Plex Player on Nvidia Shield TV: Integration with Music Library is BROKEN for multichannel FLAC

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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Server Version#: 1.31.2.6810-a607d384f
Player Version#: 9.19.0.177 (47e330c)
Shield Android TV Version#: 9.1.1 ()33.2.0.157)

Note, multichannel music through the Plex player on ATV going against the same Plex server works fine. I can play multichannel FLACs and DSDs. The Denon AVR shows that it is receiving a multichannel signal.

On Plex player on Shield, using the same Plex server above, I cannot even play DSD files (see Plex Player on Nvidia Shield TV: Integration with Music Library is BROKEN for DSD/DSF files), much less multichannel ones. WRT multichannel FLACs, my Denon AVR shows stereo signal coming from Shield. I’m definitely hearing music with missing channels for sure…seems to be only passing FR and FL. E.g., vocals on center channel go missing.

My Plex player on Shield is correctly configured for HDMI passthrough. To confirm, I can play a blu-ray MKV rip that has a TrueHD/Atmos or a DTS:X audio track and it says as much on the Denon…provided that you are accessing a Plex Movies or TV Shows library. As far as I can tell, it just doesn’t work in the Music library.

edit: Also AC3/Atmos in an MP4 served out of Movies or TV Shows ends up passing through AC3/Atmos to the Denon. Does not show up in the Music library when stored as either MP4 or changing the file extension to M4A.

A couple of bugs to look at:

    1. Need to fix DSD support for Plex player/Shield. Be at parity with ATV.
    1. Support multichannel FLACs being served up by Plex music library for Plex player/Shield. Be at parity with ATV.
    1. Allow MKV or any other video file be a supported file in a music library. Either the plex server or the plex player can ignore the video track. The reason I suggest this be supported is that there are premium music download services that allow you to download TrueHD/Atmos multichannel music as MKVs. Other ecosystems like Kodi can support MKV music tracks. I mean if I simply change the file extension to MKA, it works, but it’s the same file! It’s just that the video track is being ignored.

Other suggestions…

  • Plex player on iOS should do HRTF if it detects headphones. I believe that is what Apple music is doing for their spatial audio.
  • PlexAmp needs to advertise that it does not support multichannel music at all instead of trying to limp along passing along stereo as if nothing is wrong.
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