[BUG] Audio Loss during Direct Play to HomePod (Apple TV + Plex)

For those hoping that updating their Apple devices to the latest OS might help, no dice for me:

  • Device: Apple TV 4K 3rd gen (tvOS 26.0.1)
  • Audio Output: HomePod 1st gen stereo pair (OS 26.0.1)
  • Plex Server: 1.42.2.10156 on Ubuntu 24.04 + Docker
  • Plex Client: Apple TV Plex App 8.45

Is the Plex team still actively developing the tvOS app? It was last updated January 28, 2025 (version 8.45). After reviewing the forum thread where new versions are announced, releases came out every month in 2024 – but there’s been nothing for over 8 months now: Plex for Apple TV - #157 by s_ios_dev .