DVR recordings only have stereo audio

I am brand new to Plex and am still in the process of getting things set up. I have a 2019 Nvidia Shield connected to an HDHOMERUN Connect 4K and a Yamaha AV receiver.

Live TV has surround sound audio present on the AV receiver when playing on both the Shield Client and the Roku client. A recording made from the same channel of the same program only has stereo audio. I can also get surround sound from the Netflix app on the Shield.

I can’t find a setting to correct this problem.

Can you post the XML information for one of your recordings? See “XML Information/XML File” at this link:

It will show whether or not the multi-channel audio stream is being recorded. If it is, you’d need to investigate why the the client (or server) is choosing to play back using the stereo stream.

My OTA recordings have only every been stereo.

Interesting. My recordings have multi-channel audio when it’s present in the broadcast:

<Stream id="65414" streamType="2" selected="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="6" bitrate="444" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="5.1(side)" requiredBandwidths="447,447,447,447,447,447,447,447" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="257" displayTitle="English (AC3 5.1)" extendedDisplayTitle="English (AC3 5.1)"></Stream>

Here it is. The AC3 streams appear to only be stereo. The live broadcast had the 5.1 surround.

Let me try again. I tried pasting the xml content and that didn’t work the first time

Try placing it in a pre-formatted text block. When you’re editing your message, select the </> tool and paste the XML inside the resulting block.

Trying again to post the XML

Stream id=“5142” streamType=“2” selected=“1” codec=“ac3” index=“1” channels=“2” bitrate=“384” language=“English” languageCode=“eng” audioChannelLayout=“stereo” requiredBandwidths=“384,384,384,384,384,384,384,384” samplingRate=“48000” streamIdentifier=“257” displayTitle=“English (AC3 Stereo)” extendedDisplayTitle=“English (AC3 Stereo)”>

I just made a quick recording of one of my local HD channels as a test. Here’s the full XML for it:

<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionTitle="NextPVR TV" librarySectionUUID="3316f996-e8f1-4c85-9554-6e24ad03b7bc" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1614092584">
<Video ratingKey="49" key="/library/metadata/49" parentRatingKey="48" grandparentRatingKey="47" guid="plex://episode/5fd91829d61c82002ddb7269" parentGuid="plex://season/5fc6af2ff21710002d6c38b2/2021" grandparentGuid="plex://show/5fc6af2ff21710002d6c38b2" type="episode" title="Washington at Arizona" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/47" parentKey="/library/metadata/48" librarySectionTitle="NextPVR TV" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/1" grandparentTitle="College Basketball" parentTitle="Season 2021" summary="The Wildcats conclude the home portion of their regular-season schedule as they host the Huskies. Arizona has won three of the last four meetings after an 80-53 victory earlier this season. Washington's Quade Green scored 23 points in that game." parentIndex="2021" year="2021" thumb="/library/metadata/49/thumb/1614457459" art="/library/metadata/49/art/1614457459" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/47/thumb/1614457459" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/47/art/1614457459" duration="135773" originallyAvailableAt="2021-02-27" addedAt="1614457457" updatedAt="1614457459" oneShot="1">
<Media id="40" duration="135773" bitrate="9199" width="1920" height="1080" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="6" audioCodec="ac3" videoCodec="mpeg2video" videoResolution="1080" container="mpegts" videoFrameRate="NTSC" beginOffset="4917" channelIdentifier="7.1" endOffset="2144" mediaGrabBeginsAt="1614452400" mediaGrabDevice="device://tv.plex.grabbers.hdhomerun/10805A71" mediaGrabPartialRecording="1" mediaGrabPartialRecordingReason="The recording was cancelled" mediaGrabStatus="complete" origin="dvr" videoProfile="main">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="40" key="/library/parts/40/1614457456/file.ts" file="/plexmedia/nextpvr/dvr/tv/College Basketball (2008)/Season 2021/College Basketball (2008) - 2021-02-27 07 00 00 - Washington at Arizona.ts" size="156130052">
<Stream id="118" streamType="1" codec="mpeg2video" index="0" bitrate="8623" bitDepth="8" chromaLocation="left" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" closedCaptions="1" codedHeight="1080" codedWidth="1920" colorRange="tv" frameRate="29.970" height="1080" level="4" profile="main" refFrames="1" scanType="interlaced" streamIdentifier="256" width="1920" displayTitle="1080i (MPEG2VIDEO)" extendedDisplayTitle="1080i (MPEG2VIDEO)"></Stream>
<Stream id="120" streamType="2" selected="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="6" bitrate="384" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="5.1(side)" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="257" displayTitle="English (AC3 5.1)" extendedDisplayTitle="English (AC3 5.1)"></Stream>
<Stream id="121" streamType="2" codec="ac3" index="2" channels="2" bitrate="192" language="Español" languageCode="spa" audioChannelLayout="stereo" descriptions="1" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="258" visualImpaired="1" displayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)" extendedDisplayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)"></Stream>
<Stream id="119" streamType="3" codec="eia_608" index="0" embeddedInVideo="1" streamIdentifier="256" displayTitle="Unknown (Closed Captions)" extendedDisplayTitle="Unknown (Closed Captions)"></Stream>
</Part>
</Media>
<Genre id="158" filter="genre=158" tag="Basketball"/>
<Genre id="161" filter="genre=161" tag="Sports Event"/>
<Genre id="159" filter="genre=159" tag="Sports"/>
<Team id="162" filter="team=162" tag="Washington"/>
<Team id="163" filter="team=163" tag="Arizona"/>
<Channel id="160" filter="channel=160" tag="7.1 WSPADT (Columbia Broadcasting System)"/>
<Marker type="commercial" startTimeOffset="60830" endTimeOffset="134200"/>
<Field locked="1" name="art"/>
<Extras size="0"></Extras>
<Related></Related>
</Video>
</MediaContainer>

