Tone\Beep\Squelch at beginning playback of some files

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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Server Version#: 1.25.0.5246
Player Version#: 6.9.12 (Roku TCL)
Roku OS: 10/10.5

When playing videos via Plex (or DLNA served by Plex) on TCL 55R635 connected to Samsung Q700A soundbar via HDMI EARC, I occasionally get a high pitched tone\beep\squelch when the playback starts with some specific files. This only happens when Passthrough audio is set on the Roku. If I have Custom or Auto it doesn’t do that tone\beep but I get a second of silence instead - which the fix for is using the passthrough setting (based on Roku forums). I’ve had better experience with audio using passthrough so tend to prefer it as well.

It’s not a Plex specific issue I’m sure, but it only happens when using Plex and sometimes Plex community has been able to help work around or track down some oddities before so hoping maybe can again. :slight_smile:

I haven’t found a good trend for consistency as it’ll do this beep\tone on the same two files while testing and then next day it’ll be fine … and then it’ll come back. It’s not all files and it’s not specific audio codecs (DTS and DD\DD+ both do it); though I haven’t noticed it with AAC, I don’t have a lot of that format anymore.

I’ve swapped HDMI cables, returned\replaced the soundbar, factory reset devices multiple times, tried wireless\wired network. No problem with older TCL TV with older Samsung soundbar. No problem with iOS devices. My experience has been really good up until this specific new TV and new soundbar combination.

I’ve tried disabling Direct Play (that fixed odd Roku audio issues in the past) - no joy as a fix.

It seems to be more common with older files so I thought maybe something with how they were encoded maybe? Here’s zip of two small test files w/mediainfo that I’ve had consistent issue with hosted on Dropbox.

The really annoying thing is that it will work fine sometimes. If it does the beep on either test file - it continues to do the beep on both test files; if it doesn’t do the beep… it continues not to do the beep for either test file (even swapping between Plex and DLNA)… until it does start to do it again.

The beep doesn’t seem to happen when using TV speakers but that tracks since there’s no passthrough.

Digging around Roku and Samsung and AV forums I haven’t come across a similar experience.

I haven’t had a chance to swap in an external device for streaming (different Roku). I did have an older Samsung soundbar setup with the new TV for a week and didn’t notice any trouble so I’m pretty sure it’s a combination of this new TV and this new Soundbar … just not sure where that’s falling to push for tech support\bug reporting with TCL\Roku or Samsung.

I’d appreciate any suggestions or input!

Starting after pausing has a 2-3 second audio silence on Roku
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Here’s an example of the beep (MOV on Dropbox) - created video for TCL support so it’s using Roku Media Player for “native” support path but it’s the same if played through Plex. Hoping someone might recognize it which may help me troubleshoot. :slight_smile:

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I have this with a loud pop/crack like if you just plugged in a speaker. Im running passthrough with an nvidia shield tube (I know, I know) to an LG soundbar.

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That’s the sound exactly! That’ll make it easier to explain to folks. :slight_smile:

Maybe that’s part of it - like the handshake is flaking out and acting like a “reconnection”.

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Found another commonality… disc rips regularly exhibit the issue (new Blu-ray or old DVD rips) - though still not 100% consistent; web rips do not.

Kinda makes sense for the Roku considering most web rips are same or close to what it has to playback from Netflix/Hulu/etc.

I also went a few days with no “live speaker” squelch noise… but did still experience a moment of silent audio not at start of files but when resuming from pause. Might be two different issues. More details about silence at resume silence at other post here: Starting after pausing has a 2-3 second audio silence on Roku

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Latest Roku update to 10.5-4210 does not resolve this issue.

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TCL replaced my mainboard and power board but still getting this issue regularly. I really have tried to pin down what triggers it as sometimes it plays files without the Beep but a day later the same file will beep - if a file beeps it will always beep eventually.

It definitely seems to be almost exclusively disc rips - web-dls never have a problem. So I assume it has something to do with the decoder triggering a particular way from an FFMPEG flag or something.

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