Plex for Apple TV 8.21–8.24 AGAIN Dung—Can't Watch TV, nor HD Content; Useless like 8.6

[pl4151]

23 June 2023 – 19 July 2023

PMS for Mac 1.32.4.7195
Plex for Apple TV 8.21–8.22 (Apple TV 4K, tvOS 15.6)
Plex for iOS 8.20 (iOS 14.8.1, iPadOS 14.8)
Plex for Mac 1.71.1.3888 (Mac Studio (2022) M1 Max, macOS 12.6.6)

Can not watch current TV (without disabling current audio engine), nor play HD content.

Sound fails completely (ie, no sound whatsoever) and the scrub bar playback position UI become dysfunctional within a few minutes, typically less than three (< 3!).

10 July 2023 Update: “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On] seems to be a workaround (ie, disabling the current audio engine).

18 July 2023 Update: Plex for Apple TV app 8.22 is still dung, demonstrating the same bugs.

"Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On] still seems to be a workaround (ie, disabling the current audio engine) with 8.22.
.
.
The Plex [player] for Apple TV app version 8.21–8.22 appears to again be a PoS, again behaving somewhat like a previous dung version 8.6, and apparently causing PMS to become FUBAR, forcing Apple TV hardware restart.

23 June 2023 ~~6:55pm PDT [-700] Using the Plex player for Apple TV app, while watching an OTA Live TV show, “CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell,” that was being recorded, my wife paused, then backed-up one click (I think it’s 10 seconds, but please don’t quote me), then resumed playing: no sound.

There was a great deal of sound from my wife aimed in my direction for having installed “that piece of [dung].”

It appeared that PMS was FUBAR: Plex for Mac Activity showed 11 shows being recorded (our SiliconDust HDHomeRun has 4 tuners):

My initial attempts to download the Plex for Apple TV app logs failed:

I also unsuccessfully tried playing OTA Live TV shows both being recorded and not, using:

• Plex for Mac (Mac Studio (2022) M1 Max Apple Silicon, macOS 12.6.6)
• Plex for iOS (iPhone iOS 14.8.1)
• Plex for iOS (iPad mini 4 iPadOS 14.8)

I wasn’t able to watch OTA Live TV shows, nor download the Plex for Apple TV app logs until after restarting both the PMS host Mac and the Apple TV.

.

23 June 2023 shortly before ~11:18pm PDT [-700], my wife awakened me to share the similar repetitious pitiful performance of Plex for Apple TV 8.21 and, especially, that “Plex is a piece of [dung].”

My wife was not able to successfully play any show. If she attempted to watch without disturbing the Plex for Apple TV app UI (ie, not: pause, fast-forward, nor rewind), the show would eventually either stop completely or the sound would fail completely. She then could only re-attempt to play the show from only its beginning.

Similarly, my wife was not able to successfully play any show. If she attempted to watch then pause, fast-forward, or rewind, the show would either stop completely or the sound would fail completely. She then could only re-attempt to play the show from only its beginning.

(I will separately send a link to Plex staff to PMS & Plex player logs and database file.)

[pl4151]

24 June 2023
Plex for Apple TV 8.21

Plex for Apple TV 8.21 continues to be essentially a useless PoS.

100% of the time observing my wife alternate between swearing about me being stupid “cutting the __ __ cord,” (ie, installing Plex) and asking “Did anybody actually test this [dung]?” (ie, unsuccessfully trying to actually use Plex for Apple TV for more than 3 minutes without the sound disappearing or the position controls becoming non-responsive), Plex for Apple TV would fail.

It may have taken an hour and more than a dozen incremental attempts for my wife to actually watch and hear 15 minutes of a 30-minute news recorded OTA Live TV show.

.

Plex Management:

In the last year since the Apple TV 8.6 release f-up caused weeks of dysfunction, did anybody in Plex development bother to notice any of the piss-poor choices that have been made associated with Apple TV and iOS apps?

