So recently I had an epiphany to replace my $10 computer speakers with the old AV18 Bose Lifestyle Home Theater system I had literally sitting on a shelf in the garage. Why I didn’t think of this earlier? Who knows… It isn’t the newest system as it doesn’t even have HDMI, but does support connection via toslink (optical) which is how I have it connected.
After brief configuration to enable AC3 passthrough, I can play supported MKV files in Windows and the receiver shows it’s coming through as Dolby Digital instead of PCM. When playing the exact same video via Plex Web (in Chrome), it shows PCM. I went into Settings / Web / Player and enabled the option “Allow Direct Play of AC3 Audio” then saved, but when trying to play the same media again in Plex Web, still get PCM.
Why not use HDMI? Unfortunately, since this is an older model, it does not offer it (which I hear would solve many issues Win10 has with multiple channels.) The only audio inputs I have are toslink, digital coax, and PCM Left/Right as you can see below…
Is it possible to use Plex Web to play these supported videos have have them come through as Dolby Digital? I understand I can use PHT or OpenPHT and already have 2 dedicated Kodi systems in my house which work great, but am asking specifically fior Plex Web which I use often - usually on the same PC as my Plex Server.
Both the Plex Media Server and PC I’m trying to do this on (same system usually) are Windows 10 x64 and am using the latest Chrome browser. Here are the other settings I have configured on that same Settings / Web / Player page within Plex if it makes a difference…
Local Quality: Original
Remote Quality: 4Mbps
Online Quality: Original
HTML5 Player: Enabled
Direct Play: Enabled
Direct Stream: Enabled
Allow Direct Play of AC3 Audio: Enabled
Prefer AAC Audio: Enabled
Multi-Channel Audio Boost: None
Subtitle Size: Normal
Burn Subtitles: Automatic
Cinema Trailers to Play Before Movies: None
I’ve tried playing in Firefox and IE, too, without luck. I’m using PMS 1.3.2.3112 hosted on Windows 10 x64.
No major web browser I know of supports AC3 or any of the other major surround sound formats.
If you want surround sound, use a client which supports ‘passthrough’ and/or decoding all the surround formats to a multichannel sound interface.
Which means either use PMP or OpenPHT
Both are available free of charge now.
I assume that currently, noone has invested any time in verifying this feature of the Edge browser.
I will ask internally about it though.
But this would be the only browser. Firefox or Chrome - no.
But if you like the Plex Web interface, then use the PMP.
In the newest version it can be switched to ‘desktop’ mode, which looks exactly like Plex Web, but uses the playback engine of PMP, so your use of TOSlink would be possible. (including automatic adaption of e.g. DTS audio to AC3 will take place)
i have the problem with the pmp that the data traffic goes over the internet. Direct play is thus not possible. what could that be? The win 10 app, chrome browser, samsung tv or fire tv etc goes directly over the local network
Did you connect the PMP to your plex account or have you tried to use the manual server definition?
If your server is set to ‘Secure connection’ = ‘Required’ then PMP can only use the domain name of your server to connect to it.
And then the traffic will only stay in the local network if your router is not blocking ‘DNS rebinding’.
The mobile apps have a workaround built in, but a client on a PC can only rely on the router in your home network (or more precisely: the DNS resolver in it).
The web browser client should also be affected by this, though.
If you are using a custom domain name and you set encryption to ‘required’, it complicates matters even more.
i have connected it to my plex accound. manuel settings didnt work. but the chrome browser works.
i am using a custom domain name und encryption is set to required. i have just tested it with the edge browser. Which also goes over the internet. but why does the crhome browser works?!
If you use a custom domain name, you need a custom certificate too. And this certificate must then in turn be used by all clients also.
Otherwise secure connection may work one time and the next time not, depending on which domain is used. Your custom domain name vs the domain name you get automatically from plex (and to which the plex TLS certificate is ‘pinned’, which you get also automatically).
i have a de domain with a wosign certificate. this works.
i have testet my domain with the port 32400 with this tester https://www.geocerts.com/ssl_checker
I can’t tell you if PMP sees this the same way as this tester.
You may want to verify the whole setup without involvement of custom domains and certificates first.
But at this point I am not able to help you further, as this is not my area of expertise.
Thanks for the info. I did test Edge and yes - it did passthrough and played the media with surround support. Good call! Unfortunately, Edge doesn’t support the ~8 extensions I use in Chrome / Firefox so still loses overall
The only reason I use Plex Web (in Chrome) is for convienance. It’s just nice being able to go to a single URL from anywhere without a client as even at home I use 5-6 systems plus have it’s URL set up via reverse proxy. Hopefully Chrome / Firefox will bring support soon.
It isn’t the newest system as it doesn’t even have HDMI, but does support connection via toslink (optical) which is how I have it connected.
