E-AC-3 Audio Is Not Supported By The Device

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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Server Version#: Version 4.142.2 (Synoogy
Player Version#:10.24.1.2319 (Nvidea Shield app)

Plex server runs from my Synology.
Nvidea Shield is used for the plex player app, HDMI into my Phillips OLED.
From the OLED, I run an optical cable into a SONOS soundbar.

Playing many media files of late results in transcoding taking place rather than direct play. It states “E-AC-3 Audio Is Not Supported By The Device”.

I have tried disabling each sound format in turn on the shield, enabling passthrough on the Plex app, but it always results in the same.

Is there anything I can do to prevent the transcoding, as it makes 4K unwatchable.

The same files play perfectly via VLC, if that matters.

Thanks!

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Optical cable does not support EAC3 audio. It is limited to AC3 5.1, DTS 5.1, and PCM 2.0.

Therefore, the audio cannot passthrough to the Sonos, so it is transcoded by Plex Media Server.

Option 1: If both the TV and soundbar support HDMI-ARC, connect them via HDMI instead of optical. HDMI-ARC can pass EAC3 audio.

Option 2: Look in the Shield advanced sound settings. If available (2019 models only?), enable Dolby Audio Processing. That tells the Shield to convert DD+ to DD.

Option 3: In the Plex app on the Shield, set passthrough = optical. Then enable passthrough for AC3 audio. Enable passthrough for DTS if supported by the Sonos. The settings for AC3/DTS appear after setting passthrough = optical. Also, in the Shield settings, return the audio formats to Auto instead of enabling/disabling individual codecs.

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Thank you so much for your help with this.

Option 1 is no-go as the SONOS soundbar I have does not have HDMI.
Option 2 also as I cant see those settings on my sheild
Option 3 I carried out what you suggested but it still transcodes and is unwatchable

What I will do is order in a SONOS Beam Gen 2 to replace my existing one, it does at least have HDMI and would appear so support more formats, so hopefully this will save a lot of headache.

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Transcoding audio really should not cause a problem. It uses the CPU, but should not swamp a system.

Do you have any 1080p (or lower res) media with EAC3 audio? If so, any problems playing those files?

Monitor playback via Plex Dashboard → Now Playing + Expanded View.

Play something with EAC3 audio. Do not enable subtitles (should not matter, but leave them off anyway).

What is displayed?
Is the connection local/remote/indirect?
Is the video transcoding?

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Earlier I removed the Sonos (which was connecting via optical cable as it has no HDMI), set up audio to come from the OLED, with the Shield connecting direct via HDMI. Set Passthrough in Plex to HDMI. Everything plays flawlessly, no issues even with the largest files.

I think that once the Sonos Beam G2 arrives it will solve everything once and for all, in a way I am pleased as my old Sonos is a bit long in the tooth now and I had it in mind to update it.

Thank you so much for your help!

6

One more question on the same thing, when listening via Sennheiser bluetooth headphones I noticed its transcoding again. The video shows as Direct Stream, but the audio transcodes with “E-AC-3 Audio Is Not Supported By The Device”. Audio is EAC 5.1 then OPUS > Transcode. Do I have any way of preventing this transcode when using headphones?

#update - occurred to me to unpair it from the Shield, and instead pair with the OLED, problem solved, no more transcoding/

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