When you-all f-up and release yet another poorly or un-tested app PoS, we, your paying customers can not undo your lazy, it’s-hard-to-actually-test-our-dung shortsightedness. There is no way, of which I am aware, to have a functional system now until Plex engineering gets off their butts and fixes the Plex for Apple TV app. When I brought my poor wife home from the hospital yesterday, she was expecting to distract herself from excruciating pain, only to be injured by Plex being essentially completely useless.

This is not rocket science—Plex can trivially partially mitigate Engineering’s gee-testing-is-too-much-work culture, so these repeated f-up’s don’t comprehensively screw your customers by keeping several multiple versions of Plex for Apple TV on the Apple TV app store.

This is done for PMS and Plex for Mac (and I presume for Windows). Why haven’t you accepted that you’ve made bad technical recruiting decisions and keep at least three (3) Apple TV and iOS app versions in their respective app stores at all times. It’s not difficult.

At least then, when Plex Engineering next screws us, at least we can painfully delete a dysfunctional version, install a previous version that seemed to work, then tediously re-create all the app settings.

.

To potentially offer some more insight, I did test Plex for Apple TV while my wife was asleep very early this morning. I could not cause it to fail, but PMS was doing nothing else, whereas there was other PMS activity in the background when Plex failed for my wife.

.
For weeks last year, Plex for Apple TV was a dysfunctional.

Plex for Apple TV is AGAIN, effectively, a worthless piece of dung.

.
In only 15 months, I see that I’ve had to document more than 48 significant bugs, many causing near or full dysfunction. Trying to be part of the solution, Plex has cost me many dozens’ of hours of my time.

Please fix the system, not just band-aid the apps.

(I will send a link to yet another set of logs and the database.)

[SE56]

I must be lucky, have not had these issues with a Apple TV 4K (2022) or with a iPad pro (Gen 3) 11", Server is (2020) iMac 27". So I don’t see the need for so much manure.

[pl4151]

@SE56

I must be lucky, have not had these issues with a Apple TV 4K (2022)

What version of tvOS is running on your Apple TV?

.
.

@SE56

So I don’t see the need for so much manure.

While 8.21’s problems are irritating to me (and really PO’s my wife), the bigger issue is the lack of user workaround options. With only one Plex for Apple TV app version posted on the Apple TV app store (that I have seen), users are currently stuck with what may be an effectively useless system when serious bugs occur. When 8.6 was released, the Apple TV app would not play most OTA content. I had to buy and install completely separate live viewing and DVR products in order for my wife to watch TV. Weeks passed without relief from Plex. Only when another user noticed that disabling an obscure setting was an effective bandaid were we able to again use Plex. Weeks.

Extending grace, I do understand that development isn’t trivial. With multiple tvOS versions, several settings’ options, and many PMS host platforms, comprehensive testing is challenging. Unlike many developers, Plex chooses to make frequent releases, increasing testing complexity, which is certainly their prerogative.

Nevertheless, Plex has a duty to its paying customers to provide continuous working software. For Apple TV and iOS Plex player app users, the only means I can envision necessitates keeping multiple app versions posted.

[pl4151]

FWIW, I suspect the Plex for Apple TV app version 8.21 problems may be associated with extensive UI use: channel surfing and or frequent playback position changes.

Two times, I’ve tested simple, short-term use without evoking the loss of sound, nor playback position dysfunction I’ve observed with my wife’s use.

When she called my attention, shows would not play for more than a few minutes before the sound failed. She could then rewind to the beginning, then the sound would again commence. After a few such cycles, the playback position UI would cease functioning—she’d have to change to a different channel, then back for the sound and playback position UI to again behave.

My wife uses Plex for extended periods, often changing channels, frequently FF’ing to skip commercials or repetitive news content, and REW’ing 10 seconds to re-listen to non-understood audio.

.

Nevertheless, the only change that has occurred is Plex.

tvOS has not changed for nearly a year—it’s still 15.6. The PMS host Mac macOS version (10.13.6) has not changed since its clean install 9 May.

19 Jun 2023 4:26pm PDT [-0700], I manually updated PMS from 1.32.3.7192 to 1.32.4.7195. I think I manually updated the Plex for Apple TV app from 8.20 to 8.21 ~22 June. I haven’t had time to try reverting PMS back to 1.32.3.7192.

