cheap DAC
–[analog]→ powered speakers
What's the problem? Well…
1/
The Apple TV correctly detects that the TV supports HDMI-CEC, and sends volume commands downstream. The TV, however, refuses to adjust the volume of its optical out, incorrectly assuming that the downstream audio device also has a remote. It doesn’t. Neither the cheap little DAC nor the speakers support a remote of any kind. (The speakers have a physical knob, that’s it.)
Result: volume buttons on the Apple TV remote make the TV say “OPTICAL” and refuse to adjust its volume.
2/
Possible solutions:
1. Make the Apple TV adjust its own output volume. (Apparently impossible?!?)
2. Make the TV adjust its optical audio output volume. (Also apparently impossible?)
3. Get a new audio device either just upstream or just downstream of the DAC that does nothing except respond to a remote control to adjust the volume. (Do such devices exist at non-silly-audiophile prices? What are they called?)
Any suggestions? I figure there must be something out there!
/end
UPDATE: Looks like this would do the trick, replacing the existing DAC. Anybody know how to tell whether I can train an Apple TV remote to control it?
https://www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Converter-Toslink-Coaxial-Adjustable/dp/B07G71BG3V
Fairly annoyed that I’m probably going to end up getting hardware to fix something that either Apple or Samsung could choose to fix in software.
@inthehands Stop watching TV. Not the solution you’re looking for, but that’s what I did.
@inthehands AppleTV will adjust the volume of Bluetooth speakers, so clearly the solution is a Bluetooth receiver on your speakers 
@inthehands does the TV have a different audio out you could use?
@ShadSterling
Well, there’s a headphone jack that also doesn’t work as desired, but as a bonus, it sounds worse!
@inthehands @ShadSterling Sony TVs usually have a setting that allows switching the headphones jack between fixed line level and regular headphone with volume controlled by the TV. Maybe your TV has something similar? Of course you would be better off with digital, but those outputs are probably always at the digital equivalent of line level.
@inthehands Unfortunately, I don't have a solution, but have come to commiserate... More than once have I found that Apple devices have funny little 'quirks' in how they output A/V data, which make it impossible to do things that a user might reasonably want/expect to be able to do.
For example, I have a mac mini in my spare bedroom that's my 'media center', connected via HDMI to my tv/audio setup in the living room the next room over. However, using HDMI as the audio output disables +
1/
@inthehands + the MacOS audio controls, so the mute/vol +/vol - buttons on my wireless keyboard do nothing. Nothing!
I've worked around this by setting VLC as the default for (almost) all media types, and programming hot keys for most everything. Which is mildly annoying, and doesn't help you at all. But that's what I got.
2/2
@inthehands Been there, man.
Been there.
@inthehands as I think you already know, digital output generally assumes an amp somewhere down the line to adjust volume, since something has to decode it…
your best bet might be 3, unless you can (technically and acceptably) disable HDMI-CEC entirely on the ATV; I’d probably look for a remote control preamp or speaker amp. I thought Schiit made one that would work but the cheapest option seems to be the Saga and it’s $400 :/
@demize
Thanks, that’s probably where I’m landing. I might have found one: https://hachyderm.io/@inthehands/112618272699603835
@inthehands I had a similar issue and ended up switching to the (analog) headphone out on the tv just because it was the least annoying option