LG 1.0.33 WebOS 3.9 switching audio tracks no longer works

[ivan462 0]

I just noticed that switching audio tracks stopped working on version 1.0.33 (OLED65C7V - WebOS 3.9.0). 

At the same time, switching audio works fine on OLED55B8 - WebOS 4.3.0.

Edited February 19, 2022 by ivan462

[Luke 37053]

Hi there, please describe your issue in more detail. Thanks.

[ivan462 0]

The default audio track is always played. Trying to change the audio track to another track does nothing. Switching does not work either on initial selection or while watching a movie.

Tested on ~10 mkv files. Before the last update everything was working correctly.

[Luke 37053]

OK we'll take a look at it. Thanks.

[Luke 37053]

Actually can you please attach the emby server log from when you attempted this:

Thanks.

[ivan462 0]

Here is the log for one of the mkv file. Always plays the same audio track.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 37053]

[ivan462 0]

I don't use transcoding, only direct play. Before updating the client everything worked correctly.

[Luke 37053]

Try checking those and see how it compares. Thanks.

[Luke 37053]

@ivan462 I've looked into this and I don't see how this could have ever worked on WebOS 3 and below without the use of server transcoding.

WebOS 4 has the AudioTrack api to allow client-side audio track switching. WebOS 3 does not have this. What you could do is enable the remuxing and audio conversion permission and this would allow the feature to work without video transcoding.

[ivan462 0]

13 hours ago, Luke said:

@ivan462 I've looked into this and I don't see how this could have ever worked on WebOS 3 and below without the use of server transcoding.

WebOS 4 has the AudioTrack api to allow client-side audio track switching. WebOS 3 does not have this. What you could do is enable the remuxing and audio conversion permission and this would allow the feature to work without video transcoding.

Ок, thanks. I've heard about WebOS 3 issues with switching audio tracks. I already ordered an android box. I hope to get rid of these problems once and for all.

But I'm sure that everything worked normally on the previous version of the client application. 

Just checked out Plex + Xplay (direct play), Jellyfin (direct play) and even Emby (dlna) + LG WebOS native player (direct play). Everywhere the audio tracks are switched.

[rpi 0]

Could you go into details about the Audiotrack API you were referring to?

On 2/22/2022 at 7:19 PM, Luke said:

@ivan462 I've looked into this and I don't see how this could have ever worked on WebOS 3 and below without the use of server transcoding.

WebOS 4 has the AudioTrack api to allow client-side audio track switching. WebOS 3 does not have this. What you could do is enable the remuxing and audio conversion permission and this would allow the feature to work without video transcoding.

Reason for this dumb question:

• I've installed the Emby App on my 75UH855V-ZA - running WebOS 3, Software version 5.60.15
• Playing MKV videos with dual audio tracks by default kicks on ffmpeg for transcoding
  • TranscodeReasons=SecondaryAudioNotSupported
• Playing the same videos using the LG WebOS native player via DLNA works fine. Switching between audio tracks works.
• Disabling "Allow video playback that requires transcoding" still kicks on ffmpeg for directstream
  • According to the logs video track is simply copied, the chosen audio track gets merged in
  • Switching audio tracks works as expected
  • In other words the result is the expected one with the overhead of ffmpeg
• Disabling "Allow video playback that requires conversion without re-encoding" also results in the video getting played
  • The default audio track is getting chosen
  • Switching the audio tracks doesn't work - the functionality exists, but nothing changes

Because of your statement my initial assumption was, that WebOS 3 is perhaps buggy when it comes to switching audio streams for WebApps - and therefore the Emby App running on my LG TV negotiates with the Emby Server, that a stream with just one audio track needs to get produced via ffmpeg.

I tested out my assumption by deploying a minimal media player app on my LG TV - essentially it contains one single <video> element. As video source I chose the download URL for one of the videos on my Emby Server. I've attached the index.html to my post for validation. Surprisingly that tiny media play CAN successfully choose the secondary audio track.

Not having insight into how the Emby App for LG exactly plays videos now leaves me a bit puzzled. At least until now I lived under the impression, that every kind of app on LG more or less needs to be a WebApp - using the toolset HTML5 offers for visualizing videos.

Am I completely off track here? What's the functionality the Emby App using when switching audio tracks? Is it something different than the code snippet in my sample app?

var video = document.getElementById("v");
video.audioTracks[0].enabled = false;
video.audioTracks[1].enabled = true;

 

 

index.html

[SamES 890]

10 hours ago, rpi said:

Could you go into details about the Audiotrack API you were referring to?

What is your actual webOS version from the About this TV menu. Note, not the firmware version, the webos version which will be 3.x and is buried one level deeper in the menu

[SamES 890]

6 hours ago, SamES said:

What is your actual webOS version from the About this TV menu. Note, not the firmware version, the webos version which will be 3.x and is buried one level deeper in the menu

I just saw this is 3.9 from your earlier posts.

I've posted this same comment in another thread.  Earlier versions of webOS 3.x did not support audio switching, but in 3.9 it now does.  My TV has progressed from 3.5->3.8->3.9 and now supports audio switching, when I know it didn't previously.

There is a small change in the next client release that may fix this for you.  I know it works in my TV, so please try it on the next release.

[rpi 0]

9 hours ago, SamES said:

What is your actual webOS version from the About this TV menu. Note, not the firmware version, the webos version which will be 3.x and is buried one level deeper in the menu

3.4.0-6107 (dreadlocks-digya)

[rpi 0]

2 hours ago, SamES said:

I just saw this is 3.9 from your earlier posts.

I've posted this same comment in another thread.  Earlier versions of webOS 3.x did not support audio switching, but in 3.9 it now does.  My TV has progressed from 3.5->3.8->3.9 and now supports audio switching, when I know it didn't previously.

There is a small change in the next client release that may fix this for you.  I know it works in my TV, so please try it on the next release.

Nope, sorry - I essentially have hijacked this thread, because the topic was that similar .. stumbled across the "Audio Track API" post and lazily continued the discussion.

Again, the WebOS version on my device is 3.4.0-6107 (dreadlocks-digya).

Will wait patiently for the next release of the Emby App ...

 

[nick03 0]

I wanted to add myself to the list of people who have the same audio switch problem.
On all films that with previous versions of the app the audio change worked now no longer works.

My tv is a LG 55UJ750V.
App version 1.0.33
Webos version 6.00.25

Please fix. Thanks

[SamES 890]

8 minutes ago, nick03 said:

Webos version 6.00.25

This will be firmware version, not the webos version. If audio switching was working in earlier releases then I expect it should be fixed in the next release, but please test and confirm when it is released. 

[nick03 0]

5 minutes ago, SamES said:

This will be firmware version, not the webos version.

In the info page of the tv there is only this version shown.
The webos version is not written anywhere. I assume it's 3.x because the TV spec from the LG website has 3.5.
Do you know where I can see the webos version?

[SamES 890]

When you’re in about this TV, there is normally a menu option to go one eleven deeper to get the webos version, but I agree it will be 3.x. 

[Luke 37053]

Emby for LG TV's 1.0.35 has been released. Stay tuned to the blog for the release announcement.

[nick03 0]

6 hours ago, Luke said:

Emby for LG TV's 1.0.35 has been released. Stay tuned to the blog for the release announcement.

i just updated the app on the tv. Everything finally started working as before! Now I can change the audio tracks again. Thank you so much!

You're amazing!!!!

[Luke 37053]

Thanks for the feedback.