Server Version#: 1.30.2.6563 (multiple)
Player Version#: 9.12.2.36964 (852035136) (multiple)
Hello,
I have a weird setup due to a HT-S20R soundbar which only supports 5.1 Dolby Digital and PCM 2.0 (connected to LG TV via HDMI). When I use Chromecast with Google TV (HDMI to TV) and audio needs to transcode, upon playback I have a spinning circle ad infinitum. I can “kick it” into working by going Convert Automatically and then changing it back to Play Original Quality. Only this way I’m able to watch a film with 5.1 sound (when it needs transcoding).
Has anyone seen anything similar? I’m pretty sure it’s been like this for quite a while now, multiple versions of Plex for Android, two different LG TVs and a whole new Android version for the Chromecast. It’s only today, that I finally found this workaround, though!
I attach logs:
30s spinner trying to play original quality
a switch to Convert automatically
30s spinner after that
a switch back to Play Original Quality
and 30s of successful playback
I tried every combination of TV, Chromecast and Plex settings. None give me 5.1 Dolby Digital for every audio type. This workaround gets me closest.
Thanks for speedy answer! Passthrough is set to Optical with only AC3 chosen (even though soundbar is connected via HDMI). If I set Passthrough to HDMI, I get PCM 2.0 (as this is the only PCM my soundbar accepts). So I loose 5.1 which is a goal here.
I have a comparable set (Samsung TV, FireTV stick, 5.1 optical audio with AC3 and PCM 2.0).
I’m running into the same problem (infite spinner when only audio transcoding) but it only appears when I turn on the subtitles. Do you vids have subs too ?
Great spot, @Mojito817! Indeed, if I switch off subtitles (here an external SRT), playback starts immediately and correctly (no endless spinner) without needing to resort to flicking the Convert options back and forth.
But since it’s basically working (system is capable of transcoding/playing correctly) and just needs this extra step of flicking options, I hope this is just a bug and possible to fix.
.srt subtitles here too.
This only seems to happen when transcoding to AC3 (Same vids transcode to AAC on another platform and has no problem with subtitles on ) but I’d need further testing to confirm.
I’ve tried the trick of switching to “convert automatically” and back to original quality. The stream does restart then but the audio transcode also switched from AC3 to AAC which outputs stereo on my setup. So this is probably why it works : it doesn’t transcode to AC3 anymore…but sadly not a solution for me…
Hmm. The trick makes my baby soundbar display “Dolby Digital”. Now, I wouldn’t trust this soundbar at all, but its spec page says it’s Dolby Digital only: HT-S20R Specifications | Soundbars | Sony UK.
But it’s true, movies indicated as having AAC often do play without transcoding audio…
In any case, spurious changing of the settings shouldn’t be necessary. If there is a problem with wrongly transcoding (or copying) AAC to unsupported device that’s a separate problem.
And would be great to have more checkboxes in Optical and HDMI Passthrough modes. Clearly, some devices cannot be relied with transmitting their capabilities correctly.
FireStick <–HDMI–> LG B7 OLED <–HDMI-ARC–> Denon AVR-X4300H
Plex Android TV app: 9.15.0.38159
PMS 1.29.2.6364
FireStick Audio = Best Available
Plex App Settings:
Passthrough = Optical, AC3 selected. DTS not selected.
Refresh Rate Switching = Off
Results
AC3 2.0 & 5.1 direct play.
TrueHD, EAC3, DTS, DTS-HD all transcoded by Plex Media Server to AC3 5.1.
AAC 5.1 transcoded by PMS to AC3 5.1
AAC 2.0 direct plays. FireStick sends to AVR as AC3 2.0.
PCM 5.1 transcoded by PMS to AC3 5.1.
PCM 2.0 transcoded by PMS to Opus 2.0, FireStick sends to AVR as AC3 2.0.
This is extremely useful, thank you @FordGuy61 (and for the effort too!). I don’t want to add any work for you, but given @Mojito817 findings above, would subtitles affect any transcodings in these tests? (my audio plays correctly and doesn’t require any silly conversion switching if I disable subtitles before attempting to play).
This is amazingly useful, thanks for your hard work testing, @FordGuy61! I will try to do similar, time permitting.
My current hypothesis is that the HT-S20R soundbar must be misreporting its capabilities via HDMI. I observe (on a second LG TV now, this one is a C2) that both Chromecast with Google TV and internal Plex WebOS app both have troubles transcoding audio to AC3 with different source materials. I can have smooth playback only if I reencode files to add a copy of the audio track in AC3. Some material refuses to play at all without this manual reencode; symptoms vary from lost surround (PCM 2.0) to infinite spinners to even visual artifacts.
I am also unsure if TV sound settings matter at all – if they could tell both Plex apps something the soundbar fails to (DTV Audio Setting & Digital Sound Output). I don’t think they have any effect, but I haven’t done any rigorous testing.
I suspect my soundbar says it can do PCM without saying it’s only PCM 2.0 (and given @Mojito817’s experience, maybe it’s also confused about AAC?). Given the fact Plex doesn’t offer more granular audio passthrough options, both Android and WebOS apps get stuck under certain circumstances (I have no trouble playing any files using LG Media app via DLNA). Plex apps must be thinking soundbar can do more that it really can (?).
Does anyone know if the are apps (PC, but preferably Mac) that would allow me to connect via HDMI to the soundbar and see what audio capabilities the soundbar is reporting (I don’t know if it’s EDID or what)? Buying any dongles seem excessive.
Lastly, for anyone experiencing similar issues, this is the FFMpeg incantation I came up with (which I use in this very useful app) to automagically add a reencoded AC3 audio track to files. When I do that both Plex apps have zero troubles:
I owe everyone an apology, especially @FordGuy61 for so much work testing. His results made me try more and I played with Video format settings in my Chromecast. I was getting weird results and some video artifacts, so I decided to Restore factory settings on the Chromecast (I have changed the TV set recently).
After setting it up again (Dolby Vision Low latency 4k 60FPS, Match format to content Seamless), I get correct TV picture mode depending on the content. And all audio transcodes correctly, no more infinite spinners.
Let‘s consider this topic closed. My WebOS Plex app still has problems with this soundbar, but I will open a separate topic for that. Chromecast is finally usable as my audio delay problems are gone on the new TV set (LG C2). It does stutter impossibly on some rare content and I can’t adjust huge subtitles, but I may now actually consider using it instead of WebOS app.
