Plex Audio playback issue - Sony 2018 TV

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

Server Version#: 1.15.6.1079-78232c603
Player Version#: 7.15.0.10215
Sony TV Model No#: KD-43XF8505
Sony TV Firmware Version#: PKG6.6510.0250EUA (latest)

Hi,

I own a Sony KD-43XF8505 and I’m having issues with audio playback (and video stuttering in some instances) with 4K content through Plex media server.

This is definitely an issue with either the Plex Media Server on my Synology NAS, or the Plex Android app on the TV (and/or its associated video player), because I can play the exact same content from the same NAS source file, through the same home network, through the VLC app on the same TV with zero issues.

All Plex settings are set to use source material as intended - No transcoding, etc…

Here is the info for one of the media files in question:

Video

ID/String : 1
Format/String : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format_Commercial_IfAny : HDR10
Format_Profile : Main 10@L5.1@High
CodecID : V_MPEGH/ISO/HEVC
Duration/String : 2 h 6 min
BitRate/String : 21.4 Mb/s
Width/String : 3 840 pixels
Height/String : 1 608 pixels
DisplayAspectRatio/String : 2.40:1
FrameRate_Mode/String : Constant
FrameRate/String : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
ColorSpace : YUV
ChromaSubsampling/String : 4:2:0 (Type 2)
BitDepth/String : 10 bits
Bits-(PixelFrame) :* 0.144
StreamSize/String : 18.9 GiB (82%)
Encoded_Library/String : x265 2.5+4-b4a5bcfe29c7:[Windows][GCC 4.9.3][64 bit] 10bit
Encoded_Library_Settings : cpuid=1173503 / frame-threads=16 / numa-pools=24,24,24,24 / wpp / no-pmode / no-pme / no-psnr / no-ssim / log-level=2 / input-csp=1 / input-res=3840x1608 / interlace=0 / total-frames=0 / level-idc=51 / high-tier=1 / uhd-bd=0 / ref=3 / no-allow-non-conformance / repeat-headers / annexb / aud / hrd / info / hash=0 / no-temporal-layers / no-open-gop / min-keyint=1 / keyint=24 / bframes=4 / b-adapt=2 / b-pyramid / bframe-bias=0 / rc-lookahead=25 / lookahead-slices=4 / scenecut=40 / no-intra-refresh / ctu=64 / min-cu-size=8 / no-rect / no-amp / max-tu-size=32 / tu-inter-depth=1 / tu-intra-depth=1 / limit-tu=0 / rdoq-level=0 / dynamic-rd=0.00 / no-ssim-rd / signhide / no-tskip / nr-intra=0 / nr-inter=0 / no-constrained-intra / strong-intra-smoothing / max-merge=2 / limit-refs=3 / no-limit-modes / me=1 / subme=2 / merange=57 / temporal-mvp / weightp / no-weightb / no-analyze-src-pics / deblock=0:0 / no-sao / no-sao-non-deblock / rd=3 / no-early-skip / rskip / no-fast-intra / no-tskip-fast / no-cu-lossless / no-b-intra / rdpenalty=0 / psy-rd=2.00 / psy-rdoq=0.00 / no-rd-refine / analysis-reuse-mode=0 / no-lossless / cbqpoffs=0 / crqpoffs=0 / rc=crf / crf=16.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpstep=4 / stats-write=0 / stats-read=0 / vbv-maxrate=160000 / vbv-bufsize=160000 / vbv-init=0.9 / crf-max=0.0 / crf-min=0.0 / ipratio=1.40 / pbratio=1.30 / aq-mode=1 / aq-strength=1.00 / cutree / zone-count=0 / no-strict-cbr / qg-size=32 / no-rc-grain / qpmax=69 / qpmin=0 / no-const-vbv / sar=1 / overscan=0 / videoformat=5 / range=0 / colorprim=9 / transfer=16 / colormatrix=9 / chromaloc=1 / chromaloc-top=2 / chromaloc-bottom=2 / display-window=0 / master-display=G(13250,34500)B(7500,3000)R(34000,16000)WP(15635,16450)L(10000000,50) / max-cll=0,0 / min-luma=0 / max-luma=1023 / log2-max-poc-lsb=8 / vui-timing-info / vui-hrd-info / slices=1 / opt-qp-pps / opt-ref-list-length-pps / no-multi-pass-opt-rps / scenecut-bias=0.05 / no-opt-cu-delta-qp / no-aq-motion / hdr / hdr-opt / no-dhdr10-opt / analysis-reuse-level=5 / scale-factor=0 / refine-intra=0 / refine-inter=0 / refine-mv=0 / no-limit-sao / ctu-info=0
Language/String : English
Default/String : Yes
Forced/String : No
colour_range : Limited
colour_primaries : BT.2020
transfer_characteristics : PQ
matrix_coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant
MasteringDisplay_ColorPrimaries : Display P3
MasteringDisplay_Luminance : min: 0.0050 cd/m2, max: 1000 cd/m2

Audio #1

ID/String : 2
Format/String : DTS XLL
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Format_Commercial_IfAny : DTS-HD Master Audio
CodecID : A_DTS
Duration/String : 2 h 6 min
BitRate_Mode/String : Variable
BitRate/String : 4 046 kb/s
Channel(s)/String : 6 channels
ChannelLayout : C L R Ls Rs LFE
SamplingRate/String : 48.0 kHz
FrameRate/String : 93.750 FPS (512 SPF)
BitDepth/String : 24 bits
Compression_Mode/String : Lossless
StreamSize/String : 3.57 GiB (15%)
Language/String : English
Default/String : Yes
Forced/String : No

As mentioned previously, the workaround is to play the content through VLC, but it would be nice for Plex to ‘just work’, so that I don’t have to leave it’s much more aesthetic interface when playing my media.

Hopefully someone knows a workaround for this, or failing that, a suitable fix can be added in a future update?

Many thanks

2

https://forums.plex.tv/search?q=sony%20tv%20audio

see also @ Plex, 4k, transcoding, and you - aka the rules of 4k - a FAQ

3

Thanks @TeknoJunky - I’ve looked through some of these, but none really offer a valid solution.

As mentioned in my original post, I can get the media to play in its original form on the same TV through VLC player, through exactly the same environment as I’m attempting to with Plex, but it just doesn’t work. The sound will sometimes play for a few seconds, then nothing for the rest of the movie. On the last attempt, there was a loud pop sound then nothing.

4

vlc is entirely different than plex.

the plex player app relies on the server to convert to compatible formats.

vlc is it’s own app and doesn’t use a server and supports more codecs.

Im guessing the problem is your tv doesn’t support the HD audio as explained in the 4k faq.

HD audio is a problem for all plex smart tv apps because unless you have a tv with E-ARC and a receiver with E-ARC, old TV’s and hdmi do not support HD audio through the ARC channel.

you can try 2 things-

  • choose a different audio stream, most 4k blurays have multiple audio streams, use an AC3 5.1 or STEREO audio stream
  • also make sure SUBTITLES are disabled they can cause transcoding also

You can verify what the server is doing @ Plex > settings > dashboard

5

your tv not sure that your tv can do that form of h265, or that form of audio. You may need to manually transcode the file to something more compatible to tv.

You cannot compare Plex to other video players, I believe Plex uses the codec’s that the system installed, if the system reported them to Plex when asked the system what it had. Other video players, may use the same system codec’s, or brings their own. I believe VLC brings its own codec’s.

6

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