Hi, I’m new to the game. I have a JVC projector with 160" screen and want to run OpenPHT. I currently have mutilple Mac computers. However, I want to take advantage of all the HD audio formats (DTS, Atmos, etc)… in my theater. As I understand it, I can’t use my Macs as they do not support all the HD audio formats?
My question relates to this Mac incompatibility. Does the incompatibility lie with the server or the client? Can I still use my iMac runing PMS (the server) and use a Windows based HTPC or Shield (the client) connected to my receiver running OpenPHT? Will this setup get me all the HD audio formats I need?
OR…do I need to just go get a decent windows based HTPC and install Plex server and OpenPHT on that? (I am assuming the windows based HTPC can be BOTH the server (pms) AND the client (openpht))
I’m running a similar setup…HD Audio is a must. If you’re looking for cheap/simple use and have some tech chops, get an Odroid C2. That’s what I did, all in for well under $100. Low power to leave it on all the time, small, and inexpensive MCE remotes work great. Looks better than any $$$ systems and runs great with DTS-MA/Dolby True-HD. Someone else can chime in for sure, but I think ATMOS passthrough is also supported.
I pulled my HTPC out for the Odroid and have never looked back.
IMPORTANT: Future improvements rely on supporting the OpenPHT developers. Make sure you throw a donation their way.
The Wetek hub might be another possibility, but I haven’t done enough research to see if there are any drawbacks.
Yes, you can set the client to play direct, no transcoding, so you get the original file. If the HD audio is in your original file, you should be fine. I have a PC server, but have no issue playing full bluray rips. Mac should be no different.
@eugovector said:
Yes, you can set the client to play direct, no transcoding, so you get the original file. If the HD audio is in your original file, you should be fine. I have a PC server, but have no issue playing full bluray rips. Mac should be no different.
@eugovector said:
I’m running a similar setup…HD Audio is a must. If you’re looking for cheap/simple use and have some tech chops, get an Odroid C2. That’s what I did, all in for well under $100. Low power to leave it on all the time, small, and inexpensive MCE remotes work great. Looks better than any $$$ systems and runs great with DTS-MA/Dolby True-HD. Someone else can chime in for sure, but I think ATMOS passthrough is also supported.
I pulled my HTPC out for the Odroid and have never looked back.
IMPORTANT: Future improvements rely on supporting the OpenPHT developers. Make sure you throw a donation their way.
The Wetek hub might be another possibility, but I haven’t done enough research to see if there are any drawbacks.
I don’t want to derail this thread, but I’m have an issue with my embedded OpenPHT on a C2 using an eMMc card.
Do you have any VC-1 bluray rips? If so, do they play smoothly.
I love everything about my Odroid-C2, but I have 60-80 VC-1 Bluray rips where the video does not play smoothly. It doesn’t stutter, all the video plays where it looks slightly like slow motion (audio is fine). I’ve tried every setting combination and no luck.
@eugovector said:
I’m running a similar setup…HD Audio is a must. If you’re looking for cheap/simple use and have some tech chops, get an Odroid C2. That’s what I did, all in for well under $100. Low power to leave it on all the time, small, and inexpensive MCE remotes work great. Looks better than any $$$ systems and runs great with DTS-MA/Dolby True-HD. Someone else can chime in for sure, but I think ATMOS passthrough is also supported.
I pulled my HTPC out for the Odroid and have never looked back.
IMPORTANT: Future improvements rely on supporting the OpenPHT developers. Make sure you throw a donation their way.
The Wetek hub might be another possibility, but I haven’t done enough research to see if there are any drawbacks.
I don’t want to derail this thread, but I’m have an issue with my embedded OpenPHT on a C2 using an eMMc card.
Do you have any VC-1 bluray rips? If so, do they play smoothly.
I love everything about my Odroid-C2, but I have 60-80 VC-1 Bluray rips where the video does not play smoothly. It doesn’t stutter, all the video plays where it looks slightly like slow motion (audio is fine). I’ve tried every setting combination and no luck.
HD audio is great though.
Thanks for the heads up. I haven’t decided on a client yet. I will look into the C2. Seems like not a ton of options when you want to have all available HD audio.
My main concern was using the iMac as a server. This would be very easy for me as my iMac is connected to my Synology DS916+. I had read the the MacOS will not work with various HD audio formats. But I guess those people were referring to when the MacOS was used as the client? I don’t know. I just hope I can get everything I want (DTS, Atmos, ext…) with using the iMac as a server.
@eugovector said:
I’m running a similar setup…HD Audio is a must. If you’re looking for cheap/simple use and have some tech chops, get an Odroid C2. That’s what I did, all in for well under $100. Low power to leave it on all the time, small, and inexpensive MCE remotes work great. Looks better than any $$$ systems and runs great with DTS-MA/Dolby True-HD. Someone else can chime in for sure, but I think ATMOS passthrough is also supported.
I pulled my HTPC out for the Odroid and have never looked back.
