Server Version#: 1.21.1.3795
Player Version#: 8.11.0 on latest OS Chromecast with Google TV
TV: lg-49UJ635V (latest firmware 05.80.65)
Surround: Sony HT-S20R
Hello,
I have bought Chromecast to workaround sound issues I’m having with LG WebOS Preview app. How was I surprised when it turned out, Chromecast is even worse.
I spent long time getting surround sound to work, because manual selection of audio passthrough formats is only available after selecting Optical (I use HDMI-CEC). After getting that working, I have two remaining issues:
[see possible update to this below] Whether audio transcodes or direct plays, I experience audio<>video sync issues. They seem to vary. Sometimes the lag is longer than 500ms, then on the same file after some rewinding it seems shorter. This is much worse than LG WebOS app.
My soundbar only supports Dolby Digital. But LG WebOS Plex Preview app does successfully send AAC 5.1 sound to it and I can enjoy AAC 5.1 without transcoding. Unfortunately, despite manual setting in Chromecast allowing AAC (see pic below), AAC 5.1 sound in the same file is transcoded by Plex Android. I guess my soundbar misreports its capabilities, but could Plex Android allow manual selection of AAC just like it allows AC3? Or could it listen to what Chromecast tells it (what I have manually indicated)?
Hi, BigWheel, thanks! So:
same hardware/software setup: same TV with the same audio HDMI-CEC audio passthrough settings (no PCM); same soundbar, same connections, same Plex server, same audio settings in both Plex player apps (AC3 only selected).
Latest Plex for WebOS Preview (no transcoding, 5.1):
Server’s Chromecast: Force multi-channel audio support doesn’t matter. I thought Chromecast’s manual override should signal to Plex Android that it can direct play AAC. Sadly, there is no Plex player app setting to manually allow AAC (as there is for eg. AC3).
Any insight appreciated.
But to be honest, I’m much more worried about audio sync issues as they persist whether audio is transcoding or not. As it stands, Plex on Chromecast is unusable for me and I’m using Plex for WebOS Preview on this setup.
The sync issue you are describing sounds like a known issue that is being looked into but has proved to be a pesky bug. Often can be reproduced when skipping ahead like when using Skip Intro
How exactly are things connected? directly to receiver or using ARC through TV? It doesn’t matter if the CC Can passthrough AAC is if the device /receiver doesn’t support it. Like I if change to manual and enable AAC on mine, I just get this jumpy static on my receiver which also does not support AAC.
Sadly, my receiver (very recent Sony soundbar, see OP) has only one HDMI ARC and on paper supports only Dolby Digital, as PCM – it supports only stereo (yeah, I know: I wouldn’t ever buy it again would I know).
CC is connected to one HDMI ARC on the LG TV, soundbar – to the other.
It’s perfectly possible sounbar is signalling lack of AAC support, but since Plex for WebOS is able to pass through AAC in 5.1 to it, I would expect Plex for Android would be too (esp. with the CC sound setting from the OP).
Is a TV setting (I don’t have one like this) or CC setting (I have it ON like in OP) or a hidden Plex Android app setting (how do I get to it)?
I’m talking about that setting you have in your first post. it get really bad static if that is enabled. afaik the reason that AAC is not an option when using Optical setting is that it is not supported over optical on any system and that is why it is transcoding since it flat out knows it can’t
Oh, it took me ages to figure out this setting is completely broken for me (because I cannot manually tick only AC3 passtrough). It does this:
– for AC3 5.1 file it correctly passes AC3 in 5.1
– for AAC 5.1 it passes PCM and because my soundbar can only do stereo with PCM, these are some random two channels with weird volume
Cool. So while fixing what is reported all over the place in this forum (people having to choose Optical to be able to manually choose supported codecs for HDMI passthrough, which also produces eg. a complete mess like in my last post), you could consider adding AAC as a future option for manual HDMI passthrough? Do you think it’s worth me registering it as a feature request here?
Hmm I was trying on my Shield and that converts to Multichannel PCM but the Chromecast /GTV does not. So i am thinking the device is just not capable. The app is direct playing in both cases.
I won’t stop you from doing so, the Android devs will know what is possible more than me but I imagine that it might be out of our hands. that AAC setting might just mean 2.0 only. I wish I had a AAC 5.1 capable receiver to test on.
CC may not be capable of converting, but IIUC CC setting in OP, it should pass it through, no? Unless you are right and
which would be sad. Very sad indeed.
And my stupid soundbar may be saying it cannot support it, but somehow Plex for WebOS successfully sends it there, so I would still like to be able to make manual choices (and deal with some static if I make a mistake).
Thanks for all your help, BigWheel! I’m very excited to hear lipsync issues are being worked on! At least then I will be able to actually use the Chromecast even if audio would transcode too often…
AFAIK, it only shows two things on its funny lil’ LCD display that looks like from Giliam’s Brasil: either Dolby Digital or LPCM. And it’s the latter it shows when I set Plex Androind app to HDMI passthrough: and it then plays some rando channels using only two speakers. That’s why this (default!) setting is completely broken in my setup.
And when AAC 5.1 is played via Plex for WebOS, soundbar shows Dolby Digital and outputs all channels correctly. Plex app says it direct plays (second of my screenshots), though.
Has there been any updates on the audio sync issue? I bought the Chromecast for my sister for Xmas and she streams off my plex server. We have been troubleshooting for about 2 days now with this very issue described where the audio does not sync up (mostly when skipping forward or resuming in the middle of a movie/show).
I read to the bottom of this thread and didn’t see any updates, so wasn’t sure if this was fixed or if its a known issue and we are waiting for a fix.
Sorry I don’t have an ETA. For me on my Shield or Chromecast/GoogleTV hitting left to go back 10secs syncs thing back up. I usually see this if I decide to skip intro.