[SE56]

The only issue I seem to have in my use case is a small memory leak were a daily re-power resolves. Just unplug the power lead for 30 seconds prior to the daily use.
As a pair of retirees our usage is higher than most folks, 12 noon till 10pm four or five days a week. Looking at your Device set up mentioned above it differs in areas. I do use a HDHomeRun and direct my Digital Terrestrial Television via it’s tuners with creating Favourites list in Live TV, or at times from Home Page recent Channels. My wife at times turns off the Apple TV as the LG remote is closer, then again Plex on her iPad Pro also plays Live TV, so late at night it may get a work out. She likes catchup channels and has all those channels apps installed, gives her a lot of flexibility. These are all Free in Australia, not sure in your location.
For the family Sports fan, Me. I have freedom as well with a streaming app. Available everywhere, with Live and From Start options. It’s just Awesome. Footy, Motorsport etc ready to go, or pause for later.

To me, your use case might be exasperating a Memory leak or Apple TV available RAM, just a thought.

Cheers

[pl4151]

My wife noticed that the problems with the Plex for Apple TV app 8.21 seem to be especially pronounced watching the content and or recordings from one particular OTA Live TV channel, the Seattle area CBS affiliate, KIRO (display channel 7.1; physical channel 23, I think) that broadcasts in 1080i.

(There are three other local stations broadcasting 1080i, NBC, PBS and Univision, but I was not able to log problems with any of their content, nor recordings with the limited time I had available for testing.)

I was able to capture Plex for Apple TV app verbose logging of sound failing while watching the recording of two CBS broadcasted shows:

• “* CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell (2019) - S2023E126 - CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell*” recorded by PMS 1.32.4.7195 yesterday 26 Jun 2023 6:30pm - 7:00pm PDT [-0700]; and
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (2015) - S08E15 - Nancy Pelosi; Armando Iannucci” record by PMS ~1.29.1 3 Oct 2022 11:37pm - 4 Oct 2022 12:37am PDT [-0700].

.
.
Neither of these recordings evoked any noticed problems when watched with Plex for iOS 8.20 on my iPad.

(I will send a link to staff of an archive containing logs, database, 0 – ~3minutes of both shows, etc.)

(I don’t have enough room on my iCloud drive to upload more than these two 350MB segments now due to the number of other Plex bug reports uploaded. If a larger segment is needed after every other shared archive is downloaded, I can probably upload ~12minutes of one single show.)

[pl4151]

@pl4151

There are three other local stations broadcasting 1080i, NBC, PBS and Univision, but I was not able to log problems with any of their content, nor recordings with the limited time I had available for testing.

1080i broadcasts may be problematic generally, again.
.
My wife just yelled at me, “That piece of [dung] [Plex] isn’t working again!!!”

The sound and playback position UI just failed shortly after she began watching an OTA Live TV PBS (which broadcasts 1080i) that was being recorded. She was not able to watch the show despite gymnastics of exiting and re-starting playback.

.
(Yesterday, I did double-check to make sure that Auto Adjust Quality is set to [OFF ].)

.
Ironically, this appears have similar characteristics to the Plex for Apple TV app PoS version 8.6 that effectively made Plex useless for an entire month last year, 22 July 2022 – 22 August 2022.

.
I wonder if the 8.6 catastrophic bugs was(were) ever fixed. (Posting reference numbers (eg, “#14360”) in Plex release notes isn’t particularly helpful if users don’t have access to such (presumably) bug listings or database.) Plex was worse than useless for 32 days, until a saintly user, Alsfeld (thank you very much again), posted a workaround of disabling what I presume was a default setting, Auto Adjust Quality.

.

What I painfully experienced for an entire month last year: Plex Useless; Apple TV 8.6 & 8.7 Player FUBAR—Can't Play TV; iOS Player 8.5 Can't Play Shows Being Recorded:

@pl4151

I did uncover a significant clue, however, testing playback of many shows and movies, all recorded from OTA broadcasts.

Plex for Apple TV app 8.6 can play recorded 480i shows, but not 720p, nor 1080i shows.
. . . .

