# Plex app has limited support for surround sound



## ward216 (Mar 15, 2017)

I've noticed that my Roamio OTA via Plex app will only output stereo for most surround audio formats (ie DTS, Dolby +, EAC, etc). It will output 5.1 in some instances like AAC format. Anyone know which formats are supported for streaming surround sound? Thanks.

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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

My Bolt + using Plex outputs AC3 5.1 sound without any problem, unless the source is stereo only.


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## ward216 (Mar 15, 2017)

Hmm, that may be the same format. ie generic 5.1 Dolby. I may have to build a new PC for media storage, put it into the theater so it can serve up native DTS-MA locally, and also send out transcoded AC3 files to remote displays.

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## ward216 (Mar 15, 2017)

lessd said:


> My Bolt + using Plex outputs AC3 5.1 sound without any problem, unless the source is stereo only.


Can you do this with a DTS source file? Thanks

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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

ward216 said:


> Can you do this with a DTS source file? Thanks
> 
> Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk


I just rip a movie into my Plex server, whatever the sound is I get, mostly ACC 5.1. I don't know what a DTS file is, and why would I use such a file.


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## schwaggy (Feb 11, 2007)

DTS not currently supported. Wish it was as most movies are encoded with it. At the very least, I wish it could be used passthrough.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

lessd said:


> what a DTS file is


Used by many Blu-ray disks.
DTS (sound system) - Wikipedia


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

JoeKustra said:


> Used by many Blu-ray disks.
> DTS (sound system) - Wikipedia


I just use AC3 sound (and H.264 video) when uploading any BD disk to my Plus server, never look for a DTS option, don't know if it would sound better than AC3 on my 5.1 sound system.


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## ward216 (Mar 15, 2017)

It IS fixable by changing aac to ac3 within the HTML XML file in Plex Profiles folder. Edit the XML file to transcode DTS 5.1 to DD 5.1


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## enigma9o7 (Nov 28, 2015)

ward216 said:


> . It will output 5.1 in some instances like AAC format


I'm having a vaguely similar issue, except AAC is the format I'm not getting surround from. AC3 5.1 worked automatically, EAC3 is transcoded to AC3 5.1 so works well enough (I use my Roku if I really want all audio channels), and DTS transcoded to AC3 by editing the XML file.

However my videos with AAC 5.1 don't end up surround, my receiver identifies it as 2-channel.

Ideally I wish I could force plex to transcode them to AC3, but from what I've figured out so far, you can't force plex to do anything.

So if the problem is the Tivo, it's telling plex it can accept AAC so plex sends it on thru, but then it sends out 2 channel out the HDMI cable.

Alternatively, maybe Tivo is just passing all channels AAC thru the HDMI and maybe it's just my receiver that can't handle it, based on first poster saying AAC is the surround format that works for them?

Or maybe they have their Tivo set to output LPCM, in which case they're getting surround that way. I don't really like this alternative cuz in addition to my receiver via hdmi I have some surround headphones hooked up via optical, and they only take DTS & AC3, I don't think they can handle LPCM. I'm going to test setting Tivo to bitstream as a test after posting this, and after looking in my receiver manual what it says about AAC.


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## enigma9o7 (Nov 28, 2015)

I've tried everything I mentioned FYI. Very few devices accept 5.1 AAC surround, and basically no modern AVRs. 

Setting Tivo to PCM results in 2-channel PCM, even from surround HDTV, so that's not a solution.

@OP Dumb question, but can you confirm you really get surround from AAC 5.1? Does Tivo send it out via HDMI in LPCM or DD for you? Or did you get plex to transcode it to AC3 for you somehow?


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## enigma9o7 (Nov 28, 2015)

ward216 said:


> It will output 5.1 in some instances like AAC format.


Still want to know how you do that.


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