Server Version#: 1.30.2.6563 (running on Synology DS214play)
Player Version#: Plex app on iOs, app version 8.13, Plex app on Chromecast, 9.14.0.37895 (84caac7b)
I have a “Chromecast with Google TV” device. It is connected to my TV like this:
Chromecast → Onkyo TX-NR686 Stereo → LG TV.
The sound comes out of the Onkyo stereo, the TV speakers are disabled. The chromecast settings are configured so that the volume is controlled only with the Onkyo Stereo. When pressing the volume control on the chromecast remote, neither the chromecast nor Plex display any volume changes, rather, the Onkyo stereo changes its volume. This is a normal/standard way to configure the device. In fact, there is a tiny little note in the chromecast’s menu screen which says that it must be configured this way in order for surround sound to work.
The issue:
When I use the Plex app on the chromecast menu screen to play a video, (and also when I use the iPhone Plex app to cast the video to the chromecast) the audio playback is too loud. It’s loud enough to cause distortion/clipping in the main dialogue voices. It seems like the audio being played by the chromecast is clipping, similar to an electric guitar played through a distortion pedal.
Diagnostics I have tried:
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I have tried turning down the volume on the Onkyo stereo. This makes the overall output volume quieter but the problem still exists, the distortion is still there. The distortion is not solved by turning down the stereo’s volume: even at low volume on the Onkyo stereo, the audio is still distorted.
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I have played videos from other apps on the chromecast, such as Netflix and YouTube. When their videos play, their audio is perfect and crystal clear. I can turn up the volume on the Onkyo stereo quite loud and the audio is still crystal clear. The issue is only with the Plex app.
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I have played the same video on my computer, by surfing to my Plex Server’s web page and playing the video. When playing the same video that way, the audio is perfect and crystal clear. The issue only occurs when chromecasting.
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I have played the same video on my iPhone without chromecasting. When playing the same video that way, the audio is perfect and crystal clear. The issue only occurs when chromecasting.
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On the Plex server, Under “Player” advanced settings, I have tried checking and unchecking the checkbox setting “Normalize Multi Channel Audio”. I have tried it both ways, same results.
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This isn’t a streaming quality or transcoding problem. In the playback settings, in the app, I have ensured that the video is set to play in the original or maximum video quality (i.e., not transcoding). There is no evidence that there are any streaming problems; the chromecast is connected to the LAN with 5ghz wifi and the Plex server is connected to the wifi router via gigabit ethernet.
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On the Plex app on the chromecast, I have confirmed the following settings:
Video quality, Home streaming quality: “maximum”
Video quality, Remote streaming quality: “maxiumum”
Audio, remote streaming quality: “maximum”
Audio, volume leveling: “off” (I have tried both “off” and “on”, no difference.)
Video, audio boost: “none” (I have also tried “small”, no difference).
I believe this is some kind of a bug in the Plex chromecast app. Can anyone confirm this? Is there a way I can report this directly as a bug to Plex? Does anyone know of a workaround?