The file issue is partially a red-herring in any event. Plex for Apple TV app 8.5 and before did not exhibit these bugs. (My wife did recall intermittent problems playing OTA TV shows being recorded, however.)

Neither my family, nor apparently at least several other Plex users have a functioning Apple TV app since the release of version 8.6. We can’t play OTA Live TV. We can’t play recorded OTA HD shows, nor movies, only 480i content.

[SE56]

All Australian terrestrial Television is 1080i we watch and we do not have this issue. I think your barking up the wrong Manure heap. I do not watch under 720P or 720i as a guide.

[fancybits]

At what point do you start considering alternatives?

[pl4151]

Mounting evidence is suggesting that the current Plex for Apple TV app 8.21 severe bugs are associated with all HD content, both 1080i and, tonight, 720p. Many, many times now, we’ve experienced sound failing (ie, suddenly no sound whatsoever) and the playback position UI becoming dysfunctional while attempting to watch OTA Live TV shows broadcast in HD, both 1080i and, now, 720p. We’ve experienced these bugs watching OTA Live TV shows: a) live that were not scheduled to record; b) live that were scheduled to record; and c) not-live playback of previously recorded shows.

The bugs manifest both for new content recorded by PMS for Mac 1.32.4.7195 (the current general release version), and for old content recorded many months ago (eg, 3–4 Nov 2022) by a previous PMS for Mac version (eg, ~1.29).

(We have not noticed these bugs impacting SD content being watched.)

While testing, I also noticed a new bug (to me at least), that the scrub bar display was either broken (or just stupid) significantly before sound halted and the UI broke. (This may not be a new bug (or design flaw). I don’t normally operate the Apple TV app UI. If I watch with my wife, she uses the Apple remote.) Shortly before midnight, I was test watching “ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014) - S2023E181,” an OTA Live TV 30 minute show broadcast in 720p that had fully recorded several hours earlier. Instead of the scrub bar displaying the relative time position (ie, “0:00” – “30:00”), it was displaying the local time without AM/PM (eg, “12:05”). Momentarily, the relative time position was sometimes displayed, but only while repositioning the playback point.

.
.
Last year, 22 July 2022 – 22 August 2022, Plex was completely useless (yes, 32 days!) for watching current TV when the Plex for Apple TV app 8.6 abomination was dumped on unsuspecting users.

I had to abandon Plex completely and purchase other software. After dozens of hours of wasted testing on my part, I finally noticed that watching SD content (ie, old reruns on rarely watched stations) worked. It was HD content, both 720p and 1080i (ie, all current TV) that could not be watched.

.
.
Plex did absolutely nothing for those 32 days. I am unaware if Plex ever fixed the bug(s). Another user re-posted a workaround of disabling the setting Auto Adjust Quality, which I have not dared to ever re-enable.

.
.
The current 8.21 bugs manifest differently than the 8.6, et al, bugs. Nevertheless, Plex has been again rendered useless.

.
We can not watch current TV shows.

.
.
WTF!

.
.
It is trivial for Plex to mitigate its pattern of repetitious injury to its paying customers—keep multiple Plex player app versions posted on Apple’s iOS and Apple TV app stores at all times. Plex does this for Mac and Windows PMS and player versions.

.
.
(I will send to staff a link to a ZIP archive containing logs and databases.)

[sa2000]

@pl4151

rrent Plex for Apple TV app 8.21 severe bugs are associated with all HD content, both 1080i and, tonight, 720p. Many, many times now, we’ve experienced sound failing (ie, suddenly no sound whatsoever) and the playback position UI becoming dysfunctional while attempting to watch OTA Live TV shows broadcast in HD, both 1080i and, now, 720p.

