Hi allI have a Samsung UE55AU8000 TV, which is connected a Ray via optical cable. I use the Plex app on the TV to watch my movies, which are stored on my Synology DS224+ NAS. My movie collection is encoded with HEVC. I like a lot of old films from the 40s and 50s and many of these have AAC Mono audio. When I play one, there is no sound from the Ray :( To get sound, I have to go in to the TV Settings > Sound > Expert Settings, and change Digital Output Audio Format from ‘Auto’ to ‘PCM’ and I’m getting really fed up of having to do this. Can someone explain:The reason for this; I’d expect mono to be a fairly simple thing to deal with, and regardless of how many speakers there are, they should all simply play the same mono signal. Would that not be a better solution? If my solution is the correct one, if not, is there another way of dealing with this? I have ordered an Apple TV 4Kand intend to use the Plex app on that instead of the one of the TV. Not for this reason especially, but because it’s supposed to be a lot faster than the TV Plex app, and just a generally more enjoyable experience. Am I still going to be dealing with this same problem when that is connected?Any help is appreciated - thanks!

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Answered

Why wont my Ray play Mono audio?

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Hi all

I have a Samsung UE55AU8000 TV, which is connected a Ray via optical cable. I use the Plex app on the TV to watch my movies, which are stored on my Synology DS224+ NAS. My movie collection is encoded with HEVC.

I like a lot of old films from the 40s and 50s and many of these have AAC Mono audio. When I play one, there is no sound from the Ray :( To get sound, I have to go in to the TV Settings > Sound > Expert Settings, and change Digital Output Audio Format from ‘Auto’ to ‘PCM’ and I’m getting really fed up of having to do this.

Can someone explain:

The reason for this; I’d expect mono to be a fairly simple thing to deal with, and regardless of how many speakers there are, they should all simply play the same mono signal. Would that not be a better solution?
If my solution is the correct one, if not, is there another way of dealing with this?
I have ordered an Apple TV 4Kand intend to use the Plex app on that instead of the one of the TV. Not for this reason especially, but because it’s supposed to be a lot faster than the TV Plex app, and just a generally more enjoyable experience. Am I still going to be dealing with this same problem when that is connected?

Any help is appreciated - thanks!

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brokenboxesAnswer

Trending Lyricist I

I received my new Apple TV 4K today. After setting it up and playing the above film and several others with mono audio, there is no longer a problem. The Apple TV 4K seems to convert any audio to multichannel LPCM. Problem solved.

Glad I didn’t spend hours tinkering with Plex settings, or transcoding my whole library, eh!

AjTrek1

You need to select “Optical Output” in the Plex App.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

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brokenboxesAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

You need to select “Optical Output” in the Plex App.

Thanks, but I can’t find this option anywhere on my TV’s Plex app. I don’t think it has this.

AjTrek1

You need to select “Optical Output” in the Plex App.

Thanks, but I can’t find this option anywhere on my TV’s Plex app. I don’t think it has this.

This link may help.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

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brokenboxesAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

You need to select “Optical Output” in the Plex App.

Thanks, but I can’t find this option anywhere on my TV’s Plex app. I don’t think it has this.

This link may help.

Thanks

I had seen this after your first reply, but assumed those settings just related to the player for Mac rather than any player that I use. I’ll have a look shortly. Hopefully this works!

Edit: as I suspected, the settings you have linked only relate to the desktop player apps.

controlav

Lead Maestro

Last I checked Sonos do not support PCM 1.0: https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/supported-home-theater-audio-formats

You need to transcode to PCM 2.0.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.

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brokenboxesAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

Last I checked Sonos do not support PCM 1.0: https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/supported-home-theater-audio-formats

You need to transcode to PCM 2.0.

How do I do this? Does this mean I need to change my files with something like handbrake? It sounds like something I was hoping to avoid..!

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

Transcoding is rarely a problem, pick a tool that does mass conversions and feed it your whole library. Let it run overnight and it will likely finish by morning.

Once converted archive your original files and move the transcoded ones into their previous location. Reindex the Sonos library tool.

I have had to transcode a few things, usually going to a lower encoding level that Sonos supports and it has never been an issue.

controlav

Lead Maestro

Last I checked Sonos do not support PCM 1.0: https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/supported-home-theater-audio-formats

You need to transcode to PCM 2.0.

How do I do this? Does this mean I need to change my files with something like handbrake? It sounds like something I was hoping to avoid..!

You shouldn’t need to change any files, my understanding is that Plex transcodes live, and PCM 1.0 to 2.0 is about the simplest transcode I can think of.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.

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brokenboxesAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

Last I checked Sonos do not support PCM 1.0: https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/supported-home-theater-audio-formats

You need to transcode to PCM 2.0.

How do I do this? Does this mean I need to change my files with something like handbrake? It sounds like something I was hoping to avoid..!

You shouldn’t need to change any files, my understanding is that Plex transcodes live, and PCM 1.0 to 2.0 is about the simplest transcode I can think of.

By this point, I’m fairly confused.

I’ve had a different answer from almost everyone on this. You’d think it would be straightforward.

I’m still puzzled why this expensive equipment cannot play my mono files. I’m thinking… does other home theatre audio equipment have this problem? If I go and buy a Samsung soundbar and surrounds, will that have this problem? I’m wondering if the Apple TV 4K will change anything here, doing some kind of automatic conversion. The whole issue is just really weird. How simple it is, yet how few people know, how few perspectives I’m getting on it, how different the answers are.

Just all feels very odd.

106rallye

As said before, take a look at your Plex server settings.

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