I’m also using an HDHomeRun Connect 4K. If the broadcast which you’re recording has a multi-channel audio stream, it should be getting recorded; I’m not aware of any setting which would cause it not to.

Can you post the full XML of one of your recordings which should have multi-channel audio? Use the pre-formatted text option I mentioned above.

Sorry, I should have been more specific: my OTA TV shows have only ever been stereo (I have recorded films with 6 channels)

No worries, I understood your meaning; I wasn’t clear in my reply that I was referring to OTA TV show broadcasts as well. Still, whatever (even TV shows) I record from my OTA tuner (the above-mentioned Connect 4K) includes the AC3 5.1 track, if present in the broadcast.

In fact, all the streams present in the broadcast are recorded (including the second audio program and closed captions). As far as I know, this is the expected behavior as long as no post-processing is performed which would remove these streams.

For what it’s worth, the first example I showed above is from a TV show named Ghosted, which I recorded a couple of years ago. The second example is from a basketball game of which I made a test recording earlier today.

I don’t see a surround sound track present in the file. What confuses me is that the live tv audio was decoded into surround sound from the same OTA program by the receiver.

Trying again to post the full XML

`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

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-

-

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

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-

-

-

`

Trying again on pasting the full XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

-<MediaContainer mediaTagVersion="1614218221" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" librarySectionUUID="016bb6cd-7a1d-4573-94c6-77554e199f02" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionID="2" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" allowSync="1" size="1">


-<Video title="There's a New Count in Town" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionID="2" oneShot="1" updatedAt="1614364264" addedAt="1614364261" originallyAvailableAt="2020-02-22" duration="1917912" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/5027/art/1614364263" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/5027/thumb/1614364263" art="/library/metadata/5029/art/1614364264" thumb="/library/metadata/5029/thumb/1614364264" year="2020" lastViewedAt="1614367466" viewCount="17" viewOffset="208854" parentIndex="50" index="15" summary="When Charlie counts everything on Sesame Street, the Count thinks he's not needed anymore and decides to leave; Charlie explains that she loves to count but she could never take the Count's place, so he agrees to stay." contentRating="TVY" parentTitle="Season 50" grandparentTitle="Sesame Street" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/2" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/5027" type="episode" grandparentGuid="plex://show/5fc6adf7c8d56d002efdbddb" parentGuid="plex://season/5fc6adf7c8d56d002efdbddb/50" guid="plex://episode/5fc6f8f5a62668002dcd6864" grandparentRatingKey="5027" skipParent="1" key="/library/metadata/5029" ratingKey="5029">


-<Media duration="1917912" origin="dvr" mediaGrabStatus="complete" mediaGrabDevice="device://tv.plex.grabbers.hdhomerun/108181C1" mediaGrabBeginsAt="1614362400" channelIdentifier="8.1" videoFrameRate="NTSC" videoResolution="1080" videoCodec="mpeg2video" audioCodec="ac3" audioChannels="2" aspectRatio="1.78" height="1080" width="1920" bitrate="18519" id="4361">