I have looked into the problem you reported for the playback on the Apple TV that started at Jun 28, 2023 23:43:31 for the earlier recorded episode of

File: /Users/swappletf/Plex/TV Shows/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014)/Season 2023/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014) - S2023E181 - ABC World News Tonight With David Muir.ts

Could you try a number of tests with this recording and please report back the outcome for each of the tests. I am sorry but it is quite involved and hope you are ok with that

1. Confirm that the problem is still reproducible on Plex for Apple TV for this recorded library episode
2. See if you can get mpv on the Mac and try to playback the file on the Mac using the MPV player see mpv.io | Installation and Install mpv on macOS with MacPorts
3. Some tests on the Plex for Apple TV app:

• Test 1: Try it with Direct Stream instead of Direct Play - Go to settings in the Plex app on the apple tv and in Advanced section, set “Allow Direct Play” to off
• Test 2: Re-instate the “Allow Direct Play” to ON and toggle the “Use Old Video Player” to ON
• Test 3 Re-instate the “Use Old Video Player” setting to OFF and try with “Use Old Audio Player engine” to ON
• Test 4 Have both “Use Old Video Player” and “Use Old Audio Player engine” to ON

At the end of the tests - put all settings back to default:
Allow Direct Play: ON
Use Old Video Player: OFF
Use Old Audio Player Engine: OFF

Thanks

[pl4151]

sa2000,

@sa2000

Could you try a number of tests with this recording and please report back the outcome for each of the tests. I am sorry but it is quite involved and hope you are ok with that

1. Confirm that the problem is still reproducible on Plex for Apple TV for this recorded library episode

I have Put Back the 3 episodes I’ve referenced, renamed the two news episodes to a dummy season so they won’t be automatically deleted again. (There appears to be a Plex episode-retention bug that ignores episodes in non-current seasons.)

.

@sa2000

2. See if you can get mpv on the Mac and try to playback the file on the Mac using the MPV player see mpv.io | Installation and Install mpv on macOS with MacPorts

I’m not sure about installing MPV. I am hesitant for two reasons:

1. I am swamped right now—my wife has been hospitalized, from which she has only slightly recovered, and now also has a very serious infection;
2. I actively avoid installing non-Apple software.

I’ll let you now later when I have time . . . [a day passed while playing nurse] . . .
.
. . . I just took the time. I had forgotten having made the firm decision years ago to not install MacPorts.

I looked at it again just now.

It’s my judgment that the risk is too high. Beyond my strong aversion to non-Apple installations, there also appear to be MPV contributions from high risk regions I don’t ever allow on my LAN. I am definitely not installing MacPosts, nor the MPV player on any of my Macs—sorry.
.
.
However, I am happy to upload all three of these entire HD .ts files (11GB total) if you have a private upload destination. Theoretically, I have a 300Mbps upload fiber connection.

(Unfortunately, my DMZ email and web server host are still on a 0.768Kbps upload DSL circuit, so those won’t help.)

(I’ve max’ed out my paid-iCloud storage. I had to spend 45 minutes culling archives to be able to upload the previous Plex 1GB postings for you.)

.

@sa2000

3. Some tests on the Plex for Apple TV app:

• Test 1: Try it with Direct Stream instead of Direct Play - Go to settings in the Plex app on the apple tv and in Advanced section, set “Allow Direct Play” to off

I’ll put this in my “testing queue.”

.

@sa2000

Test 2: Re-instate the “Allow Direct Play” to ON and toggle the “Use Old Video Player” to ON

Just now (7 Jul 2023 6:45am), when very briefly testing this configuration of “Use Old Video Player” enabled and “Use Old Audio Engine” disabled, 1080i broadcast live TV functioned and I was able to, again, very briefly successfully play the 3 episodes mentioned in this topic above, one 720p, one 1080i recorded recently and one 1080i recorded November 2022.

I did not test long enough to evoke these bugs, however, which typically manifest only after several minutes. I’ll try to test later, but will require several hours.

Please see my answer to Test 4 below.
.
.
I had already executed the equivalent your tests 3.Test 4 and 3.Test 3 before you responded. (Busy nursing, I just hadn’t had time to post as yet.)
.

@sa2000

Test 3 Re-instate the “Use Old Video Player” setting to OFF and try with “Use Old Audio Player engine” to ON

After ~4 days, I have not noticed any sound failures, nor scrub bar UI issues when “Use Old Video Player” is disabled and “Use Old Audio Engine” is enabled (ie, “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On] appears to be a workaround for these bugs).

I re-tested this configuration just now (7 Jul 2023 6:45am), just for uniformity, very briefly verifying that 1080i broadcast live TV functioned and I was able to, again, very briefly successfully play the 3 episodes mentioned in this topic above, one 720p, one 1080i recorded recently and one 1080i recorded November 2022.

As I’ve written, I don’t use the Apple TV, et al, very often, most only documenting bugs when my wife is asleep. I’ve had very little time. My wife has not been well enough to watch until a little time yesterday (6 July), so I’ll update this later after both she and I have had more experience.

.
Accordingly, since my wife can not otherwise watch current TV (ie, HD), I have left “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On].

.

@sa2000

Test 4 Have both “Use Old Video Player” and “Use Old Audio Player engine” to ON

When I test this configuration several days ago, HD content would not play at all when I changed both “Use Old Video Player” and “Use Old Audio Engine” to [On]—result: black screen with spinning pinwheel. (I did not try to play SD content.)

When I re-tested this configuration again just now (7 Jul 2023 6:45am), however, very briefly verifying that 1080i broadcast live TV functioned and I was able to, again, very briefly successfully play the 3 episodes mentioned in this topic above, one 720p, one 1080i recorded recently and one 1080i recorded November 2022.

.
.

@sa2000

At the end of the tests - put all settings back to default:
Allow Direct Play: ON
Use Old Video Player: OFF
Use Old Audio Player Engine: OFF

I have not yet tested disabling “Allow Direct Play,” nor the MPV player.

Currently, I have left the Plex for Apple TV app setting configuration:

• “Allow Direct Play” is set to [On]
• “Use Old Video Player” is set to [Off]
• “Use Old Audio Engine” is set to [On]

As I wrote above, since my wife can not otherwise watch current TV (ie, HD), I have left “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On] until there is some indication Plex has fixed these bugs.

.
.
Thank you again for your personal time and efforts—I very much appreciate you taking the time to read and route these messages as needed.

May God continue to protect and bless you, your associates and your families.

[pl4151]

It’s now been more than 2 weeks (16 days) without Plex doing anything to restore Plex for Apple TV app functionality to its paying customers.

There are several easy temporary means by which Plex can restore use.

[sa2000]

@pl4151

I looked at it again just now.

It’s my judgment that the risk is too high. Beyond my strong aversion to non-Apple installations, there also appear to be MPV contributions from high risk regions I don’t ever allow on my LAN. I am definitely not installing MacPosts, nor the MPV player on any of my Macs—sorry.
.

I understand

What I was trying to establish if there is an issue with the recorded file (the .ts file) or the playback by Plex

@pl4151

After ~4 days, I have not noticed any sound failures, nor scrub bar UI issues when “Use Old Video Player” is disabled and “Use Old Audio Engine” is enabled (ie, “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On] appears to be a workaround for these bugs).

Thank you for doing the tests and isolating this

@pl4151

am happy to upload all three of these entire HD .ts files (11GB total) if you have a private upload destination. Theoretically, I have a 300Mbps upload fiber connection.

i don’t have an area for such massive uploads - but for my investigation of this issue, it would be suffient with just one file - the file I identified earlier
/Users/swappletf/Plex/TV Shows/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014)/Season 2023/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014) - S2023E181 - ABC World News Tonight With David Muir.ts

If the problem with audio appears near the beginning - you could slice the file and create a small file from it - one that you can then confirm has an issue using the default new audio player

See this support article for how to create a small test media file from a .ts file
Generating Sample Files from Media | Plex Support

So if the audio issue occurs within the first 5 minutes of the recording then I just need that from the file - but I would like you to add the test small to a test library and confirm the problem arises on your Apple TV with the default audio player and it goes away when enabling the old audio player

[pl4151]

@sa2000

Test 1: Try it with Direct Stream instead of Direct Play - Go to settings in the Plex app on the apple tv and in Advanced section, set “Allow Direct Play” to off

Disabling Direct Play did not help. I set “Allow Direct Play” to [Off]. Sound failed just by moving the playback position a few times playing the CBS News 1080i recording.

(BTW, I re-tested with and without using the Old Audio Engine again BEFORE the above “Allow Direct Play” set to [Off] test. I could not get sound to fail with the Old Audio Engine enabled, but would fail with “Old Audio Engine” set to [Off] (and “Allow Direct Play” set to [On]).)

