For me the audio eac3 5.1 works with kodi’s plex plugin. With just plex app i just got music without voice.
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Hi again,
Kodi is just a work around but it’s not perfect IMO. So I’m still interested in finding a real solution for Android TV PMP.
I’ve collected logs for PMP and PMS for a MKV containing a EAC-3 track:
<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="2" librarySectionTitle="Series" librarySectionUUID="ac4e0bc1-05d4-488d-b3b4-0299ae5f1f42" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1576663002">
<Video ratingKey="38935" key="/library/metadata/38935" parentRatingKey="38904" grandparentRatingKey="15620" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://280619/4/4?lang=en" parentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://280619/4?lang=en" grandparentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://280619?lang=en" type="episode" title="Episode 4" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/15620" parentKey="/library/metadata/38904" librarySectionTitle="Series" librarySectionID="2" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/2" grandparentTitle="The Expanse" parentTitle="Season 4" contentRating="TV-14" summary="" index="4" parentIndex="4" viewOffset="117920" lastViewedAt="1578300283" thumb="/library/metadata/38935/thumb/1576572414" art="/library/metadata/15620/art/1576572416" parentThumb="/library/metadata/38904/thumb/1576572416" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/15620/thumb/1576572416" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/15620/art/1576572416" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/15620/theme/1576572416" duration="2640384" addedAt="1576572383" updatedAt="1576572414">
<Media id="38857" duration="2640384" bitrate="6177" width="1920" height="1080" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="6" audioCodec="eac3" videoCodec="h264" videoResolution="1080" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="24p" videoProfile="high">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="50910" key="/library/parts/50910/1576206345/file.mkv" duration="2640384" file="/Volumes/ORICO/Series/The Expanse/Season 4/The.Expanse.S04E04.1080p.WEB.H264-STARZ.mkv" size="2038602134" container="mkv" deepAnalysisVersion="4" requiredBandwidths="10091,9508,8695,8695,8695,8695,8695,8695" videoProfile="high">
<Stream id="70380" streamType="1" default="1" codec="h264" index="0" bitrate="6177" language="English" languageCode="eng" bitDepth="8" chromaLocation="left" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" codedHeight="1088" codedWidth="1920" colorPrimaries="bt709" colorRange="tv" colorSpace="bt709" colorTrc="bt709" frameRate="23.976" hasScalingMatrix="0" height="1080" level="40" profile="high" refFrames="4" requiredBandwidths="9451,8868,8105,8105,8105,8105,8105,8105" scanType="progressive" width="1920" displayTitle="1080p (H.264)"/>
<Stream id="70381" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="eac3" index="1" channels="6" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="5.1(side)" requiredBandwidths="639,639,639,639,639,639,639,639" samplingRate="48000" title="English" displayTitle="English (EAC3 5.1)"/>
<Stream id="70382" streamType="3" selected="1" codec="srt" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" requiredBandwidths="1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1" title="English (SDH)" displayTitle="English (SRT)"/>
</Part>
</Media>
<Extras size="0"> </Extras>
</Video>
</MediaContainer>
Logs:
- PMP (7.26.0.14578 eaeeea5c, Android TV 9): android-tv.log (59.8 KB)
- PMS (1.4.1.940-574c2fa7, MacOS Catalina 10.15.1): Plex Media Server Logs_2020-01-06_09-45-16.zip (5.4 MB)
I hear side channels, but not central channels (no dialogues).
The same file plays fine directly from the TV (VLC or native player) or from Kodi+Plex-addon.
I hope it’ll help (I have no idea what to do with the logs, or what to look for).
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I have a TV 50" 4k TCL L50P8M, and i have the same problem with sound, the fix i found is a change the option setting in Tv Menu, Sound -> Advanced -> Type SPDIF -> I selected PCM. Then in Plex setting on TV, change the option in Advanced -> Transfer Sound -> I selected Disabled.
I also have in Video quality, Remote playback in 4Mbps, 720 HD (High), but the latter is optional, with the other options it works great. The most important thing is that for you to take the changes, turn off the TV and unplug the power cable and wait a few seconds, because if you just turn it off, it is in standby and does not apply the changes you make. I hope it serves someone. regards
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Same problem here with a TCL55EP64, I will try your workaround tonight and will update this thread.
The last workaround didn’t work for me, but I’m not using SPDIF, just HDMI-CEC.
Also playing the same files via embedded chromecast (using Plex) works just fine.
Workaround didnt work…
Also the old player seems more stable… the new seems to stutter on ac3 5.1 movies … only side channels on both
Hm actually I just noticed that it converts the audio to AAC via Chromecast…
Sound problem seems solved with new update but i still have some stuttering on 5.1 movies … stereo ones are fine
Can confirm that the latest TV update fixed the 5.1 audio decoding issue (LET THERE BE VOICES!) on my TCL EP680.
The automatic updater didn’t find any update so I had to manually download and install the zip file from the TCL website (instruction are inside the zip) and now all is good, personally I never experienced stutters. The version I installed is the V8-R851T02-LF1V252.011680
The dashboard still correctly says that it’s playing Direct for both video and audio but the latter is finally played properly on the TV’s speakers
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Thank you for the tip! Indeed it fixed the issue for me too.
On my 40ES560 TV, with the latest V8-R41KT01-LF1V234 firmware, and the 1.18.5.2309 server version , and 7.21.1.15203 (5c57babb) client version is working fine!
With this new firmware, the Android main version updated from 8 to 9. 
I just did the latest update for my tv and I can confirm that the problem is now fixed on 55EP66.
Like @Tomhet4, I downloaded the update from the TCL site (the tv didn’t find them when I use the online updater).
I have 65EP640 and i just did the lasteste uptade, i downloaded from the TCL site, My problem sound ac3 5.1 is resolved
Hi, could you pass me the link to the TCL page, please?, I can’t find any place to download the latest versions manually. Thank you
I was experiencing the same exact issue on my TCL 55x815 series. I was already on Android 9, but couldnt play all audio codecs.
Updated to latest TCL release from TCL website and now all my sound issues are gone.
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Same here. Résolve problem with usb update. Thanks
Anyone have download link for 55p8 model?
Can’t find download link for update.
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Same problem, same model from Argentina, no response from TCL service here about any update (Jun/2020). The only solution I found is to convert audio to acc very fast (about 4 min on a 7 GB MKV file with https://www.videohelp.com/software/FFmpeg-Batch it works perfect, you can do bulk convertions (it just copy the video changing audio format to acc 5.1 320k bitrate)
Same problem, TCL 50p8m model from Argentina, no response from TCL service here about any update (Jun/2020). The only solution I found is to convert audio to acc very fast (about 4 min on a 7 GB MKV file with https://www.videohelp.com/software/FFmpeg-Batch it works perfect, you can do bulk convertions (it just copy the video changing audio format to acc 5.1 320k bitrate)