-<Part size="2501017392" duration="1917912" key="/library/parts/4361/1614364259/file.ts" id="4361" requiredBandwidths="10775,10425,10143,10143,10143,10143,10143,10143" deepAnalysisVersion="4" file="/storage/A2D8922CD891FF2B/NVIDIA_SHIELD/TV Shows/Sesame Street (1969)/Season 50/Sesame Street (1969) - S50E15 - There's a New Count in Town.ts" exists="1" accessible="1">

<Stream index="0" height="1080" width="1920" bitrate="8907" id="5140" requiredBandwidths="10071,9721,9460,9460,9460,9460,9460,9460" extendedDisplayTitle="1080i (MPEG2VIDEO)" displayTitle="1080i (MPEG2VIDEO)" streamIdentifier="256" scanType="interlaced" refFrames="1" profile="main" level="4" frameRate="29.970" colorTrc="bt709" colorSpace="bt709" colorRange="tv" colorPrimaries="bt709" codedWidth="1920" codedHeight="1080" closedCaptions="1" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" chromaLocation="left" bitDepth="8" codec="mpeg2video" streamType="1"> </Stream>

<Stream language="English" index="1" bitrate="384" id="5142" requiredBandwidths="384,384,384,384,384,384,384,384" extendedDisplayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" displayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" streamIdentifier="257" codec="ac3" streamType="2" samplingRate="48000" audioChannelLayout="stereo" languageCode="eng" channels="2" selected="1"> </Stream>

<Stream language="Español" index="2" bitrate="192" id="5143" requiredBandwidths="192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192" extendedDisplayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)" displayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)" streamIdentifier="258" codec="ac3" streamType="2" samplingRate="48000" audioChannelLayout="stereo" languageCode="spa" channels="2"> </Stream>

<Stream language="English" index="3" bitrate="128" id="5144" requiredBandwidths="128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128" extendedDisplayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" displayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" streamIdentifier="259" codec="ac3" streamType="2" samplingRate="48000" audioChannelLayout="stereo" languageCode="eng" channels="2"> </Stream>

<Stream index="0" bitrate="8907" id="5141" requiredBandwidths="10071,9721,9460,9460,9460,9460,9460,9460" extendedDisplayTitle="Unknown (Closed Captions)" displayTitle="Unknown (Closed Captions)" streamIdentifier="256" codec="eia_608" streamType="3" embeddedInVideo="1"> </Stream>

</Part>

</Media>

<Genre id="4586" tag="Educational" filter="genre=4586"/>

<Genre id="4587" tag="Children" filter="genre=4587"/>

<Channel id="3842" tag="8.1 KUHTDT (Public Broadcasting System)" filter="channel=3842"/>

<Channel id="3980" tag="8.3 KUHTDT3 (PBS Kids HD)" filter="channel=3980"/>

<Marker type="commercial" endTimeOffset="48620" startTimeOffset="0"/>

<Marker type="commercial" endTimeOffset="1916750" startTimeOffset="1662490"/>

<Field name="thumb" locked="1"/>

<Field name="art" locked="1"/>

<Extras size="0"> </Extras>

<Related> </Related>

</Video>

</MediaContainer>

I’m not sure what to suggest. My experience is that if the broadcast includes the surround audio stream it will be recorded. Indeed, your example captured 3 different audio streams, likely the only ones which were present.

The next HD airing of Sesame Street in my area is Monday morning; I’ll set it up to record and see what it grabs as far as audio streams are concerned.

I’m recording golf from NBC right now. The live view shows 5.1 audio present. I’ll see if it’s there on playback.

That will be a good test. I just recorded a few minutes of it here and it included a 5.1 stream.

I got the same results with the NBC golf recording. I checked a few other channels and the issue seems to be limited to my PBS station. For my other tests, live tv shows 5.1 and the recording and playback has the 5.1 soundtrack. Not sure why PBS live tv shows 5.1 on the receiver, but no 5.1 soundtrack is present on the recording. For what it’s worth, the receiver shows 5.1 from PBS when processing the ARC audio from the tv itself.

I don’t believe the fault is with Plex.

Thanks for all your help.

No problem, glad it’s working (other than PBS, of course).

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