(I will be sending a link to a ZIP archive containing Plex for Apple TV app 8.21 logs, PMS logs and databases.)

[pl4151]

sa2000,

@sa2000

What I was trying to establish if there is an issue with the recorded file (the .ts file) or the playback by Plex

I am able to play the recordings with the:

• Mac QuickTime Player;
• Plex for iOS app 8.20 on both my iPhone and iPad; and
• Plex [player] for Mac app versions 1.72.2.3901, 1.73.1.3905 & 1.71.1.3888 just fine.

Also, remember that the 1080i 3 – 4 October 2022 recorded file “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (2015) - S08E15 - Nancy Pelosi; Armando Iannucci.ts” played/plays properly:

• contemporaneously live (ie, 3 – 4 Oct 2022) while being recorded on my iPad with whatever was the current iOS app version;
• now on my iPhone & iPad with Plex for iOS 8.20; and
• now Plex for Apple TV 8.21 with “Use Old Audio Engine” set to [On].

.
.

@sa2000

i don’t have an area for such massive uploads - but for my investigation of this issue, it would be suffient with just one file - the file I identified earlier
/Users/swappletf/Plex/TV Shows/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014)/Season 2023/ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (2014) - S2023E181 - ABC World News Tonight With David Muir.ts

If the problem with audio appears near the beginning - you could slice the file and create a small file from it - one that you can then confirm has an issue using the default new audio player

See this support article for how to create a small test media file from a .ts file
Generating Sample Files from Media | Plex Support

So if the audio issue occurs within the first 5 minutes of the recording then I just need that from the file - but I would like you to add the test small to a test library and confirm the problem arises on your Apple TV with the default audio player and it goes away when enabling the old audio player

I already created such a slice of all three referenced recordings. You wrote in a 27 June 2023 3:36pm direct message that you had downloaded the 691MB ZIP archive containing them:

@sa2000

I have downloaded the icloud zips from the last 3 links - for 23rd June, 24th June and 27th June

.
.
The bugs appear to manifest faster with 1080i than with 720p content, so I would focus upon the slice of the 1080i "CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell (2019) - S2023E126 - CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell” recorded by PMS 1.32.4.7195 26 Jun 2023 6:30pm - 7:00pm PDT [-0700].

Let me know if you’re not able to find slice. (I have to delete all three due to space constraints, but I could remake one if necessary.)

[sa2000]

I found the 3 minute samples for

CBS Evening News With Norah O'Donnell (2019) - S2023E126 - CBS Evening News With Norah O'Donnell ~0-3min.ts

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (2015) - S08E15 - Nancy Pelosi; Armando Iannucci ~0-3min.ts

I have referred this to the Plex for Apple TV development team

And thank you for isolating the issue as the new Audio Engine - please continue to run with the old Audio Engine enabled in the Plex for Apple TV Settings

Thank you

[pl4151]

18 July 2023 Plex for Apple TV app 8.22 is still dung, demonstrating the same bugs as 8.21.

Can not watch current TV (without disabling current audio engine), nor play HD content.

Sound fails completely (ie, no sound whatsoever) and the scrub bar playback position UI become dysfunctional within a few minutes, typically less than three (< 3!).

“Use Old Audio Engine" set to [On] still seems to be a temporary workaround (ie, disabling current audio engine).

AV sync, as with every PMS for Mac and Apple Plex player app (macOS, iOS, tvOS) combination I’ve tried since March 2022, slips dramatically upon repositioning playback a few times, sometimes even just once.

[pl4151]

27 July 2023 (33 days!): Plex for Apple TV app 8.21 – 8.22 still dung—no change whatsoever:

• Can not watch current TV (without disabling current audio engine), nor play HD content, sound fails completely (ie, no sound whatsoever);
• The scrub bar playback position UI become dysfunctional within a few minutes, typically less than three (< 3!).

Plex for Apple TV app 8.22 [Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) 64GB]
PMS for Mac 1.32.5.7349

“Use Old Audio Engine" set to [On] still seems to be a temporary workaround (ie, disabling current audio engine).