IMPORTANT: Future improvements rely on supporting the OpenPHT developers. Make sure you throw a donation their way.
The Wetek hub might be another possibility, but I haven’t done enough research to see if there are any drawbacks.
I don’t want to derail this thread, but I’m have an issue with my embedded OpenPHT on a C2 using an eMMc card.
Do you have any VC-1 bluray rips? If so, do they play smoothly.
I love everything about my Odroid-C2, but I have 60-80 VC-1 Bluray rips where the video does not play smoothly. It doesn’t stutter, all the video plays where it looks slightly like slow motion (audio is fine). I’ve tried every setting combination and no luck.
HD audio is great though.
I’ll have to check the codec, but I haven’t had any issues. They can’t all be MP4, there must be some VC-1. Ripped all using MakeMKV. Hit me with a PM if you want to get me a test file to try out.
@eugovector said:
I’m running a similar setup…HD Audio is a must. If you’re looking for cheap/simple use and have some tech chops, get an Odroid C2. That’s what I did, all in for well under $100. Low power to leave it on all the time, small, and inexpensive MCE remotes work great. Looks better than any $$$ systems and runs great with DTS-MA/Dolby True-HD. Someone else can chime in for sure, but I think ATMOS passthrough is also supported.
I pulled my HTPC out for the Odroid and have never looked back.
IMPORTANT: Future improvements rely on supporting the OpenPHT developers. Make sure you throw a donation their way.
The Wetek hub might be another possibility, but I haven’t done enough research to see if there are any drawbacks.
I don’t want to derail this thread, but I’m have an issue with my embedded OpenPHT on a C2 using an eMMc card.
Do you have any VC-1 bluray rips? If so, do they play smoothly.
I love everything about my Odroid-C2, but I have 60-80 VC-1 Bluray rips where the video does not play smoothly. It doesn’t stutter, all the video plays where it looks slightly like slow motion (audio is fine). I’ve tried every setting combination and no luck.
HD audio is great though.
I’ll have to check the codec, but I haven’t had any issues. They can’t all be MP4, there must be some VC-1. Ripped all using MakeMKV. Hit me with a PM if you want to get me a test file to try out.
updated Amlogic patch for Kodi and kernel to fix VC-1 playback
LibreElec has a recent patch for VC-1 playback on the C2. Guessing it affects OpenPHT too.
My main concern was using the iMac as a server. This would be very easy for me as my iMac is connected to my Synology DS916+. I had read the the MacOS will not work with various HD audio formats. But I guess those people were referring to when the MacOS was used as the client? I don’t know. I just hope I can get everything I want (DTS, Atmos, ext…) with using the iMac as a server.
Thanks again.
Correct - MacOS will not work as a CLIENT with HD audio formats. Mac has yet to update their CoreAudio architecture to include decoding of HD codecs. This means that Mac products, when used as a client, will only play the core DTS track or the Dolby Digital track that needs to be included with Dolby TrueHD tracks (i.e. not what you want).
MacOS, as a SERVER, will simply serve files to your player/client. If your player/client can’t handle a codec, then the server will transcode the codec into a format your player/client can handle. Since many player/client products can handle HD codecs (Odroid C2 is my recommendation as well, but Chromebox, Shield, etc. work just as well), the server will just pass the file to the client as-is, meaning your HD tracks will be passed through without problem.
I ran PMS on a Mac Mini for a while, with (first) a Chromebox and (second) an Odroid C2, and my DTS-HD MA and Dolby HD tracks play without issue.
Correct - MacOS will not work as a CLIENT with HD audio formats. Mac has yet to update their CoreAudio architecture to include decoding of HD codecs. This means that Mac products, when used as a client, will only play the core DTS track or the Dolby Digital track that needs to be included with Dolby TrueHD tracks (i.e. not what you want).
MacOS, as a SERVER, will simply serve files to your player/client. If your player/client can’t handle a codec, then the server will transcode the codec into a format your player/client can handle. Since many player/client products can handle HD codecs (Odroid C2 is my recommendation as well, but Chromebox, Shield, etc. work just as well), the server will just pass the file to the client as-is, meaning your HD tracks will be passed through without problem.
I ran PMS on a Mac Mini for a while, with (first) a Chromebox and (second) an Odroid C2, and my DTS-HD MA and Dolby HD tracks play without issue.
Thanks, per benjaminwolf in the OpenPHT for Odroid C2 thread about the fix:
“Hopefully we’ll see it in OpenPHT v2. The fix would need to be part of the main LibreElec branch, and then be the version imported into OpenPHT.”
Don’t know when v2 will happen?
We don’t have a timeline for v2 right now. It’s going to be a big change. We’ll let you know once we have dates that are more solid, but it’s not a release that’s coming out quickly. We’ll have a bug fix release way before anytime V2 comes out.
We don’t have a timeline for v2 right now. It’s going to be a big change. We’ll let you know once we have dates that are more solid, but it’s not a release that’s coming out quickly. We’ll have a bug fix release way before anytime V2 comes out.
