DLNA configuration – How to optimize transcoding and playback for heterogeneous devices?

Plex Media Server
,
1

Server Version#:1.42.2.10156
Player Version#: Yamaha MusicCast20 v2.11(2303)

Hello,

I’m running Plex Media Server on a Synology NAS (DSM 7.2.2-72806 Update 5) with multiple DLNA clients on my network, which vary greatly in their capabilities regarding audio playback. For example, some devices fully support DSD files, while others only accept PCM/WAV formats or are limited by sample rate and bitrate.

Currently, I’m facing a specific issue: When I stream DSD audio files, these tracks are sometimes sent without transcoding to players that do not support DSD playback, resulting in failure to play on those devices.

I’ve tried setting the following value in the “DLNA client preferences” field:
IP=192.168.88.215,DirectPlay=false,DirectStream=false;IP=192.168.88.249,DirectPlay=false,DirectStream=false;IP=192.168.88.254,DirectPlay=false,DirectStream=false
…but this doesn’t resolve the issue — DSD tracks are still delivered without transcoding to unsupported clients.

How can I best configure Plex DLNA settings so that:

  • Each DLNA client reliably receives audio in formats and bitrates it supports

  • Tracks (such as DSD audio) are automatically transcoded for devices without support

  • Playback is optimized for a mixed environment (audiophile devices, smart TVs, mobile devices, etc.)

Is it possible to set rules or profiles based on client capabilities, beyond just using IP addresses and generic DirectPlay/DirectStream options?
Any advice or documentation for handling audio transcoding and compatibility in such a heterogeneous network would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

2

Let’s summarize:

Description:

  • Server: Plex Media Server version 1.42.2.10156

  • Platform: Synology NAS (DSM 7.2.2-72806 Update 5)

  • DLNA clients: My network has various devices, some support DSD audio natively, others only accept PCM/WAV and are limited in sample rate/bitrate.

  • Problem: When streaming DSD audio files, sometimes certain clients cannot play them because Plex does not transcode to a compatible format.

What I have tried:

  • Set explicit rules in “DLNA client preferences”:
    IP=192.168.88.215,DirectPlay=false,DirectStream=false;...
    (no visible effect, DSD files are still not always transcoded, so settings was cleared)

  • Created custom profiles for clients:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Client name="Yamaha-MusicCast">
  <Identification>
    <Header name="User-Agent" substring="WX-021"/>
    <DeviceDescription>
      <modelName substring="WX-021" />
     </DeviceDescription>
  </Identification>

  <TranscodeTargets>
    <MusicProfile codec="wav" container="wav"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="flac" container="flac"/>
  </TranscodeTargets>

  <DirectPlayProfiles>
    <MusicProfile codec="mp3" container="mp3"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="wav" container="wav"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="flac" container="flac"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="aac" container="aac"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="alac" container="mp4,alac"/>
    <MusicProfile codec="aiff" container="aiff"/>
    <!-- DSD/DSF/DFF не указывать здесь! -->
  </DirectPlayProfiles>

  <CodecProfiles>
    <MusicCodec name="mp3">
      <Limitations>
        <UpperBound name="audio.bitrate" value="320"/>
        <UpperBound name="audio.samplingRate" value="48000"/>
      </Limitations>
    </MusicCodec>
    <MusicCodec name="flac">
      <Limitations>
        <UpperBound name="audio.samplingRate" value="96000"/>
        <UpperBound name="audio.channels" value="2"/>
      </Limitations>
    </MusicCodec>
    <MusicCodec name="wav"/>
    <MusicCodec name="aac"/>
    <MusicCodec name="alac"/>
    <MusicCodec name="aiff"/>
    <!-- DSD/DSF/DFF не указывать здесь! -->
  </CodecProfiles>
</Client>

, but Plex logs show:

text

ERROR - MDE: no compatible media decisions are available

(The device is correctly identified by User-Agent in logs. see attached log)

Plex DLNA Server.log (314.0 KB)

Nov 25, 2025 19:25:49.981 [547985685200] DEBUG - Mapped client to profile Yamaha-MusicCast using header User-Agent: Network_Module/1.0 (WX-021) UPnP/1.0 DLNADOC/1.50

Questions:

  1. Is it possible to configure Plex for Synology so that each DLNA client always receives compatible audio format and bitrate (with custom rules/profiles if needed)?

  2. Are there known limitations or bugs in the Synology build of Plex PMS that affect transcoding DSD to PCM/WAV/FLAC via DLNA?

  3. Is there a working guide or best practices for DLNA transcoding in mixed (heterogeneous) environments (high-end audio players, TVs, mobile devices)?

  4. If it’s not possible purely via Plex/DSM, could you recommend workarounds (external apps, batch conversion, etc.)?

Request:
I would highly appreciate any detailed instructions or recommendations, as well as an overview of supported formats and config examples for Synology.