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?
