Hi, I use Plex almost to my satisfaction. Plexserver runs on a Qnap NAS, which is not suitable for transcoding. I stream everything to an Amazon TV stick “basic Edition”. Movies with (EAC3 5.1) are not played, the NAS cannot transcode and neither can the Amazon TV stick. So I use Directplay (setting plexserver; Disable video stream transcoding).
Passing the sound undecoded to my TV, however, my Panasonic TV cannot do anything with (EAC3 5.1).
In short, I have to remux everything.
If I buy an Apple TV 4K, will I be okay? Can the Apple TV 4K with Plexplayer (EAC3 5.1) transcode to stereo for my TV? Or which other player do you recommend, Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Xiaomi Mi Box S etc …
Plex Media Server: 1.21.1.3830
Plex for Android TV: 8.11.0.22186
What setting do you have for Passthrough in the Plex app?
What setting do you have for Audio in the FireStick settings (not Plex settings)?
Try:
Plex app: Passthrough = HDMI
FireStick audio: Always Dolby Digital
I have a FireStick 4K. With the above settings, EAC3 5.1 audio is direct played by the Plex server. The FireStick converts it from Dolby Digital Plus to Dolby Digital.
You can monitor playback via Plex Dashboard -> Now Playing. It will show if the video or audio is transcoding.
Thanks for your reply. I have tried the same setting as you. Also played with other settings, however my Panasonic Plasma TV does not play Dolby Digital sound.
I’m using Plex on an Amazon Fire TV Cube. My Amazon Prime Video plays media in Dolby 5:1…but Plex only comes through in stereo. I’ve selected to use best audio available in the Plex settings, and even though movies im watching in Plex are in 5:1, the audio only comes out Stereo.
So I know it’s not a problem with the Fire (Prime Movie plays 5:1) and not with the video (Audio is in 5:1). Can anyone help with how I need to configure Plex to play in 5:1?
On my Amazon Fire TV stick there is no option to choose Stereo, (note I use the Amazon Stick TV basic edition) so it is set to auto.
In plex dashboard it says that the video and audio are both played via Direct Play.
Do you know if an Apple TV 4K or an NVIDIA Shield tube can convert EAC3-5.1 to Stereo?
You might want to try a FireStick 4K. You can force it to stereo output (PCM 2.0) while the Plex server still direct plays. The only exception is for TrueHD, which will be transcoded by the Plex Server.
Unsure about the ATV4K or Shield. I have a 2015 Shield, but cannot replicate your setup, so cannot say how it would behave. I cannot disable AC3/EAC3 audio on my receiver or TV.
Good to know the FireStick Basic Edition does not have an option for stereo only output. There are many FireTV devices, and the capabilities vary from device to device.
In the FireStick 4K audio settings, the choices are a) best available; b) Dolby Digital Plus Only; c) Dolby Digital Only; and d) Stereo, which is PCM 2.0.
For future planning, the Shield Tube has issues with high bit rate media. It is not a problem for your current setup. However, it could present problems if you replaced your TV & started streaming 4K HDR media, especially with TrueHD or dts-HD MA audio. Plex is refining their app, but problems still seem to exist. Search the forum with “Shield tube” or similar terms to see the posts. The 2019 Pro model does not have the issues, which is why you’ll see people saying to buy the Pro, not tube, model when streaming 4K HDR media.
