# How to avoid transcoding while watching live tv?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960>\
**Category:** Live TV & DVR\
**Tags:** livetv-dvr, server-nvidia-shield\
**Created:** [August 31, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960 "2020-08-31T00:27:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ElricX](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/elricx/32/110868_2.png) [@ElricX](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ElricX)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960/1 "2020-08-31T00:27:45Z")

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Server Version#: 1.19.5.3112  
Player Version#: 8.5.1.19778  
Tuner Make/Model: HD Homerun duo

My nvidia shield tv 2017 is directly connected to my tv and support only stéréo.

When I watch tv it always transcode because of the AC3 that is not supported by my tv. I have to manually each time to change audio AC3 5.1 to AC3 stereo to direct play. Is there a way to set that by default?

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**Author:** ![ElricX](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/elricx/32/110868_2.png) [@ElricX](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ElricX)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960/2 "2020-08-31T23:51:47Z")

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Log from my plex client

08-31 19:31:46.936 i: [DefaultPlaybackManager] Ignoring passthrough, since we’ve prompted previously.  
08-31 19:31:46.940 i: [PlaybackManager] Audio codec required: ac3  
08-31 19:31:46.941 i: [DefaultPlaybackManager] Playback possible, downloading codecs…  
08-31 19:31:46.942 i: [CodecManager] Attempting to download: ac3  
08-31 19:31:46.943 i: Fetching [method:POST] [http://127.0.0.1:32500/services/codecs/decoder/ac3?includeExternalMedia=1](http://127.0.0.1:32500/services/codecs/decoder/ac3?includeExternalMedia=1)  
08-31 19:31:46.947 i: [pms] /127.0.0.1:43912 - POST /services/codecs/decoder/ac3  
08-31 19:31:46.952 e: Error parsing XML from [http://127.0.0.1:32500/services/codecs/decoder/ac3:](http://127.0.0.1:32500/services/codecs/decoder/ac3:) Unexpected end of document  
08-31 19:31:46.953 e: [CodecManager] Unknown return code (0)  
08-31 19:31:46.953 i: [DefaultPlaybackManager] Codec failed to downloading, continuing…  
08-31 19:31:46.957 i: [ConnectivityManager] Device is under Ethernet  
08-31 19:31:46.984 i: [Player][ExoPlayer] Using PlayQueueMediaSource  
08-31 19:31:46.985 i: [MediaCodecVideoSyncRenderer] Setting block output buffer: false  
08-31 19:31:46.986 i: [MediaCodecVideoSyncRenderer] Setting allow dummy surface: true  
08-31 19:31:46.986 i: [ExoPlayer][EventLogger] state [2.28, 0.00, window=0, false, BUFFERING]  
08-31 19:31:46.987 i: [LiveScheduleBehaviour] Fetching timeline data…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ElricX](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/elricx/32/110868_2.png) [@ElricX](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ElricX)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960/3 "2020-09-30T16:14:09Z")

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Please plex staff! Consider adding the choice to set stereo or 5.1 by default to avoid transcoding!

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-avoid-transcoding-while-watching-live-tv/628960/4 "2020-12-29T16:14:11Z")

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