Server Version#: 1.28.0.5999
Player Version#: 2.6.0-2219.0013
Guys, Plex app on my Vizio TV (V505-J09) will not play Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA anymore, everything was fine until my tv was forced to install a new firmware update( I have also installed a new firmware update on my soundbar m51ax-j6). I have turned on the eARC function on my TV and I have made sure everything is connected properly but it seems that it just won’t play TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, whenever I try to play the videos, plex just automatically plays a crappier audio such as AC3 5.1 but on my laptop dashboard just says that it’s direct playing DTS HD MA which is incorrect. I already called the vizio tv support and the guy just kept saying it’s not the TV’s fault.
Choices for Digital Audio Out are Auto, PCM and Digital. The weird thing is that I can play some DTS-HD MA 7.1 videos but I can’t play most Dolby TrueHD 7.1 videos which is kind of infuriating.
Looking through the soundbar manual, the bottom LED should light up for 5 seconds when playback starts. Green = Dolby Atmos; White = “Dolby Audio” (AC3/EAC3?); and Amber = DTS.
Do you mind running a few tests?
Leave the TV set to Auto.
If supported, set the Plex app to log to the server at the debug level (The option exists on LG TVs, not sure about Vizio).
With subtitles disabled (to avoid transcoding),
Sanity check: Play a video with Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio for a minimum of 20 - 30 seconds.
Does the soundbar LED show white?
Does Plex Dashboard show it is direct playing/streaming the audio?
Does it sound correct - not distorted, etc.?
Try a video with DTS 5.1 audio (not DTS-HD or DTS:X).
Does the soundbar show Amber?
What about Plex Dashboard?
Repeat with DTS-HD MA 5.1 & 7.1.
Last, play a video with TrueHD audio.
When finished, pull the server log files and attach to the thread, along with what the soundbar & Plex dashboard displayed.
I’m wondering how far you can get before something does not work.
From reading the manuals, it seems AC3/EAC3/DTS at 5.1 channels our less should pass to the soundbar without issue.
Unsure about dts-HD 5.1/7.1 and especially TrueHD 5.1/7.1. I have not heard of a TV that passes TrueHD from a TV based app over HDMI-eARC.
Thank you for your response. I tried every type of audio format as you mentioned above. I could play videos with Dolby digital 5.1, Dolby digital plus 5.1 (atmos), DTS 5.1 without any problems. One of the videos with DTS-HD MA 7.1 played without any distortion at all with the correct LED light flashing on the soundbar. The problems only showed when I started playing other DTS-HD MA 7.1 and Dolby TrueHD audios, especially the TrueHD ones, only the white LED lighted up and some even played without any audio at all. I was able to play all types of audio formats before the firmware update and whenever I played Dolby TrueHD, my soundbar somehow would only show white LED light which kinda made me feel skeptical about it and I actually think you’re right cause I have never heard about any TV app being able to pass through TrueHD.
Which brings me to another question, since my TV has an eARC port, assuming my tv does not have the capability to pass TrueHD and DTS-HD MA to my soundbar, will the Nvidia TV (not the pro one) work?
