Long time casual PLEX user (w/ Pass). New 4K TV has caused to me look deeper at my media. Testing out ATMOS files has become a nightmare. Files that clearly have ATMOS flagged (via MediaINFO), MOSTLY don’t play in any PLEX clients I’ve tried (LG WebOS, Firestick4K, Plex Player). In fact only one file (Nature’s Fury) that comes from a DOLBY site plays as Atmos (per my Onkyo AVR). Other flagged files from the same reference site do not (Dolby D+).
Been looking at forums, but now this is really frustrating as there are search results coming up that are years old, with configs and graphics for products either heavily modified or long gone.
It sounds like from what I read, I need to configure a Plex Client for Audio Passthru. Loaded these programs on a dedicated laptop (not my normal PMS) and I am bewildered to try to find settings for Passthru (which I assumed was a client setting). No app dialog matches to anything I have found in searching forums.
Plex for Windows: Version 1.6.5.1097-3bb9dc68 (is PLEX HTPC be a better option??)
Plex Media Server 1.22.2.4282-a97b03fad
Firestick4K and Laptop connect to Onkyo via HDMI (HDCP 2.2) ports. And since one file does play as ATMOS, there appears to be a proper hardware configuration. MediaInfo shows 7.1THD tracks among several in the file, here’s one example.sample ATMOS.txt (5.7 KB)
I need to have some confidence that PLEX will play ATMOS capable content before I make other investments in hardware and software to feed the 4K beast!
There are two versions of Atmos for home theaters. TrueHD + Atmos is the version found on Blu-ray discs. Dolby Digital Plus + Atmos is the version used by streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, etc.
The only Plex client that supports 4K HDR video and passes TrueHD + Atmos is an Nvidia Shield Pro.
Note: I have not tested the new Plex HTPC Windows/Mac application to see how well it handles 4K HDR and audio passthrough.
The Plex app on LG & Samsung TVs will pass Dolby Digital Plus w/ Atmos. It will not pass TrueHD. This is a TV, not Plex, limitation. I am not aware of any TV that will pass TrueHD audio.
Amazon FireTV devices do not support TrueHD audio. It will be transcoded to a supported format. The FireStick 4K supports Dolby Digital Plus w/ Atmos and will pass it to your AVR.
After connecting your computer per HDMI to your AVR, go into the preferences of these apps and set the connection type to HDMI.
Then activate the checkboxes of all the audio formats which your AVR can decode.
thanks… so that app I pulled from a link on the PLEX web site… only increases my frustration. I think I had looked at an early version of HTPC, though I do not normally use the PC as a client. I’m going to give that a try now.
Thanks, I had picked up bits and pieces of some of the differences. What really kills me is why some of the Dolby supplied files play as ATMOS and some do not… I need to dig into the specific bit streams to see if there’s a subtle difference. I just came back from a visit to Best Buy?Magnolia to talk to the guy who handle out TV purchase. He had just gotten the Shield Pro and raved about it. I was thinking about replacing my AppleTV NON-4K, so the Shield may be a good fit.
This could possibly be because the client you were using at the time, didn’t like some parts of the file and therefore triggered a transcode.
The moment a transcode is triggered for any reason, it is very likely that the audio track would also be transcoded, and therefore you would lose the Atmos elements.
In order to successfully get Atmos, every part of the file must be compatible with the client you are playing it from.
If you were to go back and replay those Atmos files again, and then look at the Plex dashboard to see if they are transcoding…
Installed HTPC, it played ATMOS on my BluRay (MKV) rip of Aquaman plus all the Dolby test files I tried. I even was able to play this on an HTPC I installed on my PMS, that has a DisplayPort to HDMI connection - I understood the 1.3 version of DP can’t do 4K, but could support THD audio, so that was confirmed. I really don’t use the PC to TV connection - it was there as a monitor since the PC is headless and I remote in. I’m going to look into the Shield Pro as per FordGuy61 possibly to use as the preferred Plex client. Sometimes having too many options isn’t helpful.
You certainly won’t go wrong with the Shield 2019 Pro
I’m very pro HTPC, and in the near future the Plex HTPC app will support proper HDR support which will almost put it on par with the Shield 2019 Pro.
The only thing that is likely to be missing from the new Plex HTPC app for a while, is going to be Dolby Vision support, and that’s only because Windows doesn’t really support it yet.
And that is where the Shield trumps the HTPC for the moment, as it also supports Dolby Vision.
My PMS is a very lite LenovoCentre Mini, so it generally handles the maximum of two streamers w/o an issue. I also just installed PMS on my Synology 1520+. Running HTPC and PMS on that Lenovo would be tuff and w/o 4K capabilities, down the road it wouldn’t be a great solution. I am curious how you control HTPC for remote display on the TV? I have a wireless keyboard, but I still think that’s a bit clumsy. Other than needing the LG “wand”, I control most of the everyday functions with my Harmony Companion ( & Hub) and Alexa (mostly for start and stop). The only thing that stops me from running out for the NVIDIA is wondering how much physical content I’ll have in future years at UHD levels. I have a lot of HD material now - and discs to back that up in many cases. But I wonder if I’m going to turn to streaming owned content (MoviesAnywhere as an example), vs buying disks (including a 4K capable BluRay player).
As it is now, no one besides me can control the HT complex - although everyone can start and stop the thing by telling Alexa to do so.
A mini keyboard on the back, and acts as an air mouse. Works really well with Plex, however one of the other major benefits of the 2019 Shield is it’s AI upscaling… That works really well.
OK, that’s some brain cells I’ve lost. I was actually looking at something like that to remote control an Android device a few years ago… makes perfect sense (bring back my old HP Media Center w/ remote!!). Good point about the AI upscaling… so many choices… Boyz and their Toyz, who can resist? This Intel I7 gaming laptop is having a keyboard meltdown… I’m thinking it will replace the mini Lenovo as the next Plex Media Server, that remote would work nicely if I go to that option.
