My question pertains to the HD audio options currently offered on the Xbox One.
If I choose “bitstream” in my audio settings on the XB1, it decodes the audio track in my MKV files to either DTS or Dolby Digital.
1 - Why isn’t there an option to just purely passthrough all the audio tracks that I’ve worked hard to preserve? (I’ve called Xbox support and they couldn’t give me an answer or insight into maybe adding this in)
2 - What’s a better option for a client to play my Plex content on connected to a receiver?
I am trying to allow my receiver to do the decoding of the audio tracks and output the sound instead of my XB1 or any client for that matter manipulating the original audio.
Because Microsoft doesn´t allow it for 3rd party apps. (At the moment passthrough isn’t even possible for their own BR-app, this will change in Q1/2017 => maybe they also let 3rd party use it, but I doubt it)
Basically anything - I use my Xbox One with Plex daily, but due to the restrictions put out by Microsoft it is the “worst” Plex player out there.
Well I’m crossing my fingers they will!
Currently looking at purchasing an Intel NUC mini PC for my main home theater setup just to allow for all the goodies to passthrough.
But I’d really like to NOT have to do that if at all possible, if Microsoft would just make the change!
Thanks for the reply
@mike4001 said:
2) Basically anything - I use my Xbox One with Plex daily, but due to the restrictions put out by Microsoft it is the “worst” Plex player out there.
Totally agree. It really sucks that Microsoft won’t allow HDMI passthrough. I’m still crossing my fingers that we’ll get it when the Xbox One gets passthrough for the Blu-ray app. In the meantime, I’m content relying on my receiver to process Dolby Atmos. The receiver might do a better job for Dolby Atmos anyways.
Totally agree about Atmos, that’s what my hope is for ALL audio tracks.
How are you getting your receiver to handle Atmos?
I just purchased a new 4K receiver with Atmos and DTS X support as well as TrueHD and all others.
Are you able to do this currently with playback on a XB1?
@Hockeytown777 said:
Are you able to do this currently with playback on a XB1?
Yes…kinda. I have a Denon x6300h which has the option for Dolby Surround. So on the Xbox One I use bitstream out to Dolby Digital, and then the receiver takes the Dolby Digital output (it has to be 5.1 output to get “Atmos-like” playback) from the Xbox One and splits it into 5.1.4 using the Dolby Digital + Dolby Surround mode. (I think most modern receivers can do this, but I’m not 100% certain.) I get realistic plane fly overs, hovering helicopters, crowd noise, background music…really everything comes out of the overheads all the time. I’ve never actually heard the true Dolby Atmos mix as intended by the engineers, but based on some of the reviews I’ve read, I really don’t want to. Some of the mixes don’t even use the overhead speakers through the whole movie. I’m still at least curious to hear a true Atmos mix, but definitely happy with how the receiver splits up the signals.
due to the restrictions put out by Microsoft it is the “worst” Plex player out there.
Really disappointing since they claim Xbox runs Windows 10.
It’s not the same windows 10 you have running on a normal computer so it does have some quirks to work out.
I have heard from people in the insider preview for the Xbox One that HD audio is happening for the Built in media player. While this does not mean it will come to 3rd party applications, this is normally the first step before it gets released to the other applications.
Is there any update on this? I just upgraded to a new xbox one x and found that there are now settings to allow the bluray player app to pass thru, does this mean other apps can do this as well now?
@randy.wilkinson said:
Is there any update on this? I just upgraded to a new xbox one x and found that there are now settings to allow the bluray player app to pass thru, does this mean other apps can do this as well now?
This is something that the developers are definitely looking into. The first thing they had to do was upgrade the app’s framework to the UWP framework. Now that that part of the problem is done, passthrough is one of those things they want include.
Unfortunately, the developers typically do not give out timelines for future releases or feature additions.
I gave up on Microsoft and ended up buying a Shield TV. Works flawlessly.
I hate that I had to add another piece to my setup when part of the reason I bought an Xbox One in the first place was for it’s all in one claims, but I haven’t been happier with the Shield.
Ok, well I will keep an eye on the change logs. For the majority of my movies DTS is fine, and for my movies that have HD audio I just use my trusty old Popcorn Hour. I was just hopeful that the api supported it now, especially considering this Dolby App. That is an intriguing app, it would seem that it is intercepting the audio stream and manipulating it. If that is part of the UWP api then hats off to MS.
Maybe the Plex devs could open source the UWP app, I would definitely contribute if they did. This is a feature I have been wanting since the xbox app was released.
- I use my Xbox One with Plex daily, but due to the restrictions put out by Microsoft it is the “worst” Plex player out there.
- I use my Xbox One with Plex daily, but due to the restrictions put out by Microsoft it is the “worst” Plex player out there.
