This thread dates back to 2020, so I think that says a lot about Plex’s commitment. I left Plex a while ago and went to Channels. I also left the music as well and went to Roon. As a long time technologist, I will say, if they wanted it to work it would be. Whether it was a technical issue, licensing or financial.
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Interestingly the Wikipedia page for Dolby AC-4 says that Dolby only charges for one technology per device. So if Plex is already paying for a Dolby license like Dolby Digital Plus , it seems like AC-4 should automatically be covered.
I guess we should assume that Plex doesn’t pay for any kind of Dolby licensing at the moment, or maybe the Wikipedia article is over simplifying things.
My guess would be the latter, as Plex, Inc. is listed as a Dolby licensee.
https://professional.dolby.com/licensing/licensed-dolby-manufacturers/#P
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With this wording it could also mean that AC-4 would cost more and would include the cheaper codecs like DD+. They may charge for the most expensive technology and they may be priced differently. If the hurdle didn’t involve licensing I really think Plex would have added this long ago. If I’m wrong, yikes!
So the last couple forum updates had me hopeful that something might happen to allow us to watch ATSC3 with plex… And I want to keep this forum alive (:
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I looked through change logs and don’t see what you a referring to. Care to be more specific?
My apologies, i was reffering to forum updates. I have corrected my post.
All good! I just still don’t know what updates you mean. 
Aww man, seriously? This is one of those things you read about initially and forget about, then years later come back and either completely forgot it was an issue or figure “surely they figured this out by now”. Spent the past hour or so re-setting up plex server to connect to a hdhr flex I just got, and spent the past few minutes scratching my head about sound. Darn.
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How can it take over two years to work this out?
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That might be a question for Dolby. But I agree, it’s unacceptable.
Since @gbooker02’s post we got hit with the DRM issue and that’s a much taller hurdle than AC4. I can’t imagine Plex will ever be allowed to decode. And again, you may have ATSC3 channels without DRM today, but it’s only a matter of time.
Public airwaves shouldn’t have proprietary codecs when open codecs like Opus exist, that alone demonstrates the corporate corruption and greed involved in the standard. I literally can’t fathom a legitimate excuse for AC4… I could form an argument for HEVC but certainly not AC4. Since this thread started I still haven’t seen any AC4 media other than ATSC3, It’s like Dolby paid someone inside to put it in the standard to justify it’s existence.
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You will need a DRM compatible tuner. https://cordcuttersnews.com/a-new-atsc-3-0-nextgen-tv-tuner-with-drm-support-is-coming-that-wont-need-internet-to-work/
You will need more than that.
I haven’t heard of a tuner that will decode DRM content to IP devices like a Plex or Emby server. This new device will likely only output to HDMI like the rest that A3SA allows. Silicon Dust (HDHomerun) may eventually support DRM with Freecast, last I heard? Not Plex or Emby.
Right now the solution will be HDMI capture or legislative changes.
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And for anyone reading that article, apparently you do need internet for that tuner to tune an encrypted channel the first time.
Or you might, depending on who knows what.
I’m not sure how “new” this information is but it is at least new to me so I thought I would share it. The article also doesn’t provide a whole lot of information but it sounds like we are moving in the right direct.
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Thanks for sharing. That’s minor good news, anyway.
I am astonished at how bad this rollout of a public technology, by commercial entities granted the privilege of broadcast on the public spectrum, has been. Stunningly bad.
Think about the safety issues, if nothing else.
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DRM over public airwaves should be prohibited.
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Agreed! Its ridiculous.
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ATSC 3.0 will remain broken forever because instead of choosing a free audio codec they were lobbied into using one that needs a license. Could have been avoided by using a free audio codec. But when you have Oren Williams, a dolby executive, making the decision on how audio should work with your new ATSC standard, the needs of the company he works for are weighted a little heavier than the need to have a free open way to broadcast a tv to the masses.
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Someone we should know.
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