# Transcoding bug for HEVC HD Channel
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161
**Category:** Live TV & DVR
**Tags:** server-mac, livetv-streaming
**Created:** [May 25, 2026, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161 "2026-05-25T19:26:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tcannonfodder](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tcannonfodder)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2026, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161/1 "2026-05-25T19:26:07Z")
Server Version#: 1.43.2.10687
Player Version#: (Web player) 4.159.0
Tuner Make/Model: HDHomeRun FLEX 4K
Guide/Lineup name: EPG Location Local Broadcast Listings (98 channels)
Using XMLTV?: No
Channel number/Name: 113.1 WLOS (Mapped to 13.1)
Just reporting the bug, it looks like a transcoder issue with a ATSC 3.0 (non-DRM’d, _somehow_) channel using HEVC.
The channel plays correctly on the HDHomerun app, confirming that signal is being received
Attempted fixes:
- Toggling hardware transcoding, still the same issue
- Nuking the Codecs directory
Logs:
[Plex Media Server Logs\_2026-05-25\_15-24-01.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/zSQbIZPM4LiVgqrSxIq8EIsKNWU.zip) (2.2 MB)
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### Author:  [@pshanew](https://forums.plex.tv/u/pshanew)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161/2 "2026-05-25T19:42:31Z")
The issue is actually with the AC-4 audio codec. Plex doesn’t support it because they’re not licensed for it. There’s a thread around here somewhere from years ago; I’ll link it if I can find it.
But the short version is that Plex’s Live TV & DVR feature doesn’t currently support ATSC 3.0 channels. I personally wouldn’t hold out much hope for it.
[Edit]
Here’s the thread to which I was referring:
> [@ATSC3.0 Broadcast and AC-4 Sound](https://forums.plex.tv/t/atsc3-0-broadcast-and-ac-4-sound/647437):
>
> Server Version#: PlexMediaServer-1.20.3.3483-211702a9f-x86\_64 Player Version#: Firefox on Fedora Linux Tuner Make/Model: HDHomeRun Connect 4K Guide/Lineup name: Using XMLTV?: no Channel number/Name: Phoenix 15.1 KNXV-NG Plex records and live plays the ATSC3.0 channel but there is no sound. Silicondust tells me that’s because Plex doesn’t (yet) support AC-4 sound. So let me spend my 2 cents and encourage timely development of that feature! Any chance I can keep my hopes up?
There are others, but they generally point back to this one.
* * *
For what it’s worth, 13.1 WLOS (ATSC 1.0) is the only station in the area I have any trouble tuning. Due to my location, The HDHomeRun can’t determine whether it should use the Asheville tower or a translator in Pickens. Some scans will find one, or the other, or neither. And neither will tune reliably.
The ATSC 3.0 channel, 113.1, works great in the HDHomeRun app, as you’ve noted. So, I too, would like support for AC-4 audio eventually.
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### Author:  [@tcannonfodder](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tcannonfodder)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161/3 "2026-05-25T22:54:02Z")
Gotcha; also howdy (relative) neighbor! Makes sense all around; ughhhhhh.
Here’s hoping!
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### Author:  [@pshanew](https://forums.plex.tv/u/pshanew)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcoding-bug-for-hevc-hd-channel/939161/4 "2026-05-25T23:07:15Z")
If you’re interested, here’s project which emulates an HDHomeRun tuner, passing through the real HDHomeRun directly. Except when the audio codec is AC-4, in which case it transcodes it to AC-3.
I tested it a couple of years ago and it worked fairly well. It’s a Docker container, so you’ll necessarily need to have a way of running that.
> **[GitHub - whichken/hdhr-ac4: This project aims to emulate an HDHomerun tuner...](https://github.com/whichken/hdhr-ac4)**
>
> This project aims to emulate an HDHomerun tuner that supplies ATSC 3.0 programs with AC3 audio.
This is actually a fork of this earlier project, with the primary difference being ported from Python to node.js.
[https://github.com/johnb-7/hdhr-ac4](https://github.com/johnb-7/hdhr-ac4)