I just received my Roku Ultra and finished setting up Plex Channel and I am encountering the following problem: no matter the settings, my Bose Cinemate gets LPCM 2.0 instead of surround sound.
I am streaming surround content from my NAS (WD) to the Roku Plex Channel.
Is your audio device capable of dealing with AAC-5.1?
It’s not as ‘mainstream’ as you may think.
Also, the Roku Audio Settings are right up there with assembling an IKEA Bookshelf - by following the instruction sheet (Read: Impossible).
HDMI is the audio selection.
An HDMI cable is probably going to be inserted into the audio device - then to the TV <—a wild guess, but if you’re relying on the TV to send audio to the device - it’s probably going to screw it up.
You have to jump back and forth between the Plex App Audio settings - almost none and the Roku Audio Settings - IKEA Style.
That’s really about all I have.
Mine works - and I’m almost sure it’s by accident, but I do convert every single AAC-5.1 track to AC3-5.1 BEFORE it ever sees a Plex Library. The Roku, by some means, passed that to the TV and The TV, a Cheap PO Chinese S deals with it in expert fashion, downmixing it perfectly for the 2 speakers I have.
Hi!
Thank you so much for your answer. Have you got a Roku with optical out? I have a 4670R…
So my connections are a bit more complicated. Sources are routed through an HDMI 4x4 Matrix and then split to my TV and my Bose Cinemate.
When playing from the bluray via DLNA I get audio the right way (issue is therefore not the matrix nor the Bose, which recognizes audio just fine). I bought a Roku so that the media I have would be presented in a more fashionable manner…
I have tried all the settings…
If you can confirm your Roku model it might help me a lot as I suspect only Rokus with optical out have the capability to decode AAC5.1
Thanks again for your time
I don’t think I can help you, Buddy. I have a Roku Ultra. I don’t have an ‘audio device’.
I checked and both of my Roku Audio Settings - NOT the Plex App Settings - are set to Automatic. HDMI is auto detect and so is DolbyD.
You need specific and targeted audio aid - that guy isn’t me - I’m the guy that got audio by accident. Remember?
I have that Chinese (Cheapo) POS.
I have desktop external speakers (Nice external speakers, but still) plugged into the earphone jack of the TV - if that explains the ‘Bailing Wire and Duct Tape’ Audio system here in Juicetown. I don’t think that’s the level of support you need.
I wish you luck and I’ll call the biggest Roku Gun I know: @ljunkie
He’s the Roku Team Leader, so if he’s too busy he can send somebody else.
I can tell you this. The ONLY way audio is getting to my TV is if the Roku Passes it through the HDMI. It’s ALL AC3-5.1 and the Roku can’t deal with it. So… all things being equal - if I’m hearing any of it, it’s 'cause it got passed through.
AAC 2.0 is Roku’s Baby. That’s the travelling magic act. I’m not sure Roku can deal with AAC-5.1 <—that’s off the wall. Yes, it’s in most everything, but that doesn’t make it ‘Mainstream’. It may be as foreign to Roku as Russian is to me.
That may lead somewhere - it may not.
I will go into Observer mode - and again wish you good fortune.
A Roku 4670R cannot convert AAC5.1 and keep surround sound. It can downmix to 2ch audio, so since this file is Direct Playing audio, the Roku will be outputting 2ch audio.
The Roku should be asking the PMS to convert the audio to AC3 5.1, if your setup supports 5.1 audio.
Reasons why that conversion may not be happening:
You have set Direct Play in the Plex for Roku settings to forced. Make sure that is set to Auto.
Volume Mode is enabled. Make sure that is OFF. During playback, press the * button to bring up the roku overlay and turn off Volume Mode. https://support.roku.com/article/226802507
The Roku is not detecting surround sound capabilities or is set to stereo. In the Roku setting, make sure Audio Mode is set to Auto, and HDMI detects DD or greater. If not, set it manually.
*note: (2) and (3) are probably not the issue if you can play AC3 5.1
Thank you so much for your reply and for taking the time to explain it so nicely.
Indeed, I foced direct play as setting it to auto resulted in no sound. However, having had your kind reply I looked a bit more into this and found that because my settings for output on the Roku were to auto, it recognized DD, DD+ and DTS but my bose has no DD+ capabilities.
Setting the Roku out to DD, DTS (no DD+) resulted in finally getting DD5.1
Once again, thank you so much for all your support!
