Bugs with webos plex and mkv containers

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

Server Version#: 1.32.3.7162
Player Version#:5.61.0

I’m using an LG OLED 55 inch G3. WebOS 23. Firmware is current latest, 03.11.10.
The TV is connected to a samsung q930b soundbar via eARC. Nothing else is connected to either the TV or the soundbar. TV is streaming via wifi.

With the TV’s digital sound output set to “pass through”, direct playing mkv files play a bit of audio and no video. The temporary solution I found was to set the TV to use its internal speakers first, play the movie, then switch to eARC. This will correctly play both the video and audio if using any type of DTS format supported by the soundbar. If I do the same with AC3 or EAC3 track in the mkv, the soundbar receives a stereo PCM signal regardless of how many channels the track originally had. This happens with all remuxes I’ve tried in mkv containers (I’ve tried 1080p and 4k, SDR and HDR). It also happens with surround sound test files in mkv. It has no problem playing both video and the correct audio format in mp4 containers though. Dashboard is reporting that both audio and video are direct playing.

Using the subtitles (PGS, SRT) inside the mkv also causes the hard drive the file is on to be at constant 100% read while the CPU isn’t doing much. Still dashboard reports both audio and video are direct playing. Client is set to never burn subtitles. The temporary solution to this so far has been to use external subtitle files. Again, only happens with subtitles in mkv and not mp4.

With the TV’s digital sound output set to “auto”, direct playing mkv files, plex has no problems streaming both video and audio. However, when using a DTS HD MA, DTSX, AC3 or EAC3 track, the soundbar registers all of them as a DTS HD signal (it dosesnt differentiate between MA and non MA on the screen so not sure which DTS HD format its getting). Even though its the wrong format, the number of channels is correct. Switching between 2.1 and 5.1 AC3 yields the correct channel output. I’ve tried plugging my pc into the hdmi of the soundbar and confirmed that it can correctly play, and output DD, DD+, TrueHD, Atmos over TrueHD and DD+, LPCM, DTS, DTS HD/MA, DTSX, so it doesn’t seem to be a soundbar issue.

With the TV’s digital sound output set to “auto”, direct playing mp4 files, DD+ plays as multi channel PCM. Atmos plays normally.

I dont know what the TV is doing when sound output is set to auto, so issues with auto could potentially be an LG problem. But on pass through, these issues seem like a plex client app problem.

2

The only solution is to use a capable device (PC, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV) plugged into the soundbar.

All TV’s come with limited codecs and lack DTS, Plex only uses what is present on the TV.

3

LGs 2023 TV support DTS again. It’s not the TVs codec problem. It will also pass through all DTS and Dolby. Only exception is Dolby TrueHD which only supports passthrough on hdmi devices.

4

Pass through is not the same as supporting.

5

It does both.
https://seekingtech.com/supported-sound-output-formats-for-lg-a3-b3-c3-g3-and-z3/

6

The Plex TV client does not have the required codecs and you need a separate device either plugged into the TV or the Soundbar. Plugging into the soundbar usually gives the best results.

7

I’m not sure if you read my post. It works perfectly fine with mp4 files. It’s mkv thats giving it issues. I get that using a different device can be a solution, but if its a bug, then wouldn’t it be worth reporting/fixing?

8

I did read your post I just didn’t give the 2 page answer that you will end up with to explain why.

When you playback an mp4 or mkv, watch the Plex dashboard to see what the audio is being transcoded to report that along with the logs if you want to report a bug.

9

neither video or audio are being transcoded. Dashboard is reporting both audio and video are direct playing

10

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