Fire Cube 3rd Gen audio and video combination tests - Unexpected results

[SitDolor]

Server Version#: 1.31.2
Player Version#: Latest

Ran a test on a variety of content to better understand what will and wont play without transcoding. Using a QNAP TS-473 for the server - no additional acceleration, cpu limited so therefore transcoding is not possible. Brand new Fire Cube with latest player, sending the signal through a NAD T778 with video pass-through, on to a JVC projector that supports all video formats and resolutions.

• Assumption 1: Refresh and Res switching will present video as is - no transcoding and therefore no server cpu demand
• Assumption 2: Audio formats are all supported and should be passed through as is
• Assumption 3: Refresh switching enabled only should work as super resolution should perform the upscaling
• Assumption 4: No refresh or Resolution switching will not be playable as it requires framerate and resolution conversion

Cube has: Framerate switching enabled; auto resolution; audio passthrough; super resolution enabled

Plex correctly sets framerate and resolution matching video when refresh and/or resolution switching enabled

Observed results where:

Title	Resolution	Framerate	Video Format	Audio	Refresh Switching Only	Refresh and Resolution Switching	No Refresh or Resolution Switching		Audio Type on NAD
The Blacklist S09E07	1080	23.976	AVC High L4	E-AC-3	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		PCM
The Blacklist S08E21	1080	23.976	MP4 AVC High L4.1	AC-3	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		PCM
The Blacklist S07E19	1080	23.976	AVC High L4	DTS XLL (HD-MA)	Not Powerful Enough	Buffers	Buffers		DTS (Not MA)
Hawkeye S01E01	2160	24	HEVC	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		Atmos
Falcon S01E01	1080	24	AVC High L4	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Plays	Plays		Atmos
For All Mankind S01E01	2160	23.976	HEVC	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		Atmos
Saul S04E01	1080	23.976	AVC High L4.1	DTS	Unable to Play	Plays	Plays		DTS

Notable:

• Dolby audio appears as PCM
• DTS-MA is not being correctly passed and results in just DTS, presuming the buffering of the video is due to some form of audio conversion being attempted
• With no refresh/res switching all but the DTS-MA plays at 2016p60 - This feels wrong as there’s a lot of conversion going on but its not on the server so the Cube must be doing it?
• With refresh switching only, assumption 3 is invalidated. It should work, but doesn’t
• With both refresh and resolution switching, it should passthrough the video as-is. There’s no need for resolution of framerate change, but it doesnt and fails to play.

Does anyone have any answers for this? Any idea why with refresh and framerate switching enable stuff fails to play?

[FordGuy61]

@SitDolor

DTS-MA is not being correctly passed and results in just DTS

DTS-HD passthrough not working on new Fire TV Cube (3rd)

We spoke to Amazon, DTS-HD / DTS:X only passes through the DTS Core, so whilst its supported on the new device it cant pass all the channels through for the full effect. We are still looking into the stutter that happens with DTS-HD playback, this appears to be a bug in the OS rather than in Plex. We’ve been able to reproduce the stutter without any framerate, refresh rate or resolution switching and have informed Amazon about the problem. We’ve yet to hear back unfortunately.

[sixones]

Refresh rate switching shouldnt impact what you can play.

Based on your table it looks like your setup doesnt support EAC3 so everything has to be transcoded, it should play after being transcoded in the same way with or without refresh rate or resolution switching enabled. Its odd that you are getting different results.

Would you be able to, play a video without refresh rate switching, and then play the same video with refresh rate switching enabled. And then grab the logs for me, you only need to play the videos for 5 minutes (or however long it takes to get the server not powerful enough message).

Steps for fetching the logs are available here; https://support.plex.tv/articles/201573117-android-android-tv-fire-tv-logs/

[SitDolor]

Retest using JRiver Media Center shows that the NAD does support Dolby Digital Plus (Last column now shows output) So, the Cube is incorrectly sending the output.

Title	Resolution	Framerate	Video Format	Audio	Refresh Switching Only	Refresh and Resolution Switching	No Refresh or Resolution Switching		Audio Type on NAD	JRiver MC30 on NAD
The Blacklist S09E07	1080	23.976	AVC High L4	E-AC-3	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		PCM	Dolby Digital Plus
The Blacklist S08E21	1080	23.976	MP4 AVC High L4.1	AC-3	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		PCM	Dolby Digital
The Blacklist S07E19	1080	23.976	AVC High L4	DTS XLL (HD-MA)	Not Powerful Enough	Buffers	Buffers		DTS (Not MA)	DTS-HD Master Audio
Hawkeye S01E01	2160	24	HEVC	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		Atmos	Atmos
Falcon S01E01	1080	24	AVC High L4	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Plays	Plays		Atmos	Atmos
For All Mankind S01E01	2160	23.976	HEVC	Atmos	Not Powerful Enough	Not Powerful Enough	Plays		Atmos	Atmos
Saul S04E01	1080	23.976	AVC High L4.1	DTS	Unable to Play	Plays	Plays		DTS	DTS

Network log attached of both refresh and resolution switching on
blacklistS09E07.zip (632.4 KB)

Network log of refresh and resolution switching off
blacklistS09E07-NoRefreshOrResolution.zip (642.6 KB)

Changed from both off to just the refresh switch enabled, it played for the first time. Note correct refresh rate shown
blacklistS09E07-RefreshPlayOk.zip (656.2 KB)

However, click home on remote, then back in and try to play again and it fails
blacklistS09E07-RefreshFailed.zip (683.5 KB)

So, there’s something odd there with it failing, its not always consistent from a change but is when exiting and playing again

[SitDolor]

{bump}

Last reply was “Based on your table it looks like your setup doesn’t support EAC3” which is not the case based on the updated table. Any further thoughts on this given the exceptions in the attached logs?

Thanks