How do I downmix 5.1 to 2 Channel Stereo by default?

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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24

Bug still exists with Android player. AC3 5.1 will not play. Must transcode to lower setting

25

I have this bug too. 5.1 audio media files when trying to play back via my android phone will not have the center audio I believe. I only hear background stuff.
The exact same goes for plex android app when playing on my chromebook. It works fine though through the web client on my chromebook however.

1 Like
26

Plex Support gave me a solution to this problem. In settings on the player, change Audio Passthrough to Disabled. There is a problem with the codec, so setting Passthrough to Disabled forces Plex to use the codec as opposed to the device having to have the codec.

27

Any solutions for windows application(s)? Stuck unable to watch anything that isn’t stereo on them now.

28

I’ve got an answer that the Plex app doesn’t do downmixing to stereo:

but with these steps now I have direct play with center sounds(I am not sure if it is stereo downmixed)

  • Set audio on Android TV to Surround Sound: Never and Digital sounds: PCM and Dolby Sounds: RF

  • Set audio on Android TV to Surround Sound: Always and Digital sounds: HDMI

  • Set audio on Android TV to Surround Sound: Always and Digital sounds: SPDIF

  • Play something on Plex (result: direct play, voice is heard, downmixing to stereo?)

It must be an Android TV problem (I don’t have official Android TV) . If I restart the TV box I have to restart the process but if I unplug it from power and then plug back in then it works with direct play right away


1 Like
29

Found a way to force the stereo downmix on HDMI:
In the /system/etc/audio_policy.conf file I’ve changed

CODE: SELECT ALL

     
      hdmi_output {
        sampling_rates dynamic
        channel_masks dynamic
        formats dynamic
        devices HDMI
        flags AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_DIRECT|AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_HW_AV_SYNC
      }

to

CODE: SELECT ALL

      hdmi_output {
        sampling_rates dynamic
        channel_masks AUDIO_CHANNEL_OUT_STEREO|AUDIO_CHANNEL_OUT_5POINT1
        formats AUDIO_FORMAT_AC3|AUDIO_FORMAT_IEC61937
        devices HDMI
        flags AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_DIRECT|AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_HW_AV_SYNC
      }