Chromecast with Google TV not Playing DTS 7.1 Audio

Switching passthrough to Optical in the settings of the Plex app on a Chromecast with Google TV also resolved the issue for me.

Will this ever be fixed or do we have to use the workaround permanently? This is a known issue for half a year now and I guess many users of the Chromecast with Google TV will have this problem and may not look into the forums. Giving us the codec options for HDMI too would be a start

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Hi, I have the same issue here, but the optical workaround isn’t working for me? Video files with DTS audio just come up with the same error message, I’ve tried all combinations of the optical audio setting and it’s always the same. I’m on v 8.19.4.26517 of the app.

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Did you try enabling ā€œAC3ā€ under ā€œOptical Encodingsā€. That’s the only thing that gets it to work for me. However, it prevents bluetooth headphones from working with Plex unless you disable that AC3 codec.

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Awesome to find this workaround, I thought my problem was low powered server, was eyeing up replacement. Was also close to buying wired headphones. Fixed two birds with one stone on this thread.

Would be good for this to be fixed properly though! At least so the option didn’t need to be toggled for bluetooth headphones.

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Sure wish some priority would be given to this issue.

People say that casting makes their AVRs show they are playing DTS so the chromecast must be able to pass it through.

Plex devs what is the deal??

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Setting the passthrough to optical is a good workaround, but still only limits transcoding to AC-3. Is there any way to transcode TrueHD to E-AC-3 (DD+)?

No. Plex cannot transcode to EAC3, only AC3.

Out of curiosity, is this a technical limitation? I might be (naively) assuming that it would the same effort to transcode TRUEHD 7.1 → EAC3 7.1 as it already is for TRUEHD 7.1 → AC3 5.1.

From what I understand with the latest versions of the Android player, Opus 5.1 is now the preferred codec for PMS to transcode TRUEHD 7.1 because of quicker conversion and higher quality (compared to AC3). Am I understanding that correctly?

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Quick in with a ā€œsame issue hereā€ - some video and logs of what’s happening on my end. Toward the end of the video, I experimented and figured out what was going on.

Chromecast/Google TV - the $50 USD external dongle w/ remote.

Plex Media Server Logs_2021-11-09_00-52-48.zip (4.6 MB)

Ignore the ethernet cables, I’m testing things.

I get the same error, and cannot play any movie with a surround audio format selected. Once I switch it to the stereo audio format, it plays.
Not a good option for my Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 set up.

Even concerts with DTS Master Audio won’t play that surround audio format.

None of my pass through options get me to use any surround audio format.
I am running the google tv chromecast 4k straight to my receiver.

I was planning to use this Google TV device to be my one device to do everything.
This is the only gap it has, no surround audio for my movies with the plex app on it. A real deal breaker on movies.

I guess I will go back to disc playback. What a disappointment.

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Unfortunately the latest version of the Android-TV app 8.29.0.30433 has broken this workaround. DTS 5.1 is back to playing in stereo on my Chromecast with Google TV.

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I think the last update of Plex for Android TV ha s broken any 5.1 on Chromecast.
I tried DTS 5.1, TrueHD, EAC3 - all played as stereo.
I have passthrouh enabled to optical and checked only AC3. Connected to Samsung QN90A and then to optical Logitech Z906.

Previous versions transcoded all those formats to ac3 and passed to optical. Now only stereo.

Great regression testing, Plex!

Newest version producing this to me if transcode is happening due to bandlimitation. Despite the fact that my receiver is capable of dolby digital plus or dolby digital where my chromecast with google tv is plugged. it is transcoded to opus. I dont get it why audio transcode is happening if the same file works with direct play? Will open a seperate thread for that to report it properly with logs.

The optical passthrough workaround is working again with latest beta, DTS audio is playing in surround with optical passthrough and AC3 encoding selected: Release Announcements - Android TV beta - #499 by marekszulik

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