Sorry friend, but I think you go around in circles. This case is my first post. I think you should work on what @sixones discovered wrong in the log I have recently posted, which is the same issue
when using this kind of connection.
Right and things were working (to me at least) as expected since your TV was limiting what was possible.
I’m guessing the new error you are getting, which sixones found, and what I see in your new logs, is due to this new configuration with hdmi and optical both out from the Mi Box. I get that this would be optimal for you so you can get 4k video and hd audio. I’m just not sure if the app was ever tested/designed for this.
You’ll be right only if this configuration will not work using kodi (with plex plugins) as well. But it’s not the case. Using the same connection, how can the TV can have limitation when using Plex and not when using Kodi. This makes no sence.
Perhaps the plex app is not designed for that, even if Kodi is able to handle it well. But Plex app should be worked well using this connection: Android Box → hdmi → tv → hdmi (arc) → receiver
Still looking into this, I’ve been able to replicate the issue yesterday by plugging my SHIELD into my TV directly, it then only plays stereo (and drops the other channels) so I can hopefully look into this more next week and find a solution. We are definitely detecting the wrong channel count somewhere.
To clarify optical setups, Android TV devices like the Miibox support optical out and video out via HDMI. The optical setting inside of Plex isn’t anything special, it’s there to allow you to specify which codecs your AVR supports when used with optical (as unlike HDMI there is no way for us to detect what’s supported). To Plex optical out from your TV or Android box makes no difference.
Optical out does not support HD audio, the best you can get over optical is AC3 5.1 or DTS 5.1, anything else requires us to downmix as optical can only support stereo PCM (simply speaking PCM is the raw sound, the Android box decodes the codec and outputs PCM to your speakers).
Any extra logs that can be provided from different setups with the same issue as the OP would be helpful.
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Fully agreed with your explanation. @sixones Feel free if you need any more logs.
I’m sorry to piggyback on this and in no way intending to hijack, but I fear I’m experiencing very similar behavior and would simply like to add my experience as potential corroboration that there is indeed a problem with Plex on Android TV.
I have a known good setup that used to play hi-res and multichannel flac that now only plays 48k 2.0. Kodi with Plex plays the files perfectly fine. This is using HDMI directly into Denon receiver that supports 192 (as verified by playing the exact same files via Kodi and with Plex for years until it broke).
Again, Plex folks feel free to disregard for this thread but also happy to help as I really really really want to find a solution to this.
I’d be happy to provide logs if it helps. Where and what should I send.
Kodi uses their own player which has different capabilities. They are doing some low-level stuff that Plex does not.
Right on. So what did Plex stop doing that Kodi IS doing? Is this an Android TV problem? This absolutely used to work and seems to have been broken either with a Plex update or an Android TV update. Looks like @sixones as at least partially reproduced the problem a couple messages above.
Since sixones was able to reproduce, I’ll wait to see what he finds.
As far as Kodi, it does pretty much everything using software and bypasses any hardware limitations. Plex prefers to use hardware when possible so there are limitations.
Could you show me where you found limitation from the hardware in my log (the one with hdmi connection) ?
From a previous comment above.
May be your HDMI capabilities detection doesn’t work well. As @plexcapacitor said, it work before, and I confirm.
Like I said in my first post, I was able to have multi-channel audio before the 7.2 release of the app.
To confirm that my TV is not the issue, I did a test with Rasplex on RPI3B, like with Kodi, all audio formats work well.
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This just started to happen to me today after the app upgraded on the Shield TV (2017).
The audio volume is very low. I used to watch stuff at level 18-20 on my soundbar and it’d be loud. Now… I have to get it to 27-28 just to understand what they’re saying on screen…
And, nothing else changed in my setup. Just the app upgrade.
@plexcapacitor
Have you got update ?
@anon18523487
I have contacted Panasonic support. The answer is quite clear, the TV doesn’t send the ARC audio capabilities to others connected HDMI devices, but only its audio capabilities. The support recommends to set the right audio level to the player and not try to use audio autodetection.
This is what we do when using Kodi or Rasplex, we set the audio capabilities, and it works well.
I think that Plex should add the possibility to manually set the HDMI audio settings.
Ah, in my case I’m not using ARC, so must be a different issue.
@plexcapacitor I know but you were supposed to work on the issue with optical connection. See few posts before.
Plex support, I’m still waiting for your professional help … I hope in 2020 you’ll give us what we pay for.
Hello and happy new year.
What a big good surprise. Android 9 (Pie) is available since yesterday for the Mibox S
This new release adds new audio features. Now it’s possible to set manually the audio capabilities of your system. With 8.0 only automatic settings was available. So I set it manually and now Plex app is able to play AC3 and DTS audio files correctly !
What does mean ? It means that what @anon18523487 said is not really the reality. This is not Plex app which detects HDMI capabilities. Plex app asks Android system for the audio capabilities which is not the same story. So if Android system is not able to catch from HDMI the right configuration, it will send this wrong configuration to others apps which ask for.
Why Kodi had not this issue with Android 8.0 release ? Kodi doesn’t ask the system for the audio capabilities, you can force it directly to its settings.
I hope that all this …long story will help others 
So is Android TV broken or is there something wrong with Plex. Can the Plex team PLEASE comment